A BAD RECORD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17572, 24 June 1925, Page 8

A BAD RECORD.

LICENSEE WARNED. LAST CHANCE. A hotel licensee ivas threatened with endorsement of his license at the Magistrate’s Court this morning, when •James Richmond iilaekie, licensee of the Oxford Hotel, pleaded guilty to charges of exposing liquor for 'sale, keeping the premises open for tile sale ot liquor and oi liquor alter hours. David Blackie, son of the licensee, pleaded guilty to. selling liquor alter Sub-In-spector Cameron said that eight men wore found in the hotel bar at <J p.m. on Ma v 22 There was liquor m front of the men, and some <>r them admitted having no right to be on the premises. When the police went inside the licensee and Ins son were in the bar. Blackie, senr, had been before the Court for Licensing Act breaches before. 2»lr M. .J. Cl rosso n, who app-cared for Ihe licensee, said the men were admitted and when. lilaekie, senr, came downstairs ho, found them there. The Magistrate: flow long has he been in the hotel? Mr Gresson: He went in in 1922. The Magistrate (Mr Wyvern Wilson) said that Blackic’s rcec»rci was a very bad one. He had been fined for permitting drunkenness, and later was lined £5 and £lO for other breaches. It was a matter in which he would have to consult the register to sec whether he should endorse the license. The case was ordered to stand down till this afternoon. This afternoon, Mr Gresson said that endorsement was the most drastic penalty that the Court could inflict, and he asked for consideration. During the last year the police had reported that the conduct of the hotel had improved. lilaekie had not been warned in some of the other cases that his license might be endorsed. The Magistrate: I'm going io leave tho matter of the license to the Licensing Committee. They can decide at the next meeting. If lie’s lined lie gets another chance, but is lus his last chance. If the house is not conducted properly and ho comes up again, tlio license will be endorsed. Blackie was fined £lO on each of three charges. Daniel Black io was fined 40s. The following were each fined 20s for being on the premises after hours:— Leslie Bishop, David Edward Broome, M illinm Craddock. Frederick Foulds. \\ illiam Alfred Love, Patrick James l M'Grntb, Cyril O’Neill, John I. Simp son and Richard Phelan.