LIQUOR IN MAORI PAS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17099, 23 February 1916, Page 8

LIQUOR IN MAORI PAS.

* [Per Press Association.] GISHOFvNE, February 22. From time to time reports have been received as to the. amount of liquor that is finding its way into Maori pas, and in recent cases on the Coast it has been stated that there it is being consumed even by women and children. The police have been actively engaged in endeavouring to bring to justice those responsible for this state of affairs, hut. hecause of tho fact that the Natives will- never inform upon an offender great difficulty has been experienced in obtaining convictions.

After twelve informations dealt with at Opotiki had been dismissed Mr J. R. Kirk, who appeared for all the defendants, suggested to the Magistrate (Mr R. W". Dyer) that the difficulties of the police would become no lighter until there was an alteration in the exisfing law. He said that in his private _ capacity as a citizen and in the interests of the Natives themselves he had already recommended to the Minister of, Justice an amendment to the Act making it an offence for a. Native to he found in possession of intoxicating liquor. At present Natives could he supplied nl bars with liquor for consumption on the premises, but it was no offence for them to be found in possession of liquor, and so encouragement was given to unscrupulous persons to obtain it for them. A further weakness in the Act was that in those districts where Maoris had decided they wepe not to he supplied at all with intoxicating liquor there was nothing to prevent them from .going into hotel bars in the district. M l ' suggested that the Magistrate might endorse the representations which he had made. Mr I)yer said that, he entirely agreed with the views expressed. He was chairman of the Rotorua Licensing Committee, which body bad already made representations to the Minister in this matter. He would, however., have pleasure in supplementing these representations and those of counsel with his further representations-as Stipendiary Magistr'ata-