PARADE INCIDENT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23767, 21 September 1940, Page 8

PARADE INCIDENT

TEOOPS GIVEN LIQUOR THREE MEN ~ PROSECUTED . WARNING TO PUBLIC . Incidents which occurred in Queen Street on the occasion of the third echelon's parade on August 17 were referred to in the Police Court yesterday, when the 'first prosecutions in Auckland under the emergency regulations covering the supply of liquor to soldiers were brought against three men. They admitted charges of supplying liquor to members of the defence forces while in uniform for consumption elsewhere than on the premises where it was supplied. Sub-Inspector Calwell said constables saw the three men at different points along the route of the march hand bottles of liquor to soldiers. Two wore given beer and the third a half-bottle of whisky. The military authorities, he added, had great difficulty regarding liquor being supplied to soldiers, many of whom caused trouble on the camp trains. Ignorance of Regulation Mr. Watkins, who represented the only defendant to appear, said his client was in business, and as one of his employees in uniform passed in the parade he rushed, forward to hand him a parcel containing sandwiches and one bottle of beer. He acted quite openly, being ignorant of the regulation which prohibited it. "The general body of the public do not " understand the regulation," said counsel. "The primary object of it is to stop soldiers taking liquor away from licensed premises. One could invite a soldier to one's home, and supply him with all the liquor he desired, but one could not give him any to take away. "These prosecutions," he added, "have probably been brought as a warning, and the public will now know it is definitely wrong to give liquor to soldiers. In the circumstances, I suggest that the charges be dismissed as trivial." Future Penalty Indicated Mr. Calwell said the regulations had to be enforced, and if the charges were dismissed as trivial, the police might as well not lay them. Mr. J. Morlitig, S.M., said he was satisfied the defendants' only desire was to treat the soldiers and not to make them drunk. However, it had to be clear that such actions were illegal, and as long as the public knew that, the present prosecutions had served their purpose. The magistrate did not convict the defendants, but ordered them to pay costs. He also suppressed their names. "In future a substantial penalty will be imposed, and there will be no question of names being suppressed," he added.