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i SECRET DRINKING IN ii .;FLINTSHIRE.…

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i SECRET DRINKING IN ii FLINTSHIRE. Discussion by Standing Joint Committee: Remarkable Revelations. ABOLITION OF GROCERS' LICENCES URGED. Alleged Hawking of Liquor by Grocers' Vans. J "HOTEL DE MOVEALONG." A meeting of the Flintshire Standing Joint Committee was held at Mold yester- day morning. Mr. E. G. Evans proposed that Aid. J. H. Ellis, of Rhyl, be elected chairman for the ensuing year. Mr. Frank Jones seconded, and Mr. Powell supported the resolution, which was unanimously carried. Aid. J. H. Ellis, on taking the chair, said he had occupied that position before, and considered it a great honour to be elected again. He would discharge the duties to the best of his ability. POLICEMEN AND PUBLIC-HOUSES. Mr. H. Powell asked whether there was any rule in force forbidding constables from visiting public-houses for drink when on duty and in uniform. The Chairman: I think it is contrary to rule for a constable to visit a public-house for drink when in uniform. The Chief Constable: Yes. Mr .E. G. Evans said he did not think that ought to go unanswered. No one went about the county more than he, and on no occasion during the last year had he ever seen a constable getting drink in a public- iouse when on duty. Mr. Frank Jones said that Mr. Powell had made a serious charge, which he ought to specify. Mr. Powell: I have asked a question, which I have a perfect right to do, and I have received an answer. Aid. W. R. K. Mainwaring asked whe- ther in country districts, where there was only one constable, such officer was ever out of uniform or off duty. The Chief Constable: He is never off duty; he is always at the call of the inhabi- tants. Aid. Mainwaring asked whether they were to take it that a constable had never to go into a public-house. The Chief Constable said it was against the rule. A constable had only a right to go there when he had permission in writing from his sergeant or inspector. Mr. Frank Jones For a drink? The Chief Constable: Yes. CHIEF CONSTABLE'S REPORT. The Chief Constable, in his report, stated that during the quarter ending 31st March, 1914, there were 33 indictable offences re- ported, for which 20 persons were appre- hended, 17 proceeded against by summons, and 4 cases of larceny were undetected. Of the 37 proceeded against, 20 were sum- marily convicted, 4 committed or bailed for trial, 11 dealt with under the Probation of Offenders Act, ahfl 2 discharged. There were 153 persons proceeded against for non-indictable offences, of whom 106 were convicted, 4 dealt with under the Proba- tion of Offenders Act, 1 delivered to the Army, and in 42 cases the charges were either withdrawn or dismissed. The value of property stolen, so far as was reported to the police, during the quarter ended 31st March last, was 241 6s. 4d., and the value of property recovered was £ 21 5s. lid Damage to the estimated amount of £1 18s to property, etc., was reported. He had received a petition from the sergeants of this force, in which they asked for re-con- sideration of their scale of pay. He trus- ted the Committee would be favourable to their request. GROCERS' LICENCES AND SECRET DRINKING. In accordance with notice given at the last meeting of the Committee, Mr. Samuel Jones moved "That in the opinion of the Standing Joint Committee for the county of Flint, it is desirable and necessary that legislation shall be introduced at an early date in order to provide that all licensed places, whether notel, public-house, gro- cer's shop, or club, where intoxicating liq- uors are sold by retail, for consumption either on or off the premises, shall be sub- ject to similar conditions, as respects the obtaining and holding a licence and the supervision consequent thereon, and that all licensed premises shall be under the control of the justices in each area." Mr. Jones, in support of his motion, said it was generally felt that some legislation should be passed with regard to grocers' licences and the supervision of clubs. It would be instructive to the members to know the number of licensed houses in the county. The Chief Constable had kindly furnished him with particulars. There were 342 fully-licensed houses, 58 beerhouses, and 35 off beerhouses and grocers' licences, and the number of clubs registered was 15. Grocers' licences were the blackest spot in the career of the late Mr. Gladstone. His intentions were good, but the effect had been most detrimental. Grocers' licences were the cause of secret drinking among women. Drunkenness among men was on the decrease, but he regretted to say that drunkenness among women was on the in- crease. As for clubs, all of them should be under the jurisdiction of the justices. Mr. Bernard Lewis, who seconded, said there was one thing which had not been touched upon, and that was the question of grocers' vans. In his opinion they ought not to be called grocers' vans, but Hotel de "Movealong. In many instances they did nothing but hawk drink. That had been going on regularly in many parts of the county, and was done in a very sly manner. They were a regular nuisance. Mr. H. Powell supported the resolution. Dr. J. Humphry Williams said he had been staggered by what Mr. Lewis had said. He hoped the police were not blind to ft. Mr. T. J. Reney: They don't do it be- fore the policeman. The Chief Constable, replying to Dr. J. H. Williams, said he knew of one van. Some years ago he summoned a party for hawking beer without a licence, but unfor- tunately they failed to get a conviction. He