SALE OF LIQUOR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 May 1943, Page 4

SALE OF LIQUOR

IN NO LICENCE AREA THREE MAORIS FINED. POLICE RAID CHAPEL STREET HOUSE. Samuel Governor and To Whatu Paku were each fined £25 and 10s costs on a charge of having sold liquor in a no-licence area when they appeared in the Masterton Magistrate’s Court this morning before Mr H. P. Lawry, S.M. On charges of having kept liquor for sale they were convicted and discharged. Joseph Uru was fined £3O and £3 2s costs on a charge of having kept liquor for sale in a no-licence area. There was an imposing array of police exhibits. Sugar bags full of bottles of wine, beer and stout, demijohns and drinking utensile lined the floor of the Court in front of the jury box. All the defendants pleaded guilty. Senior Sergeant C. Murphy said that the defendants had rooms in an apartment house, next to the Masonic Hall in Chapel Street. As a result of complaints to the police the premises were watched last February. It was apparent that the defendants were selling liquor to visiting service men on a large scale. A newly transferred constable,. from Wellington, Constable Clark, took a £5 note and went to the apartment house. He saw Paku and was taken to a room. He purchased a bottle of wine at 14s 6d and six bottles of stout costing 2s 9d per bottle. The constable returned to the station and the Senior Sergeant said he raided the premises in company with Constables Clark, Fitzpatrick, McCallum and Berry. A large quantity of liquor was found and as a result of information one of the constables dug .in the garden, where he unearthed a quantity of liquor. The Maoris had no right to be in possession of liquor under the Licensing Act. Uru had not been working since the visiting service men arrived. He had been living on them by selling liquor and had been gambling. He had a bad record. Sergeant Murphy added that the place had again been raided and further quantities of liquor were found. After an adjournment, Senior Sergeant Murphy asked for an order for the confiscation of the liquor. In fairness to Paku and Governor, he said, they were drawn into the business on account of Uru’s success.

Mr Lawry fined Uru £3O and £3 2s costs, and Governor and Paku were each fined £25 and costs 10s on a charge of selling liquor. On the other charge of keeping liquor for sale they were convicted and discharged. An order was made that the liquor be confiscated and destroyed.