MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26121, 25 May 1950, Page 3

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

WEDNESDAY (Before Mr R. M. Grant, S.M.)

BANKRUPTCY OFFENCE “The allegation that a ‘benevolent Government’ may be partly to blame for this man’s conduct is not borne out at all,” said the Magistrate, when sentencing Arthur James Truscott, a landscape gardener, to 14 days’ imprisonment. Truscott was charged that, being a person judged bankrupt on October 17, 1949, he obtained £2l 13s 4d from Frank Ruck on July 21. 1949. by falsely representing that he would do certain work. Mr R. A. Young, for defendant, said that Truscott was a labourer who never got past standard 6, and should never have been set up in business. ‘‘He was started off by a benevolent Government and a benevolent department without th-e slightest hope of ever making a success of it,” he submitted. Mr A. W. Brown, who appeared for the Official Assignee, gave details of Truscott’s financial dealings. Truscott had been graded A as a market gardener after a course at, Lincoln College, said the Magistrate. He was given money to purchase a truck and a car. Presumably his ability to pay was also investigated, and a repayment of £3 £ week did not seem excessive. Counsel for Truscott had admitted that Truscott paid other creditors with money received from Ruck as an advance for work on Ruck's property, said the Magistrate. Truscott had been dishonest with his creditors and the case was rather a serious one. Truscott was convicted and discharged on charges that he obtained from D. J. Smith £l5 10s 6d by falsely representing that a cheque for that amount was a good and valid order, and that he obtained from India Services, Ltd., £5 by the same means. CHARGES AGAINST FIREMAN James Alexander Moore, aged 38, a fireman, of Eire, was charged that on May--20, at Christchurch, he stole a silver cup and mounting, valued at £l, the property of Jack Coffey. He was also charged with being absent without leave from the overseas ship Mahana. Senior Sergeant J. J. Kearns said that Moore was seen in Ferry road with the cup on Saturday afternoon. When approached by a constable he admitted taking it from a Christchurch hotel. Mr R. W. Edgley, for the shipping company concerned/ said Moore had left the ship with his gear. On the charge of absenting himself without leave, Moore was sentenced to 14 days’ imprisonment and ordered to be placed on board the Mahana if the ship left for overseas within that period. He was fined £1 on the theft charge. UNCUSTOMED GOODS James Stuart Ainger (Mr J. K. Moloney), a waterside worker, pleaded guilty to a charge of being found in possession of 41 strings of pearls which were uncustomed goods and prohibited imports. Mr A. W. Brown, for the Collector of Customs, said that two detectives called at a hotel in Lyttelton, where a man was selling pearls in the bar. In a statement made to the police, Ainger said a Chinese ship was in port at the time, and one of the crew approached him in Norwich quay and offered to sell him some pearls for £3O. He accepted the offer, thinking the pearls had passed through the Customs Department. Mr Moloney said it was well known that J Force men had brought back thousands of pearls and caused a glut on the market. Ainger’s pearls were of little value, he said. Ainger was convicted and fined £25. MILK BAR PROPRIETOR FINED Ernest George Freeman (Mr R. A. Young), a milk bar proprietor, of Papanui, was fined £lO on a charge of failing to wash thoroughly three milk-shake containers after use. Mr A. W. Brown, who appeared for the Department of Health, said that a complaint was received by the department, and an inspector was sent to Freeman’s shop on December 15. The inspector examined some of the containers which were ready for use, and considered them unfit for containing milk. The inspector took three of the containers to be analysed, and they were found to contain a large number of bacteria. Freeman in evidence said it was very difficult to get new milk-shake containers, and the ones he had were of inferior quality and tended to rust easily. He was told by the inspector of a firm in Christchurch which had containers in stock. The day after he was visited by the inspector, he bought two dozen new containers and discarded the old ones. CROSSING LINE WHEN NOT CLEAR Noel Nithdale Gardner TMr M. G. L. Loughnan) pleaded not guilty to a charge February 27 he drove, a car across the Fendalton railway crossmg when there was risk of being involved in a collision with a tram. Gardner was convicted and fined 10s. UNREGISTERED ELECTRICIAN FINED Reginald Merton Semh pleaded guilty to a charge that on November 10, 1949,' not being a registered electrician or the holder of a provisional licence, he installed electrical conductors at the Canterbury Show Grounds. Mr A. W. Browr, who appeared for the Registrar of Electrical Wiremen, said no fault could be found with the work done by Semb, who lad been before the war a qualified electrician. During a term of imprisonment he was employed by the Government to do electrical work in the Greymouth gaol, said Mr Brown. After : serving his term of imprisonment he was employed by the State Hydro Department at Pukaki to do electrical wiring cos?s mb WaS convicted and ordered to pay , On a similar charge, John Joseph Daniel Lafferty, a freezing works employee, was 1 convicted and fined 10s.