believed the same thing was going on still. Dr. Williams remarked that it was an eye-opener to him. He had not the least doubt that a great deal of infantile morta- lity was due to alcoholism among mothers. With regard to grocers' vans, he hoped they would not need to say any more and that the police would take immediate steps to challenge that business (hear, hear). Mr. Herbert Watkinson said there were one or two points which wanted consider- ing. If they brought chemists' shops and clubs under the same conditions as licensed houses, it followed that anyone could walk into a club or chemist's shop to get a glass of whisky. It was perfectly obvious, be- cause it would mean making the chemist's shop and the club into licensed houses. His aim in bringing that forward was not to oppose the motion in spirit but in the let- ter. He would like to see a resolution passed urging the abolition of grocers' li- cences. As regards clubs, it seemed to him that they ought to have better control. He had been on the Bench (Turing the hearing of a number of club cases. If they would put in the resolution that some better con- trol should be exercised over clubs, he would be willing to support it. To put clubs under the same conditions as ordinary licensed premises would, life thought, be a great interference with the liberty of the subject. It would be carrying grand- motherly legislation, too far. The desired end could be obtained in another way. There should be cause shown before a club was placed under the supervision of the pol- ice. He was not going to support a reso- lution which gave a right to the police to walk into any club at any hour of the day, because his own experience was that a good many clubs were carried on in a very pro- per and honest spirit. He did not see why they should be subject to continual inter- ference. Ald. W. R. K. Mainwaring said that gro- cers' licences had been the subject of ad- verse comment for a great many years, and people who did not disapprove of the sale of drink on ordinary licensed premises had joined with the extreme teetotalers in de- siring the extinction of grocers' licences. The other day he was reading an article quoted from a temperance organ, which pointed out that the Children's Act, which prevented mothers from taking their children on licensed premises, had been the cause of a tiremendous increase in the sá!e of drink by grocers' licences. He only in- stanced that as a case which showed the extreme danger of interfering with the ex- isting order of things, unless they were quite certain that they would bring about the desired result. There were many dan- gers, however sincere they might be in their efforts to remedy the existing state of things, and resolutions of that kind must be carefully worded. Ald. J. W. M. Evans said he was presi- dent of the Flint Conservative Club, and they had 300 odd members. The club was carried on with the greatest care and vigf- lance. He would not object to a sergeant of police coming in, because, as far as he could see, they were above suspicion. Mr. R. Frank Jones moved an amend- ment setting forth that in the opinion of the Committee it was desirable and neces- sary that legislation be introduced at an early date to abolish grocers' licences. Mr. H. Watkinson seconded the amend- ment, which was unanimously carried. Mr. Frank Jones suggested that the re- maining portion of the original resolution hold good, with the addition of the words— "prviding sufficient cause is forthcoming." He did not think it was right that the pol- ice should interfere with the liberty of the subject. Mr. Jones then put his suggestion in the form of an amendment. Mr. Hurlbutt seconded the amendment. Dr. J. H. Williams said that if a dab were bona-fide, there could surely be no objection to supervision. Mr. Frank Jones: Give them a chance. Dr. Williams saul that the old-fashioned theory of the doctors was "give them a chance"—let the disease appear (laughter). Now it was all prevention. Mr. Samuel Jones intimated that he had decided to accept Mr. Frank Jones' amend- ment. The amendment was then put and unani- mously carried. It was decided that copies of the resolu- tions be sent to, among others, the Prime Minister, and all the Standing Joint Com- mittees. PROPOSED POLICE COURT AT SHOTTON. The Deputy" Clerk (Mr. T. H. OILive) read a communication ifcom the Connah's Quay and District Trades and Labour Council, calling attention to the great need that existed for a court of summary juris- diction to be held at Shotton. The courts at Hawarden and Broughton, at which the business from Shotton was at present taken, were now so often crowded with business that much inconvenience was caused. A great deal of time would be saved, and the convenience of the public and the police would be served, by the holding of a court at Shotton. A communication was also re- ceived from the Hawarden justices stating that the subject had been brought to their attention by the West Saltney Parish Coun- cil. In a further letter it was stated that the justices had reaolvel in view of the increasing population of Shotton District, that the monthly sessions for the petty sessional division of Hawarden be held al- ternately at Hawarden and Shotton, and that the holding of sessions at Broughton be discontinued. On the suggestion of Dr. J. H. Williams, it was decided to leave the matter in the hands of the justices, in consultation with the Chief Constable.

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--+:.--RHYL MAY DAY. --

--.:.-CYCLIST'S RIDE TO DEATH.…

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