HUTT VALLEY NEWS

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 15, 12 October 1933, Page 2

HUTT VALLEY NEWS

District Notes of Current Interest

(Special to Tbe Dominion.)

The chairman,. Mr. F.| J. Jonefi, presided at the meeting of the Hutt Liver Board yesterday, and there were present Messrs. J. Mitchell. J. Brasell, and M. J. Hodgins.

The secretary of the Jxiwer Hult branch of the Red Cross Society acknowledges with thanks the receipt of parcels from the following: Mesdames Wallace, Foothead, Taylor, Collins, Perry, Currie, and several anonymous.

For not having a heavy traffic license, Thomas William Slinu was fined ±2 and costs by Mr. J. S. Barton. S.M., in the Upper Hutt Police Court yesterday, and Albert Forrest was.fined 30/- and costs for not having a driver’s license. In addition, the Ava Dairy Supplies, Ltd., were fined 30/- and costs for speeding, and 10/- and costs for not having a heavy traffic license.

LIQUOR AFTER HOURS

Licensee and Barman Fined

When Constables Joss and Stewart paid a visit to the Provincial Hotel at Upper Hutt shortly after 9 o’clock one evening, they found four men in the bar and the barman attending to their wants. The incident was revived in the Upper Hutt Police Court yesterday, when Harry Marshall, the licensee, and James Phillips, the barman, pleaded guilty to a charge of selling liquor after hours. Both were convicted by Mr. J. S. Barton, S.M.. Marshall being fined £5 and costs, and Phillips £7/10/- and costs. The four men who were found in the bar were charged with being on licensed premises after hours, and were each convicted and fined £1 and costs. Constable C. Joss said that he and Constable C. Stewart had visited the hotel and found four men being served at the bar. The barman stated that they had been in only a few minutes, and he had supplied them with one drink. On being interviewed, the proprietor said he did not know the men were in the bar. Mr. A. J. Mazengarb, who appeared for defendants, said that the proprietor's private apartments were situated away from the main hotel. The barmen bad the authority to serve liquor after hours to lodgers. Marshall, submitted counsel, ran a good hotel, and no complaints had been made about its conduct. The barman has now been dismissed from his employment. The four men who were found in the bar were well-known in Upper Hutt, and were of good standing. “There lias been no subterfuge in the case at all.” pointed out counsel. “They did not even put their names in (be guest book,” remarked Mr. Barton, smilingly.

Constable Joss said that the hotel was well-conducted in the ordinary way, but there was a good deal of after-hour trading going on.

SLANDER ALLEGATION Judgment for Defendant Damages for alleged slander amounting to £5O were claimed, by James Albert Natta, Harbour Board employee, from Kenneth M. McCurdy, farmer, in the Upper Hutt Police Court yesterday. The magistate, Mr. J. S. Barton, entered judgment for defendant, with costs. Mr. A. J. Mazengarb appeared for defendant and Mr. W. Fortune for plaintiff. Mr. Fortune said that plaintiff, in company with two others, was standing In Riverbank Street when defendant came along, and, speaking to plaintiff and a man named Whiteman, said, in effect, “Bring back that lock you took last night.’’ Whiteman asked, “What lock?” and defendant replied, “The lock Natta and you took off my gate last night.” Whiteman said he did not know anything about the lock, and defendant replied they would have to replace it or else he would go to the police. Evidence to this effect was given by Natta and David Whiteman, farm hand.

Mr. Mazengarb asked for judgment for defendant, or for a non-suit. In the witness box, McCurdy said that he found that his gate at Riverbank Street was open, and he bought a padlock and put it on. He saw Whiteman sitting ou the gate when it was still there. .It was on the gate on the Monday night, but on the following morning the gate was open and his cattle were on the road. He asked Natta who broke the lock, and ’Whiteman replied by asking what he had done with his wood. IVitness found a school report for Basil Natta in a patch about 100 yards from the gate. Ho denied saying that Natta and Whiteman had stolen the lock, but asked them who had broken it. “This case should never have been brought to court,” remarked the magistrate. “It is apparently an incident of ill-feeling.”

WHAT SKID MARKS TOLD

Lorry-driver Before Court

Failure to keep to the left on the Mungaroa Rond cost Michael Bland £2 and costs in the Upper Hutt Police Court yesterday. Alfred E. Bishoprick, traffic inspector, said that be had noticed a continuous skid mark on tbe Mungaroa Hill. The skid marks cut right across on the wrong side of the road at a blind bend. Witness followed the marks, and found a broken-down lorry which was driven by defendant. Asked why he had driven on the wrong side of the road, defendant said that he had done so to compensate for his difficulties experienced with his load. “There have been numerous complaints of cutting corners on this hill.” remarked Inspector J. E. Ainsworth, of the Main Highways Board.

In imposing the fine, the magistrate, Mr. J. S. Barton, observed that the driver, although experiencing difficulty with his load, should not. have cut the corners.

