TAKING TIMBER WITHOUT AUTHORITY

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 4670, 14 December 1944, Page 3

TAKING TIMBER WITHOUT AUTHORITY

CONVICTIONS IN MAGISTRATE’S COURT

In the Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday before H. J. Dixon, Esq. S.M.,

separate informations were laid by the Commissioner of Crown Lands against John Wylie, David Wylie, and W. Lillicrap that they did on 'the loth August at Paradise, without right, title or license, fell certain timber grown on a public reserve not granted or vested in any local body, trustees

or other persons, being recreation reserve, block I, Earnslaw survey district dedicated for recreation purposes by notice in the N.Z. Gazette. All parties pleaded guilty. Mr O. Stevens appeared for the Crown and Mr C. H. McKay for Wylie Bros.

Mr Stevens, speaking on behalf of complainant, stated that defendants (Wylie Bros.) had cut down about 100 red pine trees for use as mining props of a value of about £42. The reserve was one frequented by tourists and therefore not open for destruction by wood choppers. It may be suggested that defendants did not know that the area was a reserve, but they knew it was Crown land and therefore had no right to enter same without having first applied. In pleading for the defendants, Mr McKay said his clients wanted the props urgently and admitted that they had not taken the proper steps precedent to taking the timber. They had previously taken timber under license on adjoining land and were not aware that the property on which the present offienee was committed was. recreation reserve. It was hard for them to know whether the area was Crown land or Education reserve as there was no line ‘of demarcation. His clients had no intention of stealing the trees and were prepared to plead guilty and to pay for the timber used and under the circumstances he asked for leniency.

His Worship fined D. Wylie £8 and J. Wylie £1 with court costs 12/- a id solicitor’s fees £B/8/- each. The defendant W. Lillicrap, who was detected shortly after commencing to cut trees, was<ordered to pay court cos's 10/- and solicitor's fees £B/8/-. The balance of timber left on the reserve was impounded.