RESULTLESS RAID.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10683, 1 February 1913, Page 8

RESULTLESS RAID.

BILLIARD SALOONS AND THEIR HOURS. ' INDEFINITE BY-LAW. , Public sympathy has been aroused. in the case of the three billiard saloon keepers whose premises _ were raided by the police the other night for keeping open after hours. It appears that the raid was not made at tee request of the City Council whose recent bylaw fixed the closing hour at ten iti place of eleven, and in consequence it is authoritatively understood that no prosecution will follow.

The police were not exceeding their duty in going round to see that the saloons were closed at the statutory hour, for the City. Council's by-laws pass automatically to the police, who. are expected to see them carried 'out.* However, "the raiders unwittingly did a. slight injustice to the concerned, for there are _ special circumstances in the case which suggest! that the by-law will not be rigidly enforced. It appears that ir % reviewing its by-laws quite recently the Council dealt with a large number of matters, chief among■..■'which was rthe licensing of taxi-cab drivers. Incidentally an unobtrusive clause was inserted increasing the billiard saloon license from £1 to £5, and reducing the closing hour from 11 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thit provision was set forth in the advertised by-law:, but when the saloon keepers came_ to renew their licenses at the beginning of the year they were merely told of the. increased, fee and no notice was given of the new closing i hour. These facts were communicated | to the Mayor yesterday by a depnta- ' tion, and Mr Holland was quite sympathetically inclined to the representations made to him. Later lie ex- . pressed the opinion that the saloonkeepers had kept open in mire ignorance of the by-law/ and therefore he thought that bo action " should be :taken. It was pointed out to him that a. game 1 might extend over half. an libur or more, and to ensure closing at--10 p.m. the proprietors would really have to close their doors about 9.30, a fact which would count greatly against thom, as all their trade was done after ordinary working hours. The Mayor was that at all events the difference might be split and 1 the closing hour fixed.at 10.30. The case emphasises the need for a consolidation of the city's by-laws, and Mr Holland expressed the opinion yes- : terday that this should be carried out in the next year or so, in order that the bv-laws should be clearlyunderstandable. At present, he said, one by-law was amended or modified or extended by a following by-law, and confusion was bound to follow. The case of ■ the billiard saloon-keepers had * raised the Question, aud in any case it had not'been the Council's inteni tion to jump on the men for a breach.