LIQUOR DEFERRED

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24826, 24 February 1944, Page 4

LIQUOR DEFERRED

GOVERNMENT'S ACTION INVERCARGILL DiSTRiCT (S.R.) WELLINGTON. Wednesday An Order-in-Council has been issued postponing the election of the Invercargill Licensing Committee for a period of up to six months and for the continuance of the status quo in Invercargill as a no-licence district until the licensing committee is elected. Announcing this to-night the Minister of Justice, tbe Hon. H. G. R. Mason, said that it had been considered expedient to postpone the election of the Invercargill Licensing Committee pending further consideration by the Government of the most satisfactory means of meeting the present abnormal circumstances prevailing with respect to building conditions and the inadequacy of premises suitable to be granted licences under the Licensing Act. An earlv opportunity would be taken of seeking Parliamentary approval of the postponement embodied in the regulation.

PETROL THEFTS RIFE WARNING BY MAGISTRATE "Whether a man is a first offender or not, if he steals petrol he must be punished by imprisonment," said Mr. J. H. Luxford, S.M., yesterday, when convicting a motor driver, James lan Palmer*, aged 21, on a charge of stealing three gallons of petrol. Detective-Sergeant Trethewey said a Chinese saw accused siphoning petrol from a Chinese gardener's truck. When interviewed, accused admitted the offence. There had been a large number of petrol thefts in the vicinity of the Chinese vegetable gardens at Mangere. _ "People who sneak round vehicles siphoning petrol must go to prison when caught," said the magistrate. "Thefts of petrol, tyres and other motor accessories are becoming rife round Auckland. in spite of prison sentences imposed by the Courts."

Accused was sentenced to two months' imprisonment with hard labour. An application for suppression of his name was refused.

YOUNG BOY SHOT GAME ENDS IN TRAGEDY (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday A children's game of cowboys and Indians ended in a tragedy at Lansdowne yesterday afternoon. The victim was Allan Dewar, aged eight, son of Mr. and Mrs. E. T. Dewar. The children were playing with a shotgun which they did not know was loaded and Allan Dewar was shot in the head by a companion. He died later in hospital. KILLED BY TRAIN (0.0.) TE KUITI. Wednesday An Indian, Dahyn Hari, bootmaker, of Otorohanga. was killed by a goods train entering the Otorohanga station from the south in the early morning. Deceased was married, aged 43. with seven children. An inquest has been opened and adjourned INFANT SCALDED When she spilt a pot of hot tea over herself yesterday. Pamela Ann Robinson. the 13-months-old infant of Mr .Joseph Robinson, of Great North Road Henderson, suffered severe scalds to the body. She was taken to the Auckland Hospital and her condition last night was fairly serious.