LIQUOR AT ASHBURTON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20976, 12 September 1931, Page 10

LIQUOR AT ASHBURTON.

FORBIDDEN SALE BY CLUB. PROHIBITION INTERESTS. MINISTER NOT APPROACHED. [Bl* TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON. Friday. A denial that ho had been approached by the prohibition interests in Ashhurton concerning the sale of liquor by the Ashburton Club and Mutual School of Arts was made by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. P. A. de la Perrelle, to-day. He said he had been approached on the question by the Police Department because his department dealt with club charters.

'As a result of the decision of the Privy Council in the case of Scales v. Young," said the Minister, "I am advised that the club has no longer the legal right to sell liquor, and I have written to the secretary of the club to that effect." The decision of the Privy Council referred to was delivered on April 24, 1951, on an appeal by Joseph Scales, keeper of the Somerset Hotel in Ashburton, against the refusal of the Licensing Committeo to grant him a publican's licenco to replace the licence made void in 1903 by the carrying of the vote of no-licence.

In its judgment the Privy Council decided that, although by the alteration of the boundaries of the electoral district the old Ashburton no-licence district had become merged into adjoining licensed districts, owing to the fact that, as required by Section 27 of the Licensing Act, 1908, and Section 12 (b) of the Licensing Act Amendment, 1910, restoration had not been carried by vote, it was still unlawful to grant licences in the Ashburton district.