BEER FOR HAYMAKERS

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20465, 4 April 1938, Page 6

BEER FOR HAYMAKERS

CHARGES AGAINST FARMER SUPPLIED LIQUOR TO NATIVES “FOLLOWED NORMAL CUSTOM’' As a sequel to providing beer a» refreshment for men engaged In haymaking on his farm near Frankton during January, John James Dunlck, farmer, of Tuhikaramea Road, was charged before Mr S. L. Paterson, S.M., In the Magistrate's Court, Ham-, ilton, to-day, on three counts of supplying liquor to natives for con-, sumption off licensed premises. For the police, Sergeant T. Kelly* said while accused might have been acting in good faith and without any desire to break the law and while the, liquor was supplied to men working In a hay-paddock, and to pakehas as well as Maoris, the police would like to bring to the notice of the publlo the necessity for ensuring that liquor was not supplied to natives off licensed premises. Intimating that defendant pleaded guilty to the charges, Mr A, G. Ward, who appeared for Dunlck, said that in supplying beer to his haymakers, Dunlck had apparently only been following the usual custom. The amount of beer supplied was trifling. Defendant had, indeed, asked the men if they would have tea or beer and they had asked for beer. Counsel submitted that there waa no question of drunkenness In the charge and suggested that the case was not the type legislated against. Sergeant Kelly: When I worked in a hay-paddock, all I got was oatmeal and water 1 Mr Paterson (to Mr Ward) : Your client will have to amend his offer to tea or oatmeal-and-water. While the offence was of a trivial a nature as possible, it was nevertheless an offence, added Mr Paterson, in imposing a fine of 10s, and costs.