MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22103, 27 May 1937, Page 9

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

♦ WEDNESDAY (Before Mr E. C. Levvey, S.M.) BREACH OF PROBATION For a breach of the terms of his release on probation, William George Barns was sentenced to imprisonment with hard labour for seven days. ON LICENSED PREMISES For being on the licensed premises of the New City Hotel after hours, Patrick Quinn Middleton was fined 10s and was ordered to pay costs. ELECTRICAL WIRING On a charge of installing electric wiring contrary to the regulations, Ivan John Canvjfcell was fined and was ordered to pay costs, and on a second such charge and one of installing the wiring without being the holder of a licence, he was ordered to pay costs. Mr A. W. Brown, who appeared for the Electrical Wiremen's Registration Board, said that Campbell, who was not a registered wireman, installed a washing machine with about 45 feet of flexible cord leading from another room. A join in the wire was covered with black tape which was generally believed to be insulating, but which was not absolutely so. The potential danger of unqualified persons making electrical fittings was enormous. Campbell said tin length of wire had been used only until a proper connexion had been fitted in the washhouse. UNLICENSED WIRELESSES For being in possession of unlicensed wirelesses, the following were fined and were ordered to pay costs:—Frederick William Pullan, £2 10s: Gertrude Newton, 8s 4d (no costs); Ruth Atkinson, ss; Myra Callan, ss; Harry Pringle Davey, ss; Frank Alexander Fairbrass, ss; Francis Harold Bond Feaver, ss; Frank Edwin Dornwell, ss; Walter Bernard Harris, ss; Ronald Stanley Huband, ss; Jack Cleethorpe Pawson, ss; George Templeton, ss. FINE REDUCED On a rehearing of the charge heard previously against Leonard Norton Hadfleld for failing to pay the prescribed wages, the fine was reduced from £5 to £l. It was stated that there had been a miscalculation by an employee in the amount of wages owing to him. ] LABOUR OFFENCES Lawrence Goodman was fined 5s j and was ordered to pay costs for employing a worker after noon on a, statutory half-holiday. Mr R. T. Bailey, | officer in charge of the Labour Department at Christchurch, said Goodman was not the owner of the shop, but was responsible for the employee being engaged after noon. For employing a girl in his factory before 8 a.m., George White was fined 5s and was ordered to pay cost-. It was stated that the girl went to work at 7.30 a.m., but defendant paid this was directly against his instructions. Finn Sievertson was fined 20s for selling goods in packages on which the net weight was not stamped, 10s for using a weighing machine which was not stamped, and 10s for using a defective weighing machine, and he was ordered to pay costs on each charge. Mr Bailey said one set of scales had been rejected by the department, but they were still in use. Mr J. T. Watts, for Sievertson, said that there was no suggestion of short weight. The offences were only technical breaches. The scales had been used without the defendant's knowledge by an employee at a branch shop where the unstamped packages had also been sold. J, M. Coffey, licensee of the King George Hotel, was fined 10s on each of two charges of falling to krep a wages and time book and failing to keep a holiday book. Mr Bailey said that Coffey had the books, but that there were no entries for two workers for several days. Mr A. J. Malley, for Coffey, said the offences were about tjie Christmas holidays. The breaches were only technical, for the workers were paid more than the award rates of wages. CHARGE WITHDRAWN A charge against Thomas Walter Armstrong and Leonard Farr for employing two workers more than 40 hours a week, and failing to pay for the overtime, was withdrawn by Mr Bailey after a partial hearing. For the defendants, Mr R. A. Young said there was no award applicable to the workers, who were paid much more than provided for in the Factories Act. RANGIORA (Before Mr H. A. Young, S.M.) Robert Geoffrey Rainey and Alister Gratton Rainey, of Flaxton. each faced six charges of having failed to pay unemployment levies. It was stated that neither defendant had paid levies since 1931. Each was fined £8 lis (£1 8s 6d on each of the six charges), being the amount owing in levies, and was ordered to pay costs. Charges of having failed to signal his intention to stop and of having no efficient rear vision mirror on his motor-car, brought against Frederick Allan Close (Mr E. D. R. Smith), were dismissed. Arising from a collision between a motor-cycle and a motor-car, John Young Pethig » and Clifford CJinton Brown were each charged with having driven without due care and attention, and were convicted and jrdered to pay costs. A charge of having failed to keep as close as possible to the left against Pethig was withdrawn as was also a charge of having failed to keep to the centre-line of the road before turning, against Brown. Giving decision in the case in which the Hurunui Rabbit Board (Mr W. J. Sim) proceeded against Edmund Fletcher (Mr Smith) for having failed to comply with notice given to destroy -rabbits on his property, the Magistrate upheld Mr Smith's contention that the notice was not given in ac- , cordance with the provisions of the act and dismissed the information. The I defendant was allowed costs. '