INEBRIATE IN TEA ROOMS

Taranaki Daily News, 12 November 1929, Page 10

INEBRIATE IN TEA ROOMS

MAORI RESISTS ARREST. CROWD BECOMES HOSTILE. In answer to a telephone call Constable A. D. Ruston visited a tea room in Broadway, Stratford, at about 6.30 p.m. on Saturday. There he found Jack Nathan, alias Hake. Tamate, alias Haki Watema, apparently under the influence of liquor and sound asleep. His companion, Pat O’Connor, was attempting to rouse him. Constable Ruston, said Sergeant Power at the Stratford Court yesterday, finally succeeded in arousing Nathan and piloted him towards the .door and Broadway. Despite the constable’e sound advice to “take things quietly,” Nathan commenced to argue and became .so vehement that the representative of the law found it necessary to use physical force to subdue Nathan, who was thrown to the footpath. He rose in a pugnacious attitude and commenced hostilities. As a crowd began to gather Constable Ruston arrested Nathan, who was admitted to bail of £lO for resisting arrest and of 10s for drunkenness. Nathan was a'stranger to the district and was employed by the Public Works Department at Kiore. ' .

Nathan pleaded guilty to both offences. On .his behalf Mr. R. R. Tyrer said the facts as stated by the sergeant were not in accordance with his instructions and he asked leave of Mr. W. Mclnnes, J.P., to put accused’s companion in the witness box. “Then I’m agreeable to the plea being altered to not guilty and I can put the constable in. the. box," said Sergeant Power. In that case he would merely explain the facts ’ himself, said Mr. Tyrer. Accused fell asleep in the tea rooms and when the police arrived O’Connor was attempting to rouse him. Constable Ruston took Nathan outside and/ advised him to get quietly away. O’Connor explained . that they had a parcel to collect further down the street and asked permission to obtain it before ■ going, to the train. On their way to get the parcel the constable kept hurrying Nathan along and, seeing that he was becoming irritable, O’Connor attempted to insert himself between Nathan and Constable Ruston to ■ save any trouble.

It was then that the constable secured a hold upon accused and .threw him. Mr. Tyrer submitted that Nathan did not resist the constable in the first place and that he became annoyed at being bustled along the street. That Nathan did not resist on first being awakened in the tea rooms showed that he was not in a hopeless state of drunkenness. Confirmation of the sergeant’s statement was given by Constable Ruston, who could remember nothing of the parcel incident. ‘We can’t have this sort of tb : ng going on—los the drunkenness charge and £2 for resisting arrest,” said Mr. Mclnnes. He fined O’Connor £2 for inciting Nathan to resist.

“Give it a go Maori,” and “I’ll bet on the Maori,” were the expressions used by O’Connor to spur Nathan on, said Sergeant Power. “That sort of thing is liable to lead to a riot as the crowd that gathered round was getting a bit hostile,' he added.

CENTRAL DIVISION BOWLING. START OF BANNER MATCHES. r- ; ■ 1 1 i The opening of the banner bowling competition in the Central Division will take place on Thursday, when. Tariki will play Eltham at Tariki, Stratford will play Inglewood at Inglewood, and Avon will have a bye. The Stratford Club’s team to play at .Inglewood has been-selected as follows:— Summerfield, Smart, Davis, MacDonald (s); Ewing, Clark, Allen, Lyons (s); A. SMartin, Smith, Hillock, Skoglund (s) ; Porritt, Lawson, Lindop, Harris (s) ; Pastier, Sayers, Dixon, Liddell (s) ; Mills, Bake, Sanderson, Amess (s). Teams representing Avon and Hawera will play a friendly match on the Avon green, play commencing at 2 p.m. Avon wijl be represented by:—Hill, Collingwood, Fletcher, F. Jackson (s) ; Mclnnes, Fraser, Pickles, Aineley (s); Lonsdale, T. Wilson, Walker, MacDonald (s); Mantle, Thomson, Dickinson, Hardy Jones (s) ; Rudkin, H. Masters, C. Jackson, J. Weston (s); Clemow, A. E. White, F. Weston, J. Masters (s). Colts: Power, R. H. White, T. Coleman, Gibberd s); Clark, Pennington, Rogers, Burke (s). POPULARITY OF “TALKIES." For the second screening of the famous “talkie” production,- “Broadway Melody,” Kings Theatre, which was filled to its utmost capacity on Saturday, again accommojdated a large crowd last night, and ' again hundreds of fresh “talkie” fans were | made. As the audience streamed out of the corridors exclamations of delight were heard on all sides- “Wasn't it wonderful,” “Aren’t talkies great,” were some of the expressions heard. Certainly Hank ] and Queenie made many friends that even- I ing. Enunciation, synchronisation and in- ■ tonation as transmitted from the elaborate machine were perfect. The silent screen has come to life and pictures have been ; turned into real dramas and comedies, i There can be no doubt that everybody has thoroughly enjoyed their experience of talkie films in Stratford. “Broadway Melody” will run continuously until Thursday evening, including a matinee this afternoon. The next feature will be “In- I nocents of Paris.” [ POST OFFICE SAVINGS BANK. NEW SYSTEM ON DECEMBER 2. i The postmaster at Stratford, Mr. J. H. Fletcher, has been advised that the Stratford post office savings bank will be raiised to a ledger office and will operate as such as from December 2. Mr. Boundy, Christchurch, has been transferred to Stratford to act as supervisor of the postal department. Arrangements will be made to provide for the re-payment of deposits in the post office savings bank at Stratford without the depositor being required, under ordinary circumstances, to furnish a written notice of withdrawal. ' The effect will be that withdrawals can be made over the counter at the office upon presentation*’of the pass-book. A condition precedent to this arrangement is the transfer of the savings bank account to Stratford from New Plymouth, where it is open at present. Depositors, however, will suffer no monetary loss by the change, and only a minimum of inconvenience-