ILLEGAL LIQUOR SALES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 141, 17 June 1930, Page 7

ILLEGAL LIQUOR SALES.

DRASTIC ACTION DEMANDED. MR. McILVENEY'S ASSURANCE. ' (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. A deputation representative of tho' New Zealand Alliance to-day waited on the Minister of Justice, the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, asking for immediate and drastic action to., put down law-breaking by licensed >or sellers. Particular reference wa. aiade to after-hour and Sunday trading, and it was asserted that if t" } police were not ignorant of the offences they were guilty of a grave dereliction of duty, and? if they were neither igi rant nor careless, but impotent, then it was the duty of the Government to give them power to prove that the liquor traffic, was not stronger than the Government. ■Spokesmen of the deputation regretted the frequency with which cases of slygrog selling were dismissed, and submitted that.the law was x weak and required strengthening. The Commissioner of Police, Mr. W. B. Mcllveney, eaid he was not aware that the police passed offences by. Every complaint was investigated. He could not say to what extent sly-grog*, selling existed, but was no doubt a certain amount went on. That would always ha.ppen. So fan as the police were concerned, there was not a single case which came to their knowledge in which ction was not taken. Personally he would not hesitate to do his duty in the matter, and he would see to the best of his ability that the law was enforced. It was to the interests of the trade and the public generally that it should be enforced, .'but first of all it was necessary to have direct evidence to justify proceedings, and that was not always easy to obtain. The Minister gave his assurance that so. far as he was concerned he would see the law wae enforced. Illegal trading would not 'be allowed to over-ride the law. ....■" '. ■> '.