HOSING REGULATIONS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 88, 12 March 1935, Page 3

HOSING REGULATIONS

DEFENDANT GIVEN BENEFIT OF DOUBT. Claiming that he had no knowledge of the offence, J. J. Stevenson, High School master, pleaded not guilty to a charge in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, before Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., that he had committed a breach of the City Council’s hosing regulations. Mr H. R. Cooper appeared for the City Council and Mr A. M. Onglcy for defendant.

James M. Mitchell, a hosing inspector, stated that on December 11 he had observed water running from defendant’s premises into a water channel on the street frontage. The hose was playing on’ to the lawn. There was no one at home and it was evident that the hose had been running some time. , To Mr Ongley, witness stated that the tap was within three feet or four feet of the street, a low wall fronting the street. On Mrs Stevenson’s return she had not credited that the hose had been running. Defendant, in evidence, stated that he had been given permission to water his lawn on the night of December 10. He had turned the water off on completing the task and must have noticed the water had it been running on his leaving the house the following morning. The tap was situated three feet from the street front with only a low wall intervening. To Mr Cooper, defendant stated that his lawn was pipe drained. He was quite positive that he had turned the water off.

Mrs Stevenson gave evidence that she had left the house at 10 a.m., returning at about noon, leaving by the back entrance. She had not turned on the hose and had not been aware whether it was running or not. There were no other members of the family at home at the time.

To Mr Cooper, witness stated that she presumed some passer-by had turned on the tap. The Magistrate, in stating that lie would give defendant the benefit of the doubt, remarked that it was quite possible some children had turned on the tap.