MARAMARUA.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 241, 12 January 1917, Page 4

MARAMARUA.

LIQUOR AL' ATANGI EXEMPLARY FINES IMPOSED At the Magistrate's Court at Mercer yesterday a pakeha flaxmiller, named Alexander Petersen, was charged with having supplied liquor on or about December 16 th last to a Maori, and two natives named respectively Tamatera and Tau Edwards were charged with having aided and abetted in the offence. Sergt. Cowan, in prosecuting, explained that Peterson forwarded to the Mercer Hotel a written order for ten gallons of beer, and it having been sent to him in a cask by boat it was received by Tamatera, by whose instructions Edwards took it to a kaianga at Waikarakaia, where a tangi was in progress on the body of a relative of Tamatera. The result was that the Maoris were " on the spree " for a couple of days, and the women drank the beer as well as the men. When questioned by Constable Horan, Petersen admitted that got the beer at Tamatera's request, Tamatera payiDg him 30s its actual cost—but he sai Ihe did not know he was committing an offence thereby. The accused all pleaded guilty. Petersen's excuse was that he did not know he was doing wrong, as he in no way handled the beer, but he admitted that he knew it would be an offence if he gave a Maori a bottle of beer.—ln reply to the Magistrate (Mr F. V. Frazer), he further admitted that his order was for the beer to be consigned to him, whereupon the Magistrate remarked that such act caused him to think that Petersen was not so innocent as he pretended In the course of a rambling statement in broken English, Tamatere said they wanted the beer for the tangi and a native girl said to him " Petersen all right. He get plenty beer."

The Magistrate (to Petersen): It looks as if you are known to the Maoris as a good thing for beer. However, that is not officially before the Court.

Edwards' defence was that Tamatere asked him to take the beer to the Kaianga and he did so. The Magistrate fined Petersen and Tamatere £5 apiece and 25s costs each, whilst Edwards was Sued £l and 17s 6d costs.