PUBLIC MUST OBSERVE RULES OF FOOTPATH

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6863, 19 March 1929, Page 6

PUBLIC MUST OBSERVE RULES OF FOOTPATH

OFFENDERS PROSECUTED. The Palmerston North Borough has bylaws which regulate pedestrian traffic on footpaths, but until yesterday 1 they have been honoured more in the breach than tho observance.. Apparently it is now the intention <tf the police to bring them into force with tho view of converting the chaos which exists in tho busier portions, of the town at rush hours, into something like order. With the view of giving the public warning, proceedings were taken in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday against Mrs. W. Henderson and Mrs. M. Smart, both of Woodville, who were charged with obstructing the footpath. Constable Gillard stated that he saw the defendants talking on tho footpath and blocking, the traffic. He requested them to move on, but they told him they thought they were alright where they were. Witness then pulled out his notebook. Seeing that witness was going to take her name, Mrs. Smart moved away and he had to get her name from tho other defendant. Mr Coopor, who appeared for defendant’s, submitted that the charge was a trivial one. There was no question of obstruction as it was just before 6 p.m. when tho constable spoko to them. Senior Sergeant Whitehouso stated that the police didn’t ask for a heavy penalty; they only wanted to warn the public that they must not loiter about the footpaths. In view- of the Senior-Sergeant’s explanation, his Worship dismissed the charges, remarking that they wero the first of their kind brought before the Court. It would serve to warn people of the necessity to observe the rales of the footpath. \ . Didn’t Keep to Left. A line of 5s with 10s costs was imposed on Julian Gregg, in tho Palmerston North Magistrate’s Court yesterday, for failing to walk on tho lefthand side of the footpath in the Square This was tho first prosecution of the kind brought by tho police in Palmerston North, Senior Sergeant Whitehouse stating it had been -brought more as a warning to those pedestrians who made a practice of ignoring the borough bylaws as to the rule of the footpath.