TRAFFIC OFFENCES

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXIX, Issue 4746, 14 September 1935, Page 5

TRAFFIC OFFENCES

INSUFFICIENT LIGHTS. FURTHER CASES OF OVERLOADING. A large .batch of offences against the Motor Regulations were dealt with by the Magistrate's Court on Thursday; the first list given below was brought forward by the police, and the second by the Waitomo Traffic Group inspector, Mr. R. H. McKenzie. N. M. Christie, S. August, and J. Watson were each fined 10s and costs for operating motor vehicles with only one headlamp functioning. The lack of a tail-light on their vehicles was the subject of the charges against A. C. Yorke and V. Allerby, on which they were each fined 5s and 12s costs* A 'fine of ss, costs 10s, was inflicted on L. H. Harford for parking his car without lights in Carroll Street at night on the wrong side of the road. For riding a bicycle at night not equipped with a lamp, J. Haig was fined 10s and costs, while he was convicted and ordered to pay costs owing to the machine not being equipped with a rear reflector."

The following charges were brought by the Waitomo Traffic Group Inspector, Mr. R. H. McKenMate Beros was charged with operating a trailer for which he had obno heavy traffic licence and to which no numberplates were attached. The defendant had seen him the day before, the inspector said, and told him that, as he was going to cart a 60-foot spar from Mairoa and would have to borrow an unlicensed trailer, would the inspector be kind—or foolish—enough to keep out of the road.

In imposing a fine of 60s and costs (£1), the Magistrate issued a warn- ! ing that if Beros continued his im- j pudent disregard of the regulations he would be forced to impose such fines as would prevent or make it difficult for Beros to carry on. Howard Kyle, Reg. Rattenbury, and E. A. Reardon were each fined 40s and costs for overloading. When a similar charge was preferred against H. J. Mr. J. Hine on his behalf stated that the inspector's loadmeters showed his empty lorry to be 2 tons 4 cwt., while he understood his unladen weight was 38cwt., this having been borne out by a test over Mr. Clissold's meters. He suggested that it would be of material benefit to the carriers of the district if the Waitomo loadmeters were checked up on those of Mr. Clissold. The Magistrate said his experience was that carriers were often hard put to find excuses, and he did not think that he cou!4 order a test. However, perhaps just to clear up the position, they might follow this suggestion; though it was very seldom that the loadmeters were found to be wrong. Evidence was given by the inspector and the defendant. Mr. McKenzie said Roberts was overloaded 14cwt. and that his loadmeters were tested every few months. He produced the last certificate to this effect. A fine of 40s and costs was imposed. A. Peterson was convicted and ordered to pay costs on a charge of driving a motor vehicle while not the holder of a licence. He swore on oath i that from the end of May up to the I time he was caught he had not driven any motor vehicle.