WANDERING STOCK

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 69, 14 December 1933, Page 2

WANDERING STOCK

Danger on Main Highway The danger of wandering stock on the main Wairarapa highway was stressed by Inspector J. E. Ainsworth, of the Main Highways Board, in the Upper Hutt Police Court yesterday when charging a farmer with eight offences of this nature. “Wandering stock has been a source of annoyance and worry to motorists in the past, and on at least two occasions collisions have occurred,” said the inspector, who went on to say that verbal and written notices had been given. ; ’ All owners of stock had been circularised and had been given warning that after October 1 all owners of stock causing a nuisance on the main highway, would be prosecuted without further notice. One month’s grace was given to enable stock-owners whose fences and gates might be at fault to put them in order. Mr. A. M. Haldane, who appeared for defendant, entered a strong protest on what he described as “the most unwarranted and unreasonable attitude of the authorities to tlie defendant.” The only warning he had received was the letter referred to by the inspector. All the summonses had been issued at the one date, and all were simply for permitting stock to wander. The procedure was unfair to farmers who were struggling to make ends meet, and the attitude of the authorities could be described, for the want of another term, as oppressive, He did not deny that the authorities were in order in issuing the summonses, but in. this particular case he thought the position would have been met by one summons as a preliminary The Magistrate, Mr. J. S. Bai ton, S M., observed that in spite of written notices the stock had wandered, and there were eight offences, each of which was a danger to the.public. “It is not -an affair of weighin,, chances and probabilities,” < )b ® en ’ l et the magistrate. “It is simply this . the offences have got to stop. If I in" this court in the future and there S other offences the fines will be more severe.”