WOMEN'S CHARGES

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25228, 14 June 1945, Page 6

WOMEN'S CHARGES

CONDUCT OF HOTELS REFUSAL TO GIVE EVIDENCE An attempt to investigate allegations of excessive drinking by women in certain Auckland hotels, made recently before the Royal Commission on licensing, was followed by*the refusal of the two persons making the charges to repeat them before the Auckland District Licensing Committee yesterday. The committee at its last sitting deferred applications for renewal oi licences in respect of five Auckland hotels to enable it to hear the evidence of two witnesses who had appeared before the Royal Commission and to provide the licensees with an opportunity to reply to the allegations. At yesterday's sitting the police reported that both of these witnesses, Miss Hilda Rice and Mrs A. E. Hodge, had declined to give evidence before the committee. Miss Rice had stated that it would prejudice her social work it she gave evidence and Mrs Hodge bad declined either to appear or make a statement Committee's Concern "These people have made allegations which, if true, would probably cause this committee to refuse to renew the licences of these five .hotels, and \et they will not come before the committee which has jurisdiction in this matter," commented the chairman, Mr J. H. Ltixford, S.M. "Mrs Hodge tokl the commission on oath that bO to 70 women had been seen drunk in hotels, the names of which had been ascertained by the police. It is as seiious an allegation as can be made against »i licensee" and now she is unwilling to place the facts before us here." The police staled that in the circumstances they were unable to lay a charae. "The committee is concerned about this matter and about other matters which have come beiore the commission on licensing," continued Mr Luxloid. "It seems to this committee that when people give the commission statements of this nature the matter should be sent, before this tribunal. As it is. botelIteepers have been indicted, the public has been told that these things are going on in their hotels, and the police have come under opprobrium as a result. The Proper Course "The committee feels that it would he a proper course for allegations which justify a conviction or disciplinary action being taken by a licensing committee to be referred to the police to take appropriate action. It is wrong in principle that these statements can be made before the other side has had a chance to be heard before the proper tribunal. Although the Royal Commission docs not seem to be the proper place to investigate matters such as these, and this committee is placed in an embarrassing position, it is quite clear that the commission makes its own rules and is entitled to do what it thinks fit." . Mr J. Terry, counsel for one or the licensees concerned, suggested that had these women had at heart the interests of licensing reform they would have welcomed an opportunity of appearing before the committee. It, seemed that with some social workers the imagination ran riot and they later feared to be cross-examined on oath. "Well, one of them has pointed out that civiti" evidence here would prejudice "her "social work, hut 1 cannot imagine anvthing more prejudicial than to allow matters to remain as she says thev are," said Mr Luxford. 'I he first job of anv social worker would be one would think, to get such abuses The applications for renewal of the licences were approved.

GENERAL'S STATEMENTS

DENIAL BY OFFICERS AUCKLANDER'S SERVICES Two British officers in the Levant, well known anions the Arabs, have given a tjnn denial in Damascus to allegations recently made against them by General Roget, until recently French commander in Damascus, tliat they had incited Syrians against the trench, says a London broadcast, One of the officers, Group-Captain Dudley Marsack, said the fact that he got on very well with the Arabs possibly led the French to imagine that lie was filling some other role than was required by his job as deputy-press attache at the British Legation in Damascus. General Roget s charges were quite unfounded. The other officer. Colonel Frank Stirling, once chief of staff to Lawrence of Arabia., said he and Group-Captain Marsack had all along been trving to prevent the serious trouble that recently broke out in Syria. General Roget and he had always been friendly, and the accusations came as a great surprise. Group-Captain Marsack is a son of Mrs and the late Dr A. E. Marsack, of Remuera, and was educated at King's College. He joined the Royal Air Force some years before the war broke out, and for a period was Special Service Officer attached to the British Forces in Palestine. He was mentioned in despatches in for gallant and distinguished services in the field during the Palestine rebellion. Rarlv in 1930 he" was transferred to the Khartoum headquarters of the Sudan Defence Force as Air Staff Intelligence Officer. Karlv this year lie was reported to be British press officer at Damascus

ALLEGED ASSAULT CHINESE SERIOUSLY HURT (0.C.) GISBORNE. "Wednesday Bleeding profusely from severe injuries to the head and body, a Chinese, Louie Yen, better known as "Louie Wing," crawled to a house in Awapuni Road last night and complained of having been attacked by an unknown man. He was taken to hospital and his condition is serious.

A Maori soldier, Kruger Matenga. aged 24, of Cape Runaway, was charged before Mr E. L. Walton, S.M.. in Gisborne with assaulting Louie Yen so as to cause grievous bodily harm. He was remanded until Wednesday.

AUCKLANDER SAVED SHIP SUNK IN GALE The Aucklandcr, Mr Arthur George Salt, aged 57, who was among those rescued when the 1500-ton frejghter Coweambah sank in a gale off the northern coast of New South Wales on Monday, was formerly well known as a fireman on the Kaipara Steamship Company's little steamer Bell bird which was later owned by the Northern Steamship Co. Mr Salt sailed in lie Hell bird when, with a convoy of several other small New Zealand coastal steamers and scows, she crossed he Tasman in September, 1912, to join the United States Army Small Ships' Section for service in the South-west Pacific area.

When the Bellbird was given a Diesel engine and converted to a salvage and repair ship her boiler was transferred to the Coweambah, whose crew Mr Salt joined, and because of his ability he became chief engineer. He used once to be in the crew of the small tug Ohincmuri. which worked in and out of Onehunga and west coast ports. *

JCL Value In Ladles' Tailored Woollex Slacks, In wine, gold and green, well cut and experllv finished, In sizes W. and W.X., 29s 6d pair.—John Court. Ltd.. Queen St.—Advt.