KORO KORO FIRES

System of Fire Alarms

Asking for a system of lire alarms to be installed at Koro Koro, a deputation from the Koro Koro Progressive League waited on the Petonc Fire Board on Tuesday. The deputation comprised Mr. J. Huggan, president, and Mr. G. Cummuskey, secretary.

Mr. Huggan said that within four minutes of an alarm being sounded a machine could get from I’etone to Koro Koro and the system lie suggested was that five to seven street alarms bo connected to firemen’s homes (there being live firemen living at Koro Koro), ami also connected to the Potone Fire Station. If necessary this plan could be modified. The chairman of the board, Mr. D. McKenzie, snid that the board wns interested to hear the league’s views, and would ask tbe superintendent to report on their suggestion as to cost, etc.

BROUGHT AS WARNING

View of Driver Obscured

PROSECUTION BY BOARD

Describing the case as the first brought by the Main Highways Board, Inspector J. E. Ainsworth charged Evan Brenkley in the Upper Hutt Police Court yesterday with operating a mo-tor-vehicle with the driver's view obscured. Defendant pleaded not guilty, but was convicted and discharged by Mr. J. S. Barton, S.M., who observed that had an accident occurred with thelorry loaded as it was there would have been a breach of the regulations amounting almost to negligence. Inspector Ainsworth said that the lorry was loaded with sawn timber which was stacked on either side of the cab with only eight inches between the top of the timber and the top of the door. There was just enough room for the driver to crawl out over the top of the timber. The timber also extended forward with uneven ends about half the length of the bonnet. In reply to a question, the driver stated that the lorry had been loaded in Masterton. “Warnings have been issued by the Highways Board to operators of lorries carrying timber over the Rimutaka Hill,” said Inspector Ainsworth. “The board has taken this attitude because of the narrow and winding nature of the road. The driver should have an unrestricted view of the road, both ahead and to tbe side.” This is the board’s first prosecution, and is brought as a warning to others.” Brenkley said that there was a space of 8} inches, and the driver was able to get in quite easily. His visibility, also, was satisfactory. Witness went on to explain the difficulties of loading timber.

The magistrate observed that he was satisfied that the regulations provided for a practically unobstructed view, but he was impressed by defendant’s explanation, and would not inflict a'penalty. Defendant was accordingly convicted and discharged.

ONE NUMBER-PLATE Motor-Cyclists’ Evasion of Registration An arrangement for evading the registering of a motor vehicle was brought to light by Inspector J. E. Ainsworth, of the Main Highways Board, in the Upper Hutt Police Court yesterday, when charging Arthur Burton with driving an unlicensed motor vehicle and with operating a motor vehicle without the full amount of insurance premium being paid. Defendant pleaded not guilty, but was fined £2 and costs on the second charge and was convicted and discharged on the first.

Inspector Ainsworth said that he had noticed two motor-cycles at the roadside on the Mungaroa Hill. On each of the motor-cycles one number plate was missing, nnd the single number plate on each vehicle coincided. Defendant admittedthnt the vehicle was not registered. In other circumstances it might have been a question of a warning for not having a front number plate, and the offence might not have been defected.

"With the third party insurance not being paid, it is putting all the risk in an accident on to the users of the road without the chance of recovery.” commented the magistrate, Mr. J. S. Barton, in imposing the fine.

LORRIES OVERLOADED

Offenders Before Court

Informations against operators of overloaded motor-lorries were laid by Inspector J. E. Ainsworth, of the Main Highways Board, in the Upper Hutt Police Court yesterday, before Mr. J. S. Barton, S.M. , , Pleading guilty to a charge of overloading George Archibald Campbell was fined 10/- and costs. Inspector Ainsworth said that the lorry was using a 4£-ton limit road, and wns found to weight 6 tons 8 cwt. 2qrs. 241 b. It was permitted to carry six tons by n permit issued by the Hutt County Council. Mr. A. J. Mazengarb, for defendant, said that he had an arrangement with the Hutt County Council to do ail repairs to the road free of cost to the council. There was no advantage to defendant in overloading. nnd the difficulty lay in checking the weight. A fine of £4 and costs was imposed on Munt, Cottrell, Ltd., for exceeding the 10 tons limit. Inspector Ainsworth said that the lorry, which wns! loaded with milk cans, exceeded the limit by 18cwt. 3qrs. 121 b. Defendant had two previous convictions. Charges of exceeding the licensed load nnd overloading on a classified road were admitted by C. and xl. Odlin Timber and Hardware Co., Ltd., and a fine of 10/and costs was imposed on each count. Inspector Ainsworth jfnid that the lorry exceeded the 4i tons limit by 1 ton 3cwt. 2qrs. 161 b. Mr. Mazengarb submitted that the company had contributed £l5OO to the coustruction of the road. Defendants had nothing to gain by overloading, and the offence had occurred through the difficulty inefitimating the weight of the load.