INFORMERS OF POLICE

Grey River Argus, 17 March 1945, Page 4

INFORMERS OF POLICE

IN LICENSING CASES Objection to Disclosures P A WELLINGTON, March 16. “At the Licensing Royal Commission, Mr" Hardie Boys, representing the New Zealand Alliance, asked that .the Police Department should reveal certain of confidential files Mr Willis counsel representing the Ciown, asked for a ruling in connection with Tn M/Willis'said the Police Department ixd no objection to producing the files before the members of the Commission, but the files contained much information relating to the informers' who have been responsible for the instituting of proceedings as to breaches of licensing laws. It was not desirable, he said, that the information thus sought should be made Dublic There were files pertaining to King Country prosecutions similarly m Mr Ve jUstice Smith pointed out the sources of information of the police were not available, even in a court Mr Hardie Boys said he was not seeking for the names of the infoimers His only object was to get proper records before the Commission especially in the cases which had not been reported in law reports. Mr Willis suggested that the files should be produced, and that the Chairman could decide as each case To this the Chairman agieed Under cross-examination, Mr Shepherd Under-Secretary for Native Affairs! replying to Rev. Mr Campbell S’pratt, said that, in his opinion, Hindus should not be permitted to visit Maori pas without a licence or a permit Licences could be got from a Judge of the Native Land Court or a Magistrate. Regulations were being considered by Alaori Councils to cover all hawkers visiting pas. Questioned regarding the efficiency of Maori Councils, Mr Shepherd said he thought that a more valuable function was being performed by local village committees. Regarding abuse of the benefits of Social Security by Maoris, witness would not agree he said, with the view enunciated by the head of the Social Security Department that there was ‘just much abuse of the benefits by _ the Europeans as by the Maoris. vv itness said there was too much drinking among Maoris at Taupo. He did not think one policeman enough for that district. "HANDLES” THAT ARE NOT “HANDLES” Mr H. E. Moston, of the Labour Department, said his Department favoured the fixing of standard measures for the sale of beer and whisky in hotels. At present the glasses used varied with licensees. A “handle” for instance, was reputed to contain 112 fluid ounces, but, unless the customer asked for that specific amount, it was no offence under the Weights and Measures Act to supply him with less. In the same way, if a customer asked for a “medium” beer, there was nothing to say that all licensees should supply the same amount. The Department advocated standard measures, so that the customer would know what he was getting. Cross-examined by Mr Boys, Mr Moston said he had no evidence of industrial inefficiency as a result of over-indulgence in alcohol. So far as he was aware, “tips” were not taken into account in the fixing of a minimum wage for any hotel workers.