UNREGISTERED CARS

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 313, 30 September 1926, Page 10

UNREGISTERED CARS

MOTOR DEALERS FINED Leslie John Blackburn was charged in the Magistrate's Court, on Tuesday, before -Messrs. I). IT. Edgar and A. A. Gower, J.l’.’s, with having used an unregistered motor-car, and Neville Witcombe. of the firm of Ilatrick and Co., with haring permitted its use. “Dealers’ plates are issued only for use on ears that arc being held for sale,” stated Senior-Sergeant J. Lander, "but they are being used promiscuoOslv* not only on new cars, but also on others. Recently there was a case ot speeding in which (he police were unable to trace the driver_ of the car, as the firm which owned it could not say which of their salesmen was using it. that night. This instance shows the danger of traders' plates being abused. "1 quite agree that where the plates are used in ears such as the sergeant mentioned, the police should take action," said Mr. D. 8. Smith, who appeared for defendants./ On the occasion out of which the present charges arose, however, Hatrick and Co. bad been holding a social evening for motor dealers from all parts of the Dominion. It was natural that they should supply some means of conveying their guests to their hotels and homes, he submitted, and what was more natural than their doing what they did? At the time the companv did not think its action was wrong, and bad instructed Blackburn to convey the guests home in a demonstration car. “We have seriously considered making a test case out of this,’’ Mr. Smith went on, "but in view of the fact that Mr Justice Herdman, at Auckland recently held that a demonstration car could be used only to interest prospective buyers, we are not prepared to go to the' expense of a Supreme Court action. At the same time, I think the circumstances in this case do uot call for a penalty.” . , , The senior-sergeant: 1 do not )''”h >° press for a penalty, but I wish to point out that prosecutions for similar offences are taking place throughout the The Bench: In convicting and fining each of defendants .£l. remarked that the car had been used socially, and not for business purposes. Later in the afternoon. Reginald Collins and Co. and Dominion Motors, Ltd., were each charged with having permitted the use of unregistered motorCa Mr. D. It. Hoggard, who appeared for th, defendant, companies, said a Magistrate last rear dismissed a similar case, holding that if a motor-car was genuinely held for the purpose of sale, and was' used for other than that purpose only on some special occasion, no offence had been committed. Defendants were fined -£1 each.