KARAPIRO FIGHT

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24869, 15 April 1944, Page 9

KARAPIRO FIGHT

ILLEGAL LIQUOR SALE MAORIS OBJECT TO PRICE (0.C.) HAMILTON, Friday As a result of a fight which took place at Karapiro during the week-end, four men employed as labourers at the Karapiro works appeared before Mr. S. L. Paterson, S.M. Three Maoris, Clark Prime, aged 30, George Beaslcy, aged 23, and John Rihari, aged 22. were charged with assault. The fourth man. John Laird'Taylor, aged 20, who was one of the victims of the assault, was charged with selling liquor to natives and also with selling liquor in a proclaimed area. The four accused pleaded guilty Senior-Sergeant A. G. McHugh, who prosecuted, said that on April 8 Taylor purchased seven dozen bottles of beer from a hotel in Hamilton and had taken it back to Karapiro with him in a taxi. He then proceeded to sell it at two shillings a bottle to white people, and at three shillings a bottle to the Maoris, in addition to providing it in his hut at 7d a glass. Prime objected to any distinction being made, and attacked a man who was standing in the background. Beasley and .Rihari assaulted Taylor and injured him severely. Two other men were also seriously hurt, one of them being sent to hospital. T1 lere was no doubt, said SeniorSergeant McHugh, that the fight, which might have had very serious consequences if the police had not intervened, was directly caused by the sale of the beer which Taylor had taken to Karapiro. In defence, Taylor said that the fight had developed after a perfectly well-conducted party which was being held. The sale of the beer to them had been demanded by the Maoris, and he had fallen in with their wishes rather than create too much trouble, as thev had joined the party without being invited

Mr, Paterson commented that it was n very profitable kind of party and that the licensee of the hotel in question should have been more eircums])<ict than to supply so much liquor to someone under 21 years of age. Prime. Beasley and Rihari were sentenced to one month's imprisonment, and Taylor was sentenced to a similar iterm on the first charge and on the > second charge was fined £ls and 10s | costs. PRISON FOR DEFAULTER DETENTION TO FOLLOW (0.C.) HAMILTON, Friday "I feel that 1 would be of more use to the country working on my farm than in a defaulters' camp." said Raymond Aubrey Walker, of latu. Ohura. when lie appeared before Mr. S. L. Paterson. S.M.. on a charge of failing to report to the Army office when required to do so by a notice which api pea red in the Gazette on January 1. | Accused, ■who pleaded guilty, said that j he had always been brought up to be- ! lieve that war was wrong, and still •held that view. ! Evidence given bv the Army authori- | ties showed that Walker had first been j called for service in November. 1940. ; when he had appealed on the grounds ! of public interest and undue hardship. I as well as on conscientious grounds. As i a result of the public interest and ! hardship appeals, he was exempted from service until July 30. 1943. and was instructed to report for non-com-batant service in November. Mr. Paterson said that the fact that Walker had not been brought before the Court previously showed that he had been given every consideration. He imposed a sentence of one month's imprisonment, accused thereafter to be | detained in a defaulters' camp for the i duration of the war. BIBLE IN SCHOOLS Following a discussion on the Bible in schools, at the meeting of Blockhouse Bay householders to elect a school committee this week, a motion was carried recommending the incoming committee to hold a referendum of householders on the question at an early date.