FARMER FINED

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 56, Issue 32898, 20 August 1947, Page 10

FARMER FINED

FIRE IN FIRE DISRICT CARE MUST BE TAKEN The care to be taken by farmers in lighting fires in fire districts was indicated by the prosecution of T. D.

Miles in the Waihi Magistrate’s Court. Mr H. L. Boughton appeared for the Conservator of Forests, and the defendant pleaded guilty to lighting a fire without first obtaining a permit to do so. Outlining the facts, Mr Boughton stated that defendant was a farmer at Whangamata which was in the Tairua fire district. On March 15 last the look-out in the State Forest at Whangamata reported a fire on defendant’s property The services of men from the State Forest Service were required to bring the fire under control. Defendant had made a statement that he was burning off some scrub and did not know that a permit to light the fire was required.

The department was not pressing for a penalty but asked that the 'defendant be ordered to pay the cost of extinguishing the fire, which amounted to £7 6s 2d. The proceed-

ings were brought as a warning to those living in fire districts. Defendant was ordered to pay the cost of £7 6s rd together with court costs and solicitor’s fees amountingto £2 14s.