THE LIQUOR LAW.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13996, 31 August 1907, Page 5

THE LIQUOR LAW.

(Fbom Oor Own ComiE3pondsnt.) T „ - — OAMARU, August 30. James Speignt and Co., of Dunedin, brewers were to-day charged in the Maeisuato s. Court with selling liq-uor to be sent, into this no-license area, without furnishing the clcrk of the court with t.ho proper notiec thereof. ,Mr Lee, -for 'the defendant company, pleaded not, guilty. The sale of tho liquor on the 13th »nd ita arrival in the goods ahed at Osunani on the 14th were proved ia ovidence, and also onl n tllat thc notic ? was 501,1 011 tho a 'i I 0 s "" ulK>n ' s having been Borvcd on the 18th. Mj- Leo pointed ont that the act did not provide any specified . time within which tho notice should be forwarded, and it must therefore be concluded that the Legislature meant a reasonable lme. Ho submitted that five days was a reasonable time. The object was, of couree, to give "the police an opportunity of tracing liquor which might be coming in for illicit sale. A further objection was raised on a technical ground, but it. was abandoned In giving judgment the Magistral thought, the defendant company had treated the act in this rcspcct with too little rogard. Ho could not banish from his mind that tho notice was served the dav after the summons was served. The methods of sending the notices in thc past had not been of the most, businesslike nature. He did not think tho notice had been served within n reasonable time. Defendants were fined £2 and costs libs). A second charge on similar circum«anccs was withdrawn, Sergeant Bowman saying the police merely desired tho notices to be sent with the least possible delay.

OASES AT OFHIR. (From' Our Own C'op.ikspoxdevt.) OPBIR, August. 30. Two men, .Tolin: and Thomas Moran. were charged l yesterday before Mr J. M'Eninis. S:M:.S with:'a breach of section W of tl'e Licensing/Act.: Mollor pleaded "Guilty." andwas jinetf'lQi and.Moran (for whom Mr Kirk' sppfiared) " Not; guilty," urging that ho had a reikonablo excuse for his presence on liconwd premises;'" It appenrcrl that liad been attending a social at MaM.-antii, jiid on arrive!'there M his overeoat. in. tlio Mel before o'clock. Before II o'clock. but r.ffcr 10, he reftirred to the hotel pap«.*wo for his coat, and just-as he was putting' it. on the police appwrrd. There win no sueFCotion. of any intention on the part of defendant to obtain liquor. The information was dismissed.' Sergeant Crawford represented tlio police.