A WARNING TO PUBLICANS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11188, 10 August 1898, Page 7

A WARNING TO PUBLICANS.

'' At'the'Magistrate's.■Court, St,'.Bathans, on ''Friday M, before. Mr S". M- DsCJg.leisb',. S.M., ■'■William Fiaij^.of. ; the"'White Horse: Hotel, fpects,.w'aß'c}iarged,under "The Beer Duty Act, i, 1880," with pb§truct;ine ; an'~dtficer;of Customs.. '>'■'■ Mr 'Chamberlain, collector of Custorris, prose-, i'cutcd; and. Fisher was ■defended by Mr Cutten,. of Naseby. v ~ . :. Prosecutor stated ".that the information was 'laid iiiider'sections .41 and 43; of "The Beer Duty Act, 18Sb,""\vi¥ic'n" empowered; officers of ■''Customs to enter,-inspect, and take' acppunt in all places where -beer-was- kept,. stored,.ov sola, 'and imposed a penalty/-of £100 for.obstructing, "resisting,* .or jnplesting an, ofter.- .He-visited Fislier's hotel in May last; explained to Fisher what his business was, and that he desired to 'inspect" the. 'duty .'sWinps-' qn.;bee>. casfo., .A; 'cask'was"atan^ing 'cifci#d; yfflet- the bar coun-' 'ter, tappVd" in Wo- chimb", SriS #jth the.stamped" i hearl;idbwnl;:'H<i' requested'to have the^ caslc i placecV:W'tKati':ho-cou)d see" the! stamp,; but-. ! Fisher pbsitively Refused: t6;allow the cask, to. be moved; He; warned .Fisher^f-tho penalty ■ he Was incurring by refusing to allow inspection, but Fisher said the beer v/ould be. spoiled, ! and lie would pot have the cask touched unless :~the Government would-pay him for the beer. • After1 lunch'lie called Fisher out/ warned, anct* ;rc-rc6nstrated with hitrTagaVn,- bntwithout ef- ! feet. He sub.seo.uently reported the matter to j-the Hon. Commissioner; of Customs, and was I directed to prosecute. -■ Mr Cutten said that Fisher would plead guilty to a, technical breach of the act; but that ! his clieni had no intention of breaking the law, ' and was under a misapprehension as to refusing ! to dovo the cask,' aßhe,fconsidered doing, so would soil the beet. He (Flshet) had always properly defaced his beer duty stamps, as required by law, and-the-stamp-Jn-question was found properly dofaced when the constable served him -with-the- -summoira.-- -He submittedthat the offence was merely technical, and would be met by a nominal fine, to which, ke understood, the collector-of Customs had no obi jection. ■■ ■■ - - : ~ ,-. Mr Chamberlain said the.object of prose•cution was not to inflict, a yindiotive penalty on