MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Grey River Argus, 1 June 1937, Page 8

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

SITTING AT GBEY*MOUTH At yesterday’s sitting of the Magistrate's Court’at Greymouth, Mr. Ray. mond Ferner S.M. dealt, with the following eases: — Sydney Judge was charged with dis. obedience of a maintenance order, made on November 18, 1935, providing for the payment of £1 per week for his wife a 'id child'. The arrears to May 17, 1937, amounted to £55 17s 6d. Defendant admitted the arrears. After hearing the evidence of de. fendant, the Magistrate convicted him and sentenced him to three months im. prisonment in Paparua pihSQii. warrant to be suspended so long as defendant paid the current maintenance order of £1 per week, the first payment to he made on June 6. and 5/- weekly off the arrears, the first payment on June 6. On the information of the Traffic Inspector for the Main Highways (Mr R. P. Chibnall), Fahey Bros, of Ku. mara, were charged with operating a heavv motor vehicle on a Class 3 road, at Ngahere on May 14 the weight of the vehicle, together with the load it was carrying exceeding th e maximum weight for which the road was declared' available Defendants were further charged with operating a heavy motor vehicle on the Inangahua-Greymouth Main Highway the vehicle carrying a. great, er load than it was licensed to carry. Defendant® did not appear. The Inspector said that defendants’ lorry was carting silver pine posts on a road on which the limit was 61 tons. The vehicle was 14 cwt overloaded and defendants immediately committed the offences. Such cases of overloading was detrimental to the roads. The driver said that he had just, guessed the load and did not realise it was over, loaded. A fine of £1 with 10s costs was in. fileted in each case. The Commissioner of Crown Lands charged Samuel M. Case that, on February 21, and on divers other dates between January 1, 1937, and' February 26, 1937 at Kumara, h e did, without right, title or license, fell or remove 100 silver pine posts of the value of £1 2s 9r, on or from Crown lands in Block 16, Waimea Survey District. Case was further charged with unlaw, fully removing 50 silver pine tram sleepers, to the value of 16/8,. from the reservoir reserve in connection with the Waimea water.race extension to Kumara in Block 16, Waimea Survey District. Wallace Randolph Case was charged that on February 21, and on divers other dates between January 1 and February 26, at. Kumara, he unlawfully removed' 26 silver pine tram sleepers of the value of 8/8 from the reservoir reserve. ■ ,f ■ Mr. F. A. b Afghani appeared for the Commissioner of Crown Lands. Mr. IV. A. Tavlcr for defendants, pleaded guilty to the informations. Mr. Kitchingham said that the case was common throughout the district and these 'informations wer e brought more in the nature of a warning. The offence was difficult to detect. The section provided' for a £5O fine, but the Court if it desired could order that the value of the timber taken be paid. Mr. Taylor said that the timber was removed from waste pakiki swamp land. The sleepers were removed from an old abandoned' tramway which hail been overgrown with growth. It was not a case of a man going in to a scenic reserve and cutting down trees. The timber was rotting away in a swamp. Th e Magistrate said that in these cases the value of ‘he timber taken was .small Nevertheless, the. Crown was entitled and under a. duty to see that timber was not taken off crown lands without authority and payment The cases had been brought as a general warning and he hoped riiat such a warning would b e acted upon. Defendants would be convicted on each charge and ordered to pay that value of the 'timber-taken, also 10/. Court costs and £1 Is solicitor’s fee in each information.

Albert Thomas Graham, 46, 'was charged that, on February 28, 1937 and on divers dates between February 28 and March 28 at Stevenson’s Flat, he committed the theft of £l2, the property of the General New Zealand Workers’ Union

Detective-Sergeant 11. E. Knight said that defendant was a labourer of no fixed abode. He was employed at Sfevenson’s Flat by the Public Works Department and while there acted' as seeretaray of the Union and Collected £1 from each man. Accused left, the district and went to Christchurch How. ever, the matter worried him and he returned to Greymouth and gave himself up to the police. Evidenc e was given by Constable D. N. MacDonald that accused' made a statement in which he said that he lent money to some of the men at the camp, but spent most of it on drink for himself. He finally left the job. and the shortage was discovered when a new secretary was appointed. Accusecl was a widower with a daughter residing in Christchurch. Defendant elected to be deal; with summarily and pleaded guilty to the charge. ' The Detec'tive-'Sergeant said that un to the time of accused reporting the matter to Constable MacDonald, the police had no knowledge of the offence It had been since verified by telephone and correspondence receivd that morn, ing 'to be correct. Nothing previously was known against accused. The Magistrate: Have you anything to say Graham? l Accused: Nothing at all. The Magistrate;. Are you prepared t 0 make restitution of this amount? Accused: If I can get Work. Accused was convicted and placed on probation for 12 months on condition he repaid the £l2 stolen by instalments to be fixed' by the Probation Officer. Leonard Webb was ordered to pay IQs per week towards the maintenance of his wife and 7/6 per week towards the maintenance of his child: also £2 12s 6d past ma-'inten-mce and £2 2s solicitor’s fee, first payment to be made on or before June 7.