FOXTON NEWS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVII, Issue 58, 5 February 1927, Page 10

FOXTON NEWS

MAGISTRATE’S COURT. [From Our Own Correspondent.] The usual monthly sitting of the local Magistrate’s Court was presided over by Mr J. L. Stout, S.M. ■ E. Conn, who pleaded guilty to a charge of being illegally on the licensed premises of the °Post Oflico Hotel on the evening of January 15 was fined £2, with costs 10s. One month was allowed in which to pay tho fine. . ... Michael Potopoff was charged that on September 8, 1926. he obstructed the working of tho railways by leaving his car too near to the railway line between Foxton and Himatangi to allow the train to pass. Accused pleaded guilty and Constable Owen explained that Potopoff had ■left his car alongside tho line as flood water precluded him from parking it on tho other side of the road. There was not quite enough clearance allowed, with the result that the train collided with the rear mudguard. No damago was done. A fine of 10s was imposed, costs amounting to 13s. Sid Harris and John O’Reilly were charged with fighting in the bar of Whyte’s Hotel oh January Ist. —Constable Owen said that the two accused came to blows after an argument in tho hotel. — Asked if they had anything to say, O’Reilly said they had had a few beers and an argument followed. —Asked what they about, witness said that it was the beer that was talking.—The Magistrate: I suppose the beer did the fighting too? —Witness: Yes. There was only one blow struck and I stopped that. —Roth accused were fined £1 with costs 10s. SUNDAY TRADING. M. E. and G. Perreau were called on to answer three charges each of Sunday trading in connection with their beach stores. Mr Bergin appeared for defendants, who pleaded guilty. In outlining the case, Constable Owen said G. Perreau had recently taken over one, of his father’s grocery stores at the beach. As a result of complaints about Sunday trading, tho police had visited the stores in question. At the main store, run by G. Perreau, there was a notice posted on the main entrance directing people to go around to another door leading into tea rooms from which a further door led into tho store proper, where groceries, ice cream soft drinks, etc., were for sale. There was also another store at the beacii which refused to sell even to its regular customers on Sunday and yet people were able to go to the other store and obtain goods and had told the proprietors of tho first store what fools they wero not to sell on Sunday. Both father and son had been warned about selling goods on Sunday after the date of the first charge, but the practice bad still continued. Mr Bergin, for defendants, said that the Sunday trading had been done openly. As a matter of fact, one of the constables had been offered the purchase of a box of chocolates in order to make a “test” case of the business. Defendants had been in the habit of selling soft drinks, fruit, etc., for years on Sundays. He asked that tho cases be made a warning one. Tho Magistrate: But I understand defendants are still continuing the practice. Continuing, ho said refreshments such as ice cream, soft drinks, and afternoon tea could be sold to be consumed on the premises on Sundays, but no sweets, etc. Mr Bergin said defendants acted openly and frankly. They did not know the exact position obtaining in regard to Sunday trading. There had been no previous prosecutions for this offence in Foxton,

Mr Perreau said that the notice directing people to the side entrance was put up on account of the wind. The groceries referred to as having been sold on Sunday were an urgent case of necessity. He was of opinion the case should be treated as trivial.

The Magistrate: But you have already been warned. It is not trivial. Mr Perreau: No groceries have been sold since we were warned.

The Magistrate said that fn tho cities it was considered more profitable to pay the fines than to shut the shops and there the maximum fine of £5 was imposed for each breach. This was the first time defendants had been caught but they had been caught on three separate Sundays and warnings had been given them. Ho also said that tho shops to a certain extent still allowed refreshments to bo taken off the premises. Fines of £2, with costs 10s, would bo imposed in each caso and if defendants appeared before him again for a similar offence tho maximum fine of £5 would bo imposed. Joe Bing, charged with keeping his shop open on a Wednesday afternoon, was fined £l, with costs 10s. ARTILLERY CAMP.

Livo shell practice with the six-inch howitzer battery of four guns was indulged in at the artillery camp. The battery took up a position at tho rear of the racecourse in the shade of a belt of trees and bombarded the coast line, shooting over Robinson’s Lakes. O. Pip, or the observing station, was located on a hill at the rear of Mr F. Robinson’s house in Beach road, the gunnere being unable to see the target they were firing at, but sighting under directions from 0 Pip, from which, with tho aid of field glasses, a good view of the target could be obtained. Communication between 0 Pip and the battery was made by wireless and sometimes “flag-wagging.” 1 Two Lewis guns arc also part of tho armament of this camp and two squads were at practice with these guns on the old rifle range. The firing of the big guns and the explosion of the shells are severely felt in Foxton. AVhile conversing with a Glen Oroua resident your correspondent was informed that the firing was distinctly hoard in that locality, a distance of 16 odd Viiles.