"ROUGH-HOUSING"

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 199, 24 August 1942, Page 4

"ROUGH-HOUSING"

MUST BE STOPPED

MAORI SOLDIER IMPRISONED

"This sort of rough-housing must stop.. If Maori soldiers lose their sense of proportion after they have two or three drinks, then they will have to learn not to take those drinks. The police have a heavy task as it is in these days, without having more trouble to deal with." said Mr. J. H. Luxford, S.M., in the Police Court to-day, when he sent to prison Wiremu Hunui Hiroki, a Maori soldier, aged 25. Hiroki pleaded guilty to charges of assaulting, obstructing and resisting Constable Keith Vincent while in the execution of his duty, and using obscene language. Sub-Inspector Macnamara said Constables Vincent and Clark were on patrol duty in Queen Street at 6.30 on Saturday evening when they had occasion to speak to some Maori soldiers who were creating a disturbance. While the constables were interviewing a Maori, the accused, who was not one of those involved, suddenly rushed from a crowd at Constable Vincent and hit him on the mouth. One of the constable's teeth was knocked through his cheek. Hiroki then attacked Constable Clark, knocking his helmet off. Constable Clark attempted to arrest Hiroki quietly without success. The scene was becoming ugly and Constable Vincent had to use his baton before Hiroki could be arrested.

Hiroki had nothing to say

On behalf of Hiroki's platoon commander, a military officer stated that accused had been a good citizen and soldier and had recently concluded a special course of training. Until this incident he had good prospects of promotion. "I have had much experience with Maori soldiers, and I may say that it often happens that when they have one or two beers their whole outlook and mentality changes," added the officer. "Very often they do not know what they are doing." Hiroki was .sentenced to one month's imprisonment on the first charge, and was convicted and discharged on the remaining three.