A STATE HOUSE
UNLAWFUL OCCUPATION
AN AUCKLAND FAMILY
(By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, This Day. An unusual caso was heard in the Magistrate's Court today when a young Englishman, Walter Woods, pleaded guilty to being unlawfully on premises. Tho police said that tho house was vacatod ou August 10 by a tenant, and Woods, with his wife and two young children, took possession without authority. Despite efforts by officers of the Stato Advances Department and tho police, they rofused to move. Tho defendant said that ho had been unemployed for two years and was recently'on sustenance. He had either to pay' rent or starve. He was unable to got a houso, and as he had to look after his family he moved into the vacant one. "I think there is a moral law that comes before other laws," ho said. "Even the animals know it and protect thoir young." The Magistrate said he supposed that tho defendant thought it was all right to tako possession of a State houso. ' The defendant: No./ The question is, who can afford it most? Besides, the other landlord treated me well.
The Magistrate said that the defendant was roally in the position of a burglar. Hs adjourned tho case till Friday.
"If "you are still in occupation then," tho Magistrate remarked, "I am afraid I must punish you." It was stated by the defendant that he had written to tho Rt. Hon. J, G. Coatf-s, who had promised an investigation..
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19340914.2.106
Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 65, 14 September 1934, Page 11
Word Count
245A STATE HOUSE Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 65, 14 September 1934, Page 11
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Evening Post. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.