THE BONA-FIDE TRAVELLER. AGAIN.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVIII, Issue 1047, 31 March 1910, Page 22

THE BONA-FIDE TRAVELLER. AGAIN.

A case of interest to all licensed victuallers, not only across the border but in England has just been be-

fore the magistrates at Dunbar, Scotland, (says the L. V. Gazette). Apparently, it was the conviction of the so-called traveher that led to the summoning of the license holder. On New Year's Day all the public houses are closed but hotels are open to sell as on Sunday, and when a young man applied for refreshment and put his name in the visitors’ book as coming from a town a distance of fourteen miles, naturally he was served. He volunteered the information that he was on a visit to his parents, but an inspector of police who came in accused him of being in the town over night, which he denied. Hailed before the magistrates the man was convicted and fined five shillings. Then the licensee was summoned for supplying him with two glasses of beer. Mr. William Moyne of the Railway Hotel, Dunbar, is one of the most respected traders in the town, and his defence was, “I was always under the impression that any one who resides away from his parent’s house is u, bonafide traveller when he comes to visit his parents, but not so on his return again.” Whether visiting his parents or not a man who has travelled a distance of fourteen miles is certainly entitled to refreshment during prohibited hours and it was the bounden duty of Mr. Moyne as an innkeeper to serve the man after having made the necessary inquiries. That the statement in the visitors’ book was a lie could not bring him within the meshes of the law. The magistrates after hearing the statements said they could not see what charge could possibly be brought against Mr. Moyne, who had exercised every reasonable precaution, and the Procurator-Fiscal in the end withdrew from the case though he said with “great reluctance,” as he had been informed that a similar case had been tried at Airlie where the hotel keeper was convicted. Whatever this case might have been there was clearly notning against Mr. Moyne.