KAIKOURA POLICE

Grey River Argus, 18 April 1940, Page 9

KAIKOURA POLICE

Complaints in Court

I per Press Association] KAIKOURA. April 17. j Complaints to the police of the administration in the district had been made, lhe counsel for the defence (Mr C. S. Thomas) stated in the Magts- ( trate’s Court at Kaikoura, when Helen Reardon (Mr J. W. Anderson* brought a charge of assault against Roy McDowell. The defendant pieaued not guilty. He was alleged to have struck the plaintiff. Mr H. A. Young, S.M., presided. Mr Thomas said that on the surface it appeared as a simple assault case, but this was not so; it was the cuimi-. nation of a number of incidents which had happened in the vicinity, and which had risen to a point which \\<-s rapidly making life impossible. Mr Thomas said he was not there to represent the defendant only—he was really representing the community in the area, and to ventilate the trouble existing, and to give the story of| provocation. i “For years there has been trouble between whites and Maoris.” said Mr | Thomas, “especially with a certain! family whom you may know. They | have become a law unto themselves-I complaint after complaint has been] made, yet noth'ng has been done. | There appears to be one law tor this, family and another for the whites.] For several years the people in tne vicinity have had to put up with niti, language, sheer larrik nism, theft fishing lines and gear stolen, and fishermen having difficulty in holding petrol for their launches, batteries interfered with, and yet nothing don.. The people could not keep eggs, fruit, or vegetables.” Continuing, Mr Thomas said that there w .re comp units regarding ths stealing of firewood, slones thrown on houses, broken insulators, and sand placed in engines of launches. Still nothing had been done, notwithstanding that these matters had been reported to the pol ce and reported to superiors in Christchurch.

“The community is up in arms," said Mr Thomas, “and that is lhe rmson why I am here. Numerous complaints have »been made, yet has been done. Complaints have cve.i been made to Wellington, yet nothing has been done. It is a curse to tne neighbourhood and district, and something will, have to bp done—the time has come when this state of affairs must stop.” Provocation in this cas-e was absolutely clear, although h e realised that provocation was no defence, but in his view the case should be dismissed under the Probation Act. Mr Thomas said the case was viewed as so serious by the people that they had subscribed to secure him as counsel. ,

In dismissing the case, the Magistrate said that the questions raised by Mr Thomas regarding administration in that area did not come within his jurisdiction. These matters could be communicated to the superior officers in Christchurch. Proper steps could be taken, and the senior officers could take the matter up. In tlje cast? before the Court the charge had not been made by the police—they had nothing to do with it. He did not think the police would have taken up the case.

Mr Thomas tjianked His Worship, and expressed the hope that good had been done by bringing the matter before the Court.