HOTELS WARNED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23599, 7 March 1940, Page 11

HOTELS WARNED

CATERING FOE TROOPS CHEAP BEDS AND MEALS LOCKERS TO STORE MUFTI Disapproval of the manner in which some of the hotels in Auckland cater for the men of th#> fighting forces on week-end leave was expressed by ]\lr. W. R. Mclvean, S.M., chairman of the Auckland Licensing Committee, at the quarterly meeting of the committee yasterdav. A warning was given to licensees against the practice of renting lockers to the men in which to store civilian clothing.

Presenting the police report, Inspector D. Scott paid that after-hour trading was carried on extensively in many hotels during week-ends, in spite of numerous prosecutions and warnings. The city was visited at the week-ends by between 1000 and 1500 members of the fighting services, who stayed at certain hotels which catered for them at an exceedingly low tariff. The men were charged 2s for a bed for the night and Is for each meal. Breaking of Regulations "The men have ready money, and the result is that there is drinking in some hotels practically all night long," continued Mr. Scott. "The cheap fee enables the men to become lodgers, so tlmt they cannot be prosecuted for being unlawfully on licensed premises. Further, many of the men keep their clothing at these hotels in lockers provided at a small annual fee. They change into civilian clothes, and it is difficult to distinguish between them and ordinary persons from outside." Five hotels seemed to be doing this sort of thing, said Mr. McKean. The practice of establishing lockers, rented for os annually, was viewed by the committee with the strongest disapproval. "It is a breach of the naval regulations for a rating to wear civilian clothing without special permission, and licensees should know that by providing lockers for their clothes they are encouraging the men to commit breaches of the regulations," continued Mr. McKean. "So far as tho Army is concerned, the position is just the same, and men cannot wear mufti unless for a special reason."

Warning Given Mr. McKean said that if the practice were to continue to help the men to break the regulations something would be done at the annual meeting of the committee. He hoped the warning would be sufficient. Cheap meals and beds for the night were provided to encourage men to spend their money on liquor, and that also was wrong. Referring to another hotel, the conduct of which the police reported to be unsatisfactory, Mr. McKean said it appeared as though the licensee had been there for a good number of years, but had nnfortuna.tely not regarded the warnings given him by the police, "it is said, although he is not called to answer the charges, that he has been indulging very freely in liquor, the chairman added. "1 hope he will heed future warnings."

PUKEKOHE PROSECUTION LICENSEE AND BARMAN FINED [from our own correspondent] PUKEKOHE, "Wednesday The supply of liquor to soldiers on a Sunday had a sequel in the Pukekobe Police Court to-day, when Henry Douglas, barman at the Railway Hotel, Mercer, and Ernest Bernard Mo rev, licensee, were fined £5 each for selling liquor after hours. The police stated that the Defence Department had complained that soldiers returning to Papakura on the Sunday night excursion train from Hamilton were obtaining liquor at the hotel.

Constable F. T. Wakelin stated that on February 25 he saw two soldiers get off the train and run to the hotel. They came out carrying three large bottles of beer each, and admitted that these had been bought from the barman.