NOT A PUBLIC DANCE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 11 June 1945, Page 2

NOT A PUBLIC DANCE

LIQUOR CHARGE DISMISSED Two charges of being in possession of liquor in the vicinity of the Dovedale Hall while a public dance was being held were dismissed by the Magistrate Mr T. E. Maunsell, in the Magistrate’s Court this morning. The defendants, Frank Burrell and Norman Heath, were represented by Mr M. C. H. Cheek and pleaded not guilty. Senior-Sergt. H. E. Knight prosecuted. The senior sergt. said that he understood that the fact of being in possession of liquor was not denied but the nature of the dance was in question. On Saturday 14th April a dance was held in the Dovedale Hall, organised by members of the Pokororo harvesting unit, consisting of army personnel. At a previous dance an invitation had been given to attend a dance on the termination of their services. Besides this general invitation, given in the hall, an invitation by word of mouth had been given to growers, and the dance was held on 14th April, There was no control over the door and no restriction on the admission of the general public to the dance. The two defendants were found in the vicinity of the hall consuming beer. Constables J' H. Houston and J. Skinner gave evidence in support of the senior sergt’s statement. Mr Cheek asked for dismissal of the charges on the ground of lack of evidence. There was no suggestion of payment of subscription of any kind and there was no evidence that it was a public dance.

Evidence that the dance was open .only to tobacco growers and invited guests was given by Iris Heath, mother of one of the defendants; and by defendant Burrell. The Magistrate held that it was not a public dance and there was no evidence of payment. Therefore the informations must be dismissed.