WHISKY RUNNING

Evening Star, Issue 17636, 15 April 1921, Page 3

WHISKY RUNNING

HAUL IN KING COUNTRY. FINE OF £2O. In tho New Plymouth Magistrate’s Court yesterday Frederick Walker appeared before Mr T. A. B. Bailey, S-M-, on several charges arising out of taking into tho proclaimed area of the King Country 151 bottles of whisky. A plea of guilty was entered on the charge of keeping liquor for sale and of failing to give his name and address to the publican when ordering tho liquor. Inspector Hutton said that the defendant had been working at Awakino for the Public Works Department. On March 4 last, while defendant was driving from Tongaporutu to Awakino, a constable intercepted him. He had some sacks in a trap, and when asked what the cargo w'as he replied “vegetables.” This did not satisfy the constable, who seized the bags, which contained 131 bottles of whisky. Tho police had had complaints of _ this sort of thing, and that “ cargo-running ” was being carried on from the sea, from To Kuiti, and from this side of the district, but the chances of detection were very remote. The taking of such a large quantity of liquor into a proclaimed area was a serious matter, and if a man could put down £72 for the liquor he could pay a substantial fine. Nothing else was known against the accused, but other people in the district were carrying on the traffic.

The court convicted the accused on the charge of keeping liquor for sale, and imposed a fine of £2O and costs. On the charge of failing to give his name and address to the publican when purchasing the liquor a conviction was recorded without penalty.