QUARANTINE RULES.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 33, 8 February 1929, Page 5

QUARANTINE RULES.

VICTORY OWNER'S BREACHES. RETURN FROM NORFOLK ISLAND. HAROLD GEO ROE coNVK TED. Hoidmc. in a reserved •'•■.•!-:■■•n. tr.3- a breach of the Health Ah wa> committed when tiie yachr Victory put into Whangaroa for water on the return to Auckland from it? crui-e to Norfolk Island. Mr. W. R. McKean. S.M. : recorded a conviction against Harold George, the owner, in the Magistrate". Court this morning.

Mr. McKean saiC that every description of vessel in navigation arriving in New Zealand from a place beyond the -eas was liable to quarantine. Save in the case of urgent neceiyity it ie>t lawful for any person to leave a vessel liable to quarantine without the consent, of the port health officer. The defendant landed at Whangaroa. where he and hi? eompanions. <;. George and 0. Bowman. took in water and submit tod themselves for examination to a medical man who was not a health officer. The ves-cl then came to Auckland, but no stcp% were taken to comply with the Health Act. It was contended that there was no breach committed. l>ecau.e there wis an urgent necessity to take in fre-n water, but the only urgent neeessity recognised by the Health Act was one that was "'due to a marine casualty or other like emergency."' The defendant could, w-ithout much inconvenience, have done more than he did to avoid a breach. As the prosecution merely desired to draw attention to the provisions of the Act in the interests of health, however, defendant would only be convicted and ordered to pay costs, amounting to £."? 1-3'. Similar treatment was meted out for not displaying a flag on the mainmast.

At the hearing. Mr. V. X. Hubble pr ■ - seemed for the medical ofm-cr of h««alt};. Dr. Ches-on. while Mr. W. P. Knd'-an appeared for defendant-. Harold Geor~. ; (solicitors Geoffrey George (master".. Cyril Bowman. Mr. Hubble stared that (he prosecution did not desire that a]] should ba convicted, and that it was sufficient f.-. r the owner to be convicted. The charge* atrainst the other two defendant* wera then withdrawn.