LIQUOR IN CAMPS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23413, 1 August 1939, Page 13

LIQUOR IN CAMPS

SUPPLIERS CHARGED THREE FINED £SO EACH SELLING WITHOUT LICENCE [by TELEGRAPH —PRKSS ASSOCIATION] CHRISTCHURCH, Monday Complaints to the police about sly grog-selling by storekeepers in the vicinity of public works camps on the South Island Main Trunk line resulted in inquiries by detectives from Christchurch, and subsequently numerous charges of sly grog-selling were heard in the Magistrate's Court this morning. .Four persons wore concerned in the charges, three being storekeepers and one the wife of a storekeeper. Fines of £SO and costs were imposed on the first three by Mr. E. C. Levvey, S.M.. and one wife was fined £lO.

Defendants were: Maude Stead, of Domett, who faced four charges of selling liquor without a licence, and was fined £SO and costs on the first charge and ordered to pay costs on the others; George William Dransfield, of Conway, who was fined £SO on the first of three charges of selling liquor without a licence, and costs on the others; Ada Dransfield, £lO on the first of two charges; and Joseph Cannon, of Parnassus, who was fined £SO on one of 10 charges, five of which the magistrate withdrew, and ordered to pay costs on the other. The four all entered pleas of guilty. Chief-Detective Dunlop said search warrants had been issued and in Stead's store on the Main North Road 29 bottles of ale were found. Several sales had been made. The liquor had been bought at 12s 6d a dozen bottles and sold at 18s. At Drnnsfield's store 14 dozen bottles bad been found, and he had been selling liquor i\t 21s a dozen. His wife had had a part in the selling, and both had admitted the offence. Twelve dozen bottles were found at Cannon's store, and he had also bought ale at 12s 6d and sold it at 21s a dozen.

"There is no suggestion of disorder nt these stores, or that any disorder arose at the camps, as a result of the liquor being supplied," "said the detective.

Counsel said the main reason for the offence springing up was the distance away that public works men were from the nearest hotel. "They obviously found it profitable to carry on this offence," said the magistrate in'imposing the fines.