CHILDREN ON LICENSED PREMISES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, 26 June 1913, Page 25

CHILDREN ON LICENSED PREMISES.

An interesting point has been raised at Coventry (Eng.) in regard to children on licensed premises. Mr. W. J. Osborne, of the White Lion Hotel in the town, has been in the habit fo allowing parents to take their children with them into the dining and luncheon room when calling for refreshment, and when two constables looked in the other evening about 9 o’clock they found about thirty adults and twelve- children, whose ages ranged from one to twelve years. The hotelkeeper, when questioned, said he used the room as a luncheon room and “according to the Blue-book he thought he was doing what was legitimate.” For twenty minutes the Bench deliberated in private, and on their return the Chairman said the magis-

trates regarded the case as presenting considerable difficulty. Having heard the evidence, they were of opinion that at the time the offence was alleged to have been committed, the room in question was undoubtedly mainly used for the sale and consumption of intoxicating liquor. On the other hand, the words “mainly used” in the. section might refer to the general use of the room, and there was evidence that at certain periods the room was undoubtedly mainly used for meals. In order to correctly interpret this phase, the magistrates had considered the intention of the legislature when framing this section of the Children Act, and that intention was, in the magistrate’s view, to prevent children being present on licensed premises in such circumstances as those revealed by the evidence for the prosecution. They therefore, considered that upon the whole there must be a conviction, but being aware of the difficulty and the doubt existing they would willingly state ;a case, should defendant care to have the decision reviewed by a higher court. Defendant was fined 10s and costs.