WOMAN FINED FOR SLY-GROGGING

Southland Times, Issue 24833, 27 August 1942, Page 4

WOMAN FINED FOR SLY-GROGGING

Charge Against Husband Dismissed Violet Marie Waddick, a married woman, pleaded guilty In the Magistrate’s Court yesterday to selling liquor in a no-licence, district. She was fined £l2. A charge against her husband, Harold Evan Waddick, of keeping liquor for sale was dismissed by the Magistrate, Mr R. C. Abernethy. Mr R. T. Meredith appeared for both defendants. Senior-Sergeant W. T. Kelly said that Waddick’s house in Janet street had been under observation for several months and on the night of July 18 the police made a raid on the premises and found 115 full bottles of beer, 100 of them in a recess under the staircase. Mrs Waddick admitted having sold four bottles of beer to a man named Wale. He was charged 10/- for them. ; HOOKED STICK Sergeant J. H. S. Hogg detailed the visit of the police and said that underneath the bottom shelf of the recess there was a hole cut in the wall, about 18 inches by 24 inches, large enough for a sugar bag of beer to be pulled through. He saw several bags of beer and he found a stick with a steel hook on the end of it, apparently used to hook the bags of beer out of the hiding place. The floor boards were in a polished state caused by bags or objects having been, pushed backward and forward through the opening in the wall. In aU he removed 115 bottles of beer and 33 empty bottles. When asked by the senior sergeant about the liquor, the male defendant admitted that It was his property. “I suppose I’ll go to gaol for this,” he said. "I may as well be truthful —it was kept for sale.” WIFE WARNED Court records were produced to show purchases of liquor made by various “Waddicks.” but none in H. E. Waddick's name. The male defendant gave evidence that he was away in the country shearing and rabbiting most of the time and rarely visited his home in Invercargill. Fifteen bottles of beer belonged to him. He had purchased them to take back to his camp in the country. Mr Meredith submitted that no proof of the liquor being bought by H. E. Waddick or for him was established. "It is a distressing thing to find you indulging in this trade, particularly since your husband was warned for a similar offence some time ago,” said the Magistrate, addressing Mrs Waddick. “If you come before me a second time it will mean gaol, woman or no woman." One hundred and three of the bottles of beer were ordered to be confiscated. David Owen Wale pleaded guilty to being found on Waddick’s premises. He was fined £2. costs 10/-. PRIMARY PRODUCTION COMMITTEE.— The appointment of a district primary production committee to assist the Southland Primary Production Council in its work was one of the matters dealt with at a meeting of the Wyndham branch of the Farmers’ Union. The following committee was appointed: Messrs D. Lockhart, T. Dobbie, E. Rabbidge, P. Campbell and H. Hunter. Mr Lockhart, who presided, said that in recent months more responsibility was being thrown on to the primary production councils, and in order to have a complete organization It was necessary to have district committees which would be expected to take up the work of the council in their respective districts. The committee would hold a responsible position, and would have to be prepared to give a good deal of time to the work.