BEER FOR FOOTBALL CLUB

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25386, 18 November 1943, Page 4

BEER FOR FOOTBALL CLUB

435 GALLONS DURING SEASON CHARGE OF ILLEGAL SELLING (Special) BALCLUTHA, Nov. 17. At a sitting of the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, before Mr H. J. Dixon, S.M., the Clutha Football Club was charged with selling liquor in a no-licence district. Constable Boyle prosecuted. Mr Grigor, who appeared for the club, entered a plea of guilty. Constable Boyle said that a send-off social was held on the night of October 16. At midnight, he and Constable Duff had seen 50 or 60 men coming out of the clubhouse, where the social had been held. Thirty-three gallons of beer had been ordered for the social, and a charge of 4s each was made. From April, when the season started, until the end of September the club had ordered 435 gallons of beer, one bottle of whisky, and three of sherry. Mr Grigor said the club had entertained 14 visiting teams during the season and also 31 members of the club who were in the armed forces. It had considered that it was keeping within the law in making a small charge to defray the cost. Not one penny of profit had been made, and the socials had been extremely well conducted. There had been no suggestion of drunkenness or of disturbances.

Constable Boyle said the socials had been well conducted, but the club had been going too far in bringing so much liquor into the district. The magistrate said the case had evidently been brought more as a warning than anything else. The club would, therefore, not be subjected to a heavy penalty. A line of £2. with costs (10s), was imposed.