OTIRA COACHES

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 March 1922, Page 5

OTIRA COACHES

TWO DRIVERS FINED. WORKING SORE HORSES. (Special to the Star.) / CHRISTCHURCH, March 10. At the Darfield Magistrate’s Court, before .Mr. Wyvern Wilson, S.M., Arthur Goodyer (Mr. P. J. Aniodeo) was charged with having on’ February 28 worked two horses suffering from sore shoulders in Messrs Cassidy and Halls coaches at Arthur’s Pass. Defendant did not appear, but his counsel entered a plea of not guilty. David James White, Inspector lor the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, stated in evidence that defendant was a driver in the employ of Cassidy and Hall. Witness and Constable McKay inspected some ' 55 coach horses at Arthur’s Pass on February 28, and found eight of them suffering from sores. Witness ordered 1 two to be piit off work. One was sul- 1 fering from a raw open flesh wound 1 four to five inches long, and about c

) two inches wide, under the collar, and ■ another was suffering from a raw open sore on the right shoulder about two and a half inches long and one inch wide, and two smaller sores, one on each shoulder. Mr. Hugh Cassidy called by Mr. Aniodeo stated that definite instructions had been given to the firm’s drivers, including the defendant, that no horses were to be worked with sores. Mr. J. Butterfield, employed by the • previous witness at Springfield, stated that he had inspected the horses at Arthur’s Pass after the inspection of the S.P.C.A. Inspector, but did not find any suffering from sores. i The Magistrate in convicting the de- . fondant and fining him 40s and costs 9s 6d, said that the road from Arthur’s ; Pass over the hills was a dangerous ono t over which to drive horses suffering from sore shoulders. Such a road re- ; quired sound horses. During (he <

■ filly years that Cassidy had been on ( the- coaching business on th [ road, the present was the first oc hasion that a charge of the kind hat been brought against him. Mr. William Rugg, (Mr. Aniodeo another of Cassidy and Hall’s drivers similarly charged, did not appear, bu his counsel pleaded guilty on his be half. A fine of 40s was imposed am defendant was ordered to p a y 7s costs