DRUNKEN RIOT

Waikato Independent, Volume XXX, Issue 2425, 9 December 1930, Page 8

DRUNKEN RIOT

JN BEUET WORKERS’ CAMP. WAGES WASTED IN DRINK. ', - 4 In sentencing a number of men from unemployment relief camp to ? various terms of imprisonment for v akmg »art in a drunken riot and damaging a tent, Mr Justice Reed referred to the police report, for which he asked, com eeming conduct in unemployment camps. "It would be very useful,” he said, a copy of this statement were sent to the Unemployment Board. It may be able in some way to regulate payments to these men so that the unfortunate ratepayers who are supposed to be as listing these men should not have their juoney wasted, in the way it- apparently 1 Is, in the purchase of liquor. If something could be /lone in the way of payment of some of the money to the dependents of such men I think it won d be a good thing. "This business of paying men, exeesgive wages to be squandered in drink gambling I thing is disgraceful" -The Crown Prosecutor said he would have the report sent to the Unemployment Board. The police inspector hou liad told him that there had been a large increase of offences in the town, very largely due to men coming in and "blowing” their cheques. The inspector had, however, only reported on the foflduct of tlio camps. • ’ In passing sentence His Honor said it was difficult to know how to deal with the men, although he thought it necessary to make an example in order to discourage such actions. He could hate treated it as a drunken riot and dealt with it quite leniently, but he had had to take into consideration the fact that ike taking of/ liquor into camps, with subsequent drunkenness, had to be stopjped somehow. He looked upon the case as a “bad one.