ILLEGAL LIQUOR SALES

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 65, Issue 5494, 6 July 1942, Page 2

ILLEGAL LIQUOR SALES

IN PROCLAIMED AREA FINE OF £5O IMPOSED MAORI LIMEWORKERS SUPPLIED Appearing before Mr W. H. Freeman, S.M., at the Magistrate’s Court, Te Kuiti, last week, Stanley Harding McCarrison, of Otorohanga, was fined £5O and costs 10s, for keeping liquor for sale in a proclaimed area. For aiding and abetting such offence Tom Rang! was fined £lO and costs £l. Sergeant Lean said that following complaints regarding Maoris employed by a lime company being supplied with liquor, he, in company with Constable Fraser, went to Hangatiki on June 12 and pursued investigations. About 7 p.m. on the evening of June 12 a car containing McCarrison and Rangi, entering the gates to the lime company’s property at Hangatiki, was searched by the police and two cases of liquor containing 44 large bottles of beer were found in the car.

A search warrant was executed at McCamson’s house, when 20 bottles of liquor were found in a case in the paddock and 13 bottles in the house. The Sergeant said McCarrison was working very cunningly in supplying the natives with liquor. He would drop it on the side of the road and collect the money afterwards. Stressing the seriousness of the offence the Sergeant said limeworks at present were comprised mainly of Maori employees; when they took liquor they could not work.

Mr J. M. Hine, appearing for defendant, said he was a married man with two children. His brother and he were originally farming a 200-acre property two miles from Otorohanga and since his brother had entered camp he was carrying on alone and milking 60 cows. “It is not the ordinary case of a man making his living from liquor sales,” said Mr Hine, “He is a hardworking man.”

McCarrison was in financial difficulties. He had been pressed for rates and also sustained cattle losses, which probably caused him to embark on liquor selling. It was purely economic necessity that pushed him into this position, contended Mr Hine. He hrj had his lesson and was not likely to infringe again. “There is a war on and the position is so serious as far as liquor is concerned that very drastic amendments have been passed,” said the Magistrate. “Something must be done to back up the new regulations. People will not refrain from drinking until they are forced to do so.” Mr Freeman said he took a serious view of the case, for if Maori limeworkers were supplied, the lime output would be affected. Lime was extremely important to farmers at the present time in view of the fertiliser shortage.