“LEGAL TENDER.”

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, 19 December 1912, Page 24

“LEGAL TENDER.”

AN ABSURD RULING.

•"HOTeLK-EEPERS as BANKERS.”

According to a judgment delivered in a case at Gdtilburn (N.S.W.) recently, it'is legal tender fbr an titter stranger to- offer a cheque to the landlord of an hotel in payment for board and lodging. This opens up a mew difficulty,-for what-redress would -a landlord -have for -a -Cheque? • The case in point -was one in which Mr. J. C. McLaughlin, proprietor of .the Royal Hotel, Goulburn, gave into custody and prosecuted a traveller on a charge of refusing to pay. a reasonable sum on demand for meals and -accommodation.

The evidence showed that a traveller had arrived at the hotel at midnight on Friday, stayed over Saturday, Sunday and Monday, and when he was leaving the hotel with his luggage, for payment of 255. 6d., he tendered his own cheque. As the landlord did not know the gentleman from a bar of soap, he not unnaturally demanded cash, of which,Jit transpired the departing board-and-lodger was entirely deficient. In fact,, he admitted, in cross-examination by the Sergeant of Police, that he had borrowed/eighteen pence only the day before the case was heard, as he “had no cash on him at the time,” and this, despite the fact that accused claimed to be well-known to “practically every grocer in Goulburn.” The accused added: —“I know my cheque was good, and I thought if it was not met, Mr. McLaughlin would. have the usual redress; I thought it would be unreasonable to ring up any of my customers at that hour of the night.” And then, to quote the Goulburn “Herald,” of November 27: —“The P.M.: The Bench have decided by a majority to dismiss the case.” Hotelkeepers, according to this, must now be regarded as bankers as well as victuallers.