OPOSSUM TRAPPERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 August 1929, Page 2

OPOSSUM TRAPPERS

OFFENCES AT HOKITIKA. Several cases connected with opossum trapping were dealt with at the Magistrate’s Court, Hokitika, yesterday by Mr W. Meldrum, S.M. Claude Morel was fined £2, with 10/- costs, for trapping prior to the opening of the season. R. Millson, who failed to produce his trapping license when requested to do so by the ranger, was ordered to pay costs. Samuel Augustus Case, senr., and S. N. Case were similarly penalised. Charged with failing to visit daily all their traps, between June 27 and 29, Samuel A. Case senr., and S. N. Case pleaded not guilty. Evidence was given by defendants that the traps were snowed in for several days. The traps were set 3000 ft to 4000 ft up and it was impossible to visit the ground, several feet of snow being on the ground. The S.M. said the charges should not have been brought under these circumstances, and they would be dismissed. F. Havill and J. F. Bergmann were each fined £l, with costs, for illegally setting traps on trees. Albert Edward Payn was fined £1 with costs, for setting traps in a State Forest without permission. Albert Edward Payn, Joseph H. Payn, and William Randolph Case pleaded not guilty to charges of failing to visit their traps daily, between June 27 and 29. The S. M. stated it was admitted by the defendants that they did not go out on the 28th, but they claimed they had no traps set. The onus was on the prosecution to prove that traps were set. The defendants denied those traps found belonged to them. He could not convict on the evidence, and the charges would be dismissed.

William Randolph Case and Albert Edward Payn were charged that having possession of opossum skins on July 2, they refused to allow the Ranger, A. Cederman, to inspect them. After hearing the evidence, the S.M. said it did not appear to him that any offence had been proved. The men were lawfully in possession of certain skins. What right had the ranger to ask for the production of the skins? He knew the men had licenses to trap opossums. The ranger had appar-i ently gone outo f his way to assist the Forest Service officers. It was no offence to refuse to go at the beck and call of any ranger to show any skins they had. The skins were not in their actual possession when asked to produce the skins. The cases would be dismissed.