MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 1 October 1925, Page 4

MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

SITTING AT HAWERA. VARIOUS CHARGES BROUGHT. The Magistrate’s Court continued its sitting at Hawera, Mr. J. S. Barton, S.M., presiding. RAILWAY CROSSING INCIDENT. William Adams," a plasterer, ivas* charged bn two counts, (a) that he attempted to pass over ta railway line when such line was not clear, and (b) that he failed to stop before coining into contact with a railway line. (Mir. H. L. Spratt, instructed fey Messrs Western .and Billing, crown prosecutors, appeared for the Railway Department, and defendant pleaded guilty to bot-h-charges. Mr. -SprotfC said that in returning to Hawera from Stratford one evening Adtms drove, a car over the crossing north of the Normanby railway station, a couple of (lengths in front of the railway engine. It was 7.30 p.m. and Adams stated that,the lights of another car that had" .stopped on the other side of the crossing, had dazzled him and he did not see the train o.r hear the warning blast which the engine driver sounded. In the investigation that followed Adams had assisted the Department in every way and 1 had been quite frank about the matter. The magistrate said he had had a number of such cases before him and it w£s impossible to treat them with a nominal fine. The association to which the engine drivers belonged : complained bitterly of the effect which such incidents had bn the nerves of the drivers, and he. thought that the court should protect Ithean. A fine of £3, with 3 guineas crown/ solicitors’ fees and 7s court costs, would be imposed on the first charge, and in view of the severity of the fine defendant would be convicted and discharged on the second count. ‘ CASHS STOOD DOWN. The case of Hayward v. Crowley was called, hut Mr. H. Taylor, who appeared for plaintiff said that Mr. F. C. Spratt, who was conducting plaintiff’s case, would be absent until the afternoon. He asked that the case be stood down until to-morrow morning. Mr. P. O’Dea objected, stating that Crowley was present with five witnesses. Hje would have to ask for expenses. Mr. Taykxr .asked that the case be stood down until 2 p.m., whereupon Mr. O’Dea asked for half a. day's expenses. Mr. Taylor said he had no option, but to pay, and expenses amounting to 5s for each of the five witnesses were allowed. , ■_ Mr. G’Dea said that the State did not pay liberally. The scale of expenses had been ,fixed years ago, when 5s was a laige sum. The cases of Orpwley v. Hayward and Blackwell v. Hayward were also adjourned until 2 p.m. ; BY-LAW CUBES,. *;V B. H. Westward, the driver of a car, the rear number of which was obscured, was fined 10s and 7s court costs. Sergeant Henry said that a lamp had been fastened over the number plate. Ohas. Blake pleaded guilty to & charge of driving a motor car without a number, and ..not guilty to a. charge of being the owner of an unregistered car. On the first charge defendant was fined 10s and 7s court costs, but the second charge was stood down until 2 p.m. to enable ia constable to -attend and give evidence. DEFENCE CASE. - Alfred Spice, charged with failing to register under the Defence Act was fined £-1 5s and 13is costs. It was stated that defendant was 21 years of age and had lived iat Qhangai and Manutahi, which were in the non-effective area.