LIQUOR TO NATIVE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 49, 27 February 1935, Page 8

LIQUOR TO NATIVE.

MEANING OF SUPPLY. CONVICTIONS AT TB KUITI. (From Our Own Correspondent.) TE KUITI, Tuesday. Written judgment was delivered by Mr. F. H. Levien, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court this afternoon in a lionising case of considerable local public interest, in whicli Robert Black, billiard room keeper, was charged with supplying liquor to a native, George Joseph, while B. .T. Peterson, jun., a carrier, was charged with aiding and abetting in the offence. Sergeant Payne prosecuted. Mr. E. M. Mackersey, who appeared for both defendants, had raised the question as to the meaning of the word "supply," contending that manual activity was implied. Two kegs of Deer had been purchased by Black as secretary for the Druids' Lodge and consigned to Joseph. The outside of each keg bore the inscription below the address, "This package contains liquor." These kegs were taken by Peterson, and were afterwards found by the police on Joseph's car. Counsel for defendants contended there had been no "manual delivery." The magistrate quoted authorities showing how wide was the interpretation of the word "supply." Thus the supply of bread to the housewife is by the baker and not by the man who actually delivers it. "If this is not a supply," concluded Mr. Levien, "the Act would be an absurdity, as every cream can in the King Country could contain a keg of beer (if such were possible) without an offence being committed. . . . The supply takes place when one person possessing a thing transfers it to another." Before fixing the penalty Mr. Levien asked: "Do the police suspect there has been other quantities of liquors trickling through by this source '{" Sergeant Payne: The supply to the Druids' Lodge is from five to seven gallons a fortnight. In this case it has been SO gallons in two months. Black was fined £5 and costs for "supplying," and 20/ on the second charge of failing to supply the name and address of the person for whom the liquor was intended. Peterson was lined £2 10/ and costs. 1