NO MATCHES ALLOWED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19384, 20 July 1926, Page 12

NO MATCHES ALLOWED.

MOTORISTS IN GARAGES. THE DANGER FROM - SMOKING. STRINGENT GLAUSES OF LAW. [EX TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] NELSON, Monday.In tho Magistrate's Court to-day Robert Freeman was charged , by the inspector of explosives with smoking a pipe in the vicinity of dangerous goods. The information was laid under the Explosives and Dangerous Goods Amendment Act, 1920. Defendant pleaded not guilty. The inspector said ho was near Hall and Cootes'. garage where two workmen were preparing to remove tho kerbