A BEER PARTY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 205, 12 June 1936, Page 6

A BEER PARTY

HELD ON ENCLOSED PREMISES. THREE MEN BEFORE THE COURT SEVERAL OTHER CASES HEARD. A large number of cases was heard by Mr C-. R. Orr Walker, S.M., in the Ashburton Magistrate’s Court this morning. ' Three men who were charged with being found on the enclosed premises of Dr. W. R. Ryburn yesterday! without. lawful excuse, but in circum—stances which did not show the intention of committing any other offence, pleaded guilty and were finedi 10s each. They were Francis Henry Choatc, aged 52, an artist, of 42 Burnett Street, Patrick McGinn, aged 44, a labourer, of Suffolk Street, and George Humphries, aged 61, a. labourer, of Winslow. ‘

Sergeant Cleary said that about midday yesterday the three entered a paddock at the back of Dr. Ryburn’s residence, which: was used for drying clothes. They settled down to have a beer party with a gallon jar and 21 small flask of whisky. They had previously been found on the premises and warned that if they came back they‘ would be locked up. A

Choate said he was about to leave Ashburton, and the gathering was in the nature of a farewell celebration. It was quite a common practice for men in Ashburton to find a quiet corner if they wanted to have anything.

The accused denied having been previously warned; off the premises. The Magistrate said it Was better to go there than to go to the Domain, where there were children about.

Failure to Give War. Arising out of? a slight accident at the corner of Cross and Cox Streets on May 30, Raymond Joseph Tucker pleaded guilty to failing to give way to traffic on his right, and was fined £1 and 105 costs. Sergeant Cleary said that defendant failed to give way to a motor-cycle, the driver of which was slightly in—jured. ‘ For defendant, »Mr V. W. Russell said visibility was not good, and the road dippedl down. His client had no option but to plead guilty on technical grounds. Tucker was a careful driver and the only time he had been before the court was 30 years ago, when he was charged with driving a. horse. over the Ashburton traffic bridge at a speed in excess of eight miles an hour. “Any driver will find] it difficult to give way to the man on the right under certain conditions,” said the Magistrate. 9The natural answer is that he'should slow up at intersections so that he can-pull up in a few feet.” ' Insufficient Lights. Charged with having insufficient lights on his car and with failing to stop at a signal from a .police constable, Albert Samuel Hayman., a farmer, of WillOWby, pleaded guilty on the first charge and not guilty! on the second. ‘ Constable G. Anderson said he held up (his hand and switched his torch to signal defendant to stop when he saw he had inSuflicient lights. Defen—dantthad said he did not know a police constable was signalling to him. The Magistrate said it was a foolish thing not to stop when ordered to do so. Defendant was fined 15s, with 123 costs, on the first charge, and ordered to pay 1055 costs on the second charge. Charges Against Cyclists. As a. result of a complaint from the Railway Department a charge was brought against Nicholas \Velsh, for riding a cycle over the Wills Street railway footbridge. Defendant was finedi 10s. , William Ernest Lloyd was fined 10s and costs for riding a cycle at night without a light, and ordered to pay 10s costs for not having a. bell. M. Pritchard was fined 10s for riding a cycle without lights. Unlicensad Driver. For. driving a car without a license J ames William Oliver was ordered to pay 3s costs. Douglas Morris was fined £1 and 12s costs for driving a car without a license and £1 and 10‘s costs for causing damage to a telegraph pole at Rakaia while driving his car. «

Charges Conceming Water Races. A charge of failing to clean water races and a. civil claim for £1 4s, for the cost of cleaning the races, was made by the Ashburton County Council (Mr R. Kennedy) against Arthur Read. Mr Kennedy said the whole County ‘ had been declared a district for the cleaning of water races. R-ead’s race I had become a part of the water-works 1 system, and had become subject to the provisions of the by-laws. Henry Vezey (engineer to the Ash- ‘ burton County Council) said the water race was taken over and extended and overhauled in Read’s district in 1923. He produced a plan to show this. Defendont said he did not think the County Council had any claim on the race. He had bought the property pri—vately, and the race came from spring water above" The hearing was adjourned. Arrears in Maintenance. Harry McPherson was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment with hard labour for being in arrears with the payments for maintenance. In the case, Maintenance Ofiicer v. B. O’Connor, defendant was ordered to pay £5 153 into Court forthwith in (respect to his Wife, While all other ar-

rears to date in reSpect to his wife and child were cancelled. ‘ The maintenance order against Jack Hughes in respect to his wife was varied by cancelling all arrears to date, except £lO, which was suspended until further order, While the order was made payable in future until further! order at the rate of 12s a week. - GiV¢i_l Cases. In the case of the Public Trustee v. Francis Henry Cheate, Mr R. Kennedy, appearing for plaintiff, asked for possession of defendant’s property in Burnett Street. Defendant asked for time to sort out his belongings before he left, stating that he intended to leave Ashburton. Defendant was ordered to pay £1 6s costs and leave the property by the end of the month. Judgment was given by default in the case of A‘. J. Millichamp and H. B. :Millichamp V'. A. Manson, for £2 165 16d, and £1 5s 6d costs.