HOTELS AND LIQUOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18861, 8 November 1924, Page 13

HOTELS AND LIQUOR.

ALLEGED ILLEGAL TRADE.

PROCEEDINGS BY POLICE.

CHARGES AGAINST LICENSEES.

| Matters concerning the selling of liquor at hotels after closing hours were re- ; ferred to by Senior-Sergeant Rawle at I the Police Court yesterday, when the licensee of the City Hotel, Frederick James Sands (Mr. R. McVeagh), was charged with having supplied liquor to a person : under the age of 21 years and with four alleged offences in respect to after-hour trading. Counsel for the defence applied to Mr. J. W. Poynton, S.M., and Messrs. 'A. .J. Stratford and L. J. Pegler, J.P.'s. for a fortnight's adjournment.

Senior-Sergeant Rawle said he was instructed to oppose an adjournment for more than seven days. One reason was that on November 21 another hotel licensee would be charged with three breaches, alleged to have been committed on Octo ber 29, and a further three alleged to have been committed on November 1. These cases would take a considerable time to deal with. It was undesirable to have an adjournment longer than was actually necessary. In a recent manslaughter caso I tho jury added a rider to its verdict to | the effect that in its opinion the crime was largely due to the facility with which drink was obtainable after hours. Any fuitlier delay, said the senior-sergeant, might suggest that the police were not sufficiently active in instituting proceedings. On the contrary, they had been active in suppressing after-hour trading at all times, and the present proceedings were instituted before the rider was framed. "It is over 30 years since Mr. Justice Richmond called attention to the defect in the licensing laws and it has not yet been remedied," said Mr.. Poynton. Die cases were adjourned until next Friday.