NELSON.—MONDAY, JUNE 26.

Colonist, Volume LIII, Issue 13143, 27 June 1911, Page 4

NELSON.—MONDAY, JUNE 26.

Before Mr. J. S: Evans, S.M

TRADING ON SUNDAY

"George White, proprietor "of the Tasmanian Tea Rooms, pleaded guilty to a charge of having kept his shop open on Sunday, June 11th. Sergeant Mullan3' said that defendant had a shop in connection with his restaurant, in which he kept for sale confectionery and cigarettes. On June 11th he sold sixpenny worth of lollies to a boy. There should, said the sergeant, be a partition dividing the Bhop from the restaurant, and it was not sufficient for the goods to be covered up.' The information was laid under section 17 of the Police Offences Act.

Mr Atkinson said defendant had a perfect right to keep his restaurant open on Sunday, although it was unlawful for him to keep the shop open. There was only one entrance to the restaurant and shop. The section of the Act under which the information was laid appeared to be in conflict with the Shops and Offices Act.

The Magistrate said it almost seemed that refreshment rooms could not be kept open on Sundays. If a restaurant was open for restaurant purposes only and an information was laid, the Court would use its discretion and might dismiss the information. It was an offence to sell goods out of a shop. Shops must be kept shut for trading purposes on Sunday, and it would be unfair for restaurants to enter into competition with those who had one class of business only. A fine of ss, with 9s costs, was imposed.