WOMEN AND LIQUOR

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20426, 17 February 1938, Page 8

WOMEN AND LIQUOR

presence in booth LICENSEE CHARGED (By Telegraph.—Press Association) DUNEDIN, Wednesday Interesting points of law were raised by Mr J. M. Paterson in the Police Court this morning when appearing as counsel for Matthew Henry Dawson, who was charged before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., with breaches of the Licensing Act in connection with a conditional licence issued to him for a booth at the Dunedin Jockey Club’s race meeting at, Christmas. The charges were that defendant failed to comply with the conditions of the licence by allowing women to be in a public booth at Wingatui racecourse and that he caused liquor to be exposed to a certain women. Sergeant. Forsyth said he visited the booth and saw a woman hurriedly leaving by the door. Inside, he found three women, two of whom bad apparently been drinking, glasses held by them containing dregs of port wine. The licensee's son. who was in charge of the booth, told witness that no women had been served by his assistants and that some women had been sent out of the booth just previously. Mr Paterson said that Dawson had been a hotel-keeper for 4 5 years, and had never previously boon charged with, let alone convicted of. any breach "f the Licensing Act, and it was exfreimdy unfortunate ’ that he should ri-.w he made the subject of what was in effect a test ease. The magistrate said that Hip conditions mentioned had been in conditional licenses for something like 2u rears, hut apparently of late years a certain amount ot' latitude had been allowed, so that these conditions had heroine something like a (lead letter. Their validity having been questioned hv counsel, he would take time to zu ini', the matter.