MOTORISTS' WAIL.

Gisborne Times, Volume LIX, Issue 9572, 25 July 1923, Page 7

MOTORISTS' WAIL.

POLICE AND COMAION SENSE. SEOULL TO TECHNICAL BREACH OF BY-LAWS. An echo of recent Court proceedings when a number of wel.-known citizens were lined for leaving their ears unliglited outside Abercorn Flail, was heard at tho meeting of the Borough. Council last night, when the following letter was received from Mr. JL XT. Burke, one of the by-law breakers:— breakers: “T had an in formal ioa laid against me for leaving my car unlighted outside Abercorn Mall last Saturday week; and about a dozen other people have also had informations laid against them for the same offence, a dance having been held in the hall that evening. “The by-law in question is, of course, very necessary. People who leave cars on the streets unlighied are a menace to the public, hut 1 contend it is not intended to apply in cases like the present. The by-law should be administered with a certain amount of common sense, and what possible harm can a number of ears crowded together, even if unlighted, do outside a place situated as far from town as the Abercorn Hall? On the night in question, moreover, it was bright moonlight. '‘The by - law is technically infringed, so a number of people are brought before the Court and fined for an oil once in respc-ct of which informations should never have been laid./’

The letter concluded with the suggestion that the Council should make that part of Ormond Road outside the Abercorn Hall a public stand, as functions of various kinds were often held in tho hall. The Alayor said that on tho face of it, it looked a hit hard. It hacl_ been suggested that it would lie sufficient to have the first and last car of a row lighted, but if the owner of the first car took liis vehicle sfwe.y. the row would ho unprotected. lie did not think' that it would he suitable to have a stand in Ormond road. Or. Corson moved that a stand he set apart in Stafford street. _ In this case, the police, while exercising their duty, went perhaps a little, too far. dr. De Costa seconded the motion, saying that it was unnecessary for tho police to have prosecuted in tins case. He had left his ear there dozens of times in the, past, and had never been prosecuted. Ci-. Coleman: You were lucky! ■Or. De Costa : AYeli. whether I was lucky or not, I don’t think motorists should he penalised unnecessarily. Cr. Coleman: I don’t think that everyone who owns a motor car is a. parasite, hut we have our’ rights, Or. Hill: They arc a public menace. Or. Coleman said he was not in favor of inflicting hardship on people, even if they were parasites. Still, they should remember that if it were unsafe to leave the cars in the street unlighted, it would not help matters by declaring the street a parking place. Or. Todd said that he thought the difficulty might bo overcome fcy getting the Flail people to erect lamps at the side of the - hall, near which cars might be parked. T.t was eventually decided to refer the question to the Works Co 1.7. mil tee with a. view to arranging a panting stand.