EXPLANATION GIVEN

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVII, Issue 23186, 27 April 1945, Page 4

EXPLANATION GIVEN

Non-cancellation Of Licence Offences Were Committed By Servants (N.Z.P.A.) WELLINGTON, April 26. An explanation of why the licence of Westland Breweries was not cancelled when the Minister of Customs imposed penalties for breaches of the law was given to the Royal Commission on Licensing by the Comptroller of Customs, Mr E- D. Good. The offences which resulted in the imposition of the penalties, he said, were committed by servants of the company at the Reefton Brewery and at the Kumara Brewery. No evidence could be found to show that the manager of the company or the directors were aware of or connived at the offences, though the management of the company was negligent. Of the paid up capital of £55,000 the directors held only shares to the value of £5844. The share capital was held by 229 shareholders, their average holding amounting to £240. The cancellation of the company’s brewers’ licences would have been an unduly harsh penalty on the shareholders of the comnany for offences of which the comoany had no knowledge. Tire real offenders were the two brewers, and the Minister imnosed penalties of £5O and £25 respectively on them, and directed that the company be informed that as the brewers had shown by their conduct that they were not persons of good charactar and reputation to act in the general or special management or control of a brewery, the brewers’ licences held by the company in respect of *heir three breweries would not be renewed for the year 1945 if those men were in the company's emnlov when application was made for such renewal. The company was unable to obtain a new brewer for the Kumara Brewery and the company was thus forced to cease brewing at that brewery. The licence for this brewerv was allowed to lapse for the year 1945 “On car“ f oi ennsifloratiop or the evidence available I felt. T could not have recommended to the Minister that the brewers’ licences held bv th- comnanv should have been cancelled.” said Mr Good. Tp went on to explain the different circumstances which led to the cancellation of the licences in two other case-