MOTORISTS FINED CORRESPONDENCE

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 103, 29 October 1945, Page 6

MOTORISTS FINED

CORRESPONDENCE

INTOXICATION CHARGES

Two motorists pleaded guilty m the Magistrate's Court today to charges of being intoxicated while in charge of a car Owen Jack Braddock,. taxi driver, 24, was driving a car in Customhouse Quay on the evening of October 25, stated Sub-Inspector J. Abel. Sergeant Fleming heard a crash, and, on investigating, found that the defendant's car had hit another. The defendant was attempting to drive away, but was dragging the other car with him. On his behalf, Mr. A. J. Mazengarb said that the defendant was no. driving his taxi at the tune. He had been drinking with friends who had iust returned from overseas, and was riot used to liquor. He pointed out that the defendant would, as a result of the conviction, lose his business. Mr J L. Stout, S.M., fined him £15 and cancelled his driving licence for 12 months. , _, . The other defendant, James Stewart Hiseins Payne, company director, 63, wa| g fined £25. Mr. PAbel stated that about 7 p.m. on Saturday last the defendant had been driving in Jervois Quay He was close behind another car, which stopped suddenly when the traffic lights near the Queen's Wharf changed, and the defendant's car struck it in the rear- Mr. Abel added that he saw the defendant about an hour after the accident and he was not a bad case then. In imposing the fine and cancelling the defendant's driving licence for 12 months, the Magistrate commented, "He is old enough to know better."

The chairman, Councillor R. L. Macalister. and Councillors Gilmer, Galloway, and Pope, members of the reserves committee of the City Council, will leave on Wednesday for a few days' visit to Christchurch, at the invitation of the reserves committee there. Even allowing for very considerable natural advantages which Christchurch enjoys, in plenty of space, level ground, a river, and the fine trees that need so fine a sweep of space, that city has good reason to be proud of her reserves and gardens, and of her winter garden, and committee members anticipate that the visit will be both enjoyable and profitable.

TAX ANOMALIES

(To the Editor.) / Sir, —Last week you printed extracts from the report of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Society for the Protection of Women and Children, including the fact that the illegitimate child continues to .be penalised and unprotected "in so far that no family benefit is available from social security as maintenance." I should like to draw attention to the tax anomaly that will exist when the new family benefit scheme comes into operation, i.e., the 10s weekly allowance for each child. To take a case which has come under my notice: a young mother (whose fiance was killed overseas during the war) is struggling to keep herself and her illegitimate baby and is determined to face any odds rather than give up her son. Her weekly wage is £4, and out of this she pays 10s weekly in social security and national security tax. Out of the remaining £3 10s she pays for the care and attention of her son while she is at work during the day. Under this family benefit scheme she will not be eligible to draw the 10s family allowance for her illegitimate son; nevertheless she will continue, out of her small wage, to pay 10s weekly tax, which will in effect eventually go to some more fortunate baby whose, parents were able to marry, and who probably will not need the 10s so much as the illegitimate baby does. I am aware that the 10s tax she pays is partly national.' security tax, but there has been no indication yet that this tax will not be retained to help pay for the increased family benefits. Surely the above is a case of grave injustice and inhumanity—where payment of the full tax does not carry full benefit.—l am, etc.,

JUSTICE FOR ALL.