HEAVY FINES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 234, 1 September 1938, Page 8

HEAVY FINES

SALES OF GREY DUCK. FORMER OFFICIALS CHARGED. Per Press Association. BLENHEIM, Aug. 31. Fines, costs and fees totalling £69 were imposed by Mr Maunsell, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court, this morning, upon Robert Henry Gridley, of Blenheim, wood sawyer, and Walter Frederick Millard, of Riverlands, farm manager, who both pleaded guilty to three charges of selling native grey duck to Wellington hotelkeepers. Both were former officials of the Marlborough Acclimatisation Society, Gridley being the immediate past president and an honorary ranger, and Millard a past member of the council of the society and an honorary ranger. The proceedings were taken under the Animal Protection Game Act by the Acclimatisation Society’s ranger and concerned the despatch of cases containing ducks marked “dead rabbits” from the Blenheim railway station on May 7. Millard was charged with selling ducks to Thomas Coltman, a Wellington hotelkeeper, on May 7, while Gridley was charged on identical counts. The packages weighed one cwt.? three-quarters of a cwt., and 2qr 201 b respectively. The lines imposed on Gridley amounted to £3O and costs £7 19s, and Millard was lined a total of £25 with costs £6.

Mr A. A. Mac Nab (for the Acclimatisation Society) stressed the seriousness of the offences, particularly in

view of the fact that defenda'iits had both held prominent offices in the society, the integrity of whose administration they had stained. The offences were also viewed seriously because the sales had been on a commercial basis. It would be appreciated that offences of this . nature were particularly difficult to detect and the obtaining of proof had involved inquiries extending over a long period. People were very reluctant to give information in regard to offences of this' nature. In regard to the sales of duck 6, sums totalling £l2 8s 9d had been received. The maximum penalty of £25 on each charge was asked for. Mr Maunsell: You ask for £75? Mr Mac Nab: Without hesitation. Counsel for defendants (Mr A. M. Gascoigne) pointed out that it was the first prosecution under the Act in this district for a great many years. Defendant Millard knew the sale of native ducks was illegal, but the restrictions had not been enforced for a very long time past. He accordingly believed the offence was not looked upon seri°UMr Maunsell: Why then, did he mark the cases “dead rabbits?” ‘ Referring to the ease of Gridley, Mr Mac Nab said it was this defendant who bad negotiated, the sales. Coltman only gave information when he discovered Gridley’s official connection with the society. Had he known the position Coltman had said lie would never have dealt with him. Gridley was fully cognisant of what he was doing. Ho had been in charge of the administration of tile Act in the district and ho knew efforts were being made to stop the practice. He was not entitled to any consideration whatever.