MAORIS AND LIQUOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19557, 9 February 1927, Page 16

MAORIS AND LIQUOR.

NOVEL POINT RAISED.

DECISION OF MAGISTRATE. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] WELANGAREI, Tuesday. An important case bearing on the consumption of liquor by Maoris was heard before Mr. Levien, S.M., to-day when tha Whangarei Maori Council sought to recover from a number of natives fines inflicted by it for various alleged offences last year, chiefly the drinking oi liquor. Mr. Menzies appeared for the council and Mr. Steadman for defendants, who originally numbered five, but only one was charged as a test case. The facts were admitted, but counsel for defen dants claimed that the Maori Council was not a body corporate and therefore had no right to sue as such; also the alleged offences occurred at a public works construction camp, over which the council had no jurisdiction. It was further submitted that the defendants were lined in October, but had not received notification to attend a meeting of the council till the following month. The charge was one of consuming home-brewed ale in a kaianga, or pah. Information had been laid by the wife of one of the defendants to the police, who had visited the camp and found nothing illegal. The magistrate said in other cases of the kind in the North fines were inflicted for taking liquor into a kaianga, but in the present case the alleged offence had taken place in 3 public works camp. Any collection of Maori residences was to be designated a kaianga. The plaintiff council was nonsuited with costs £ll 15s 6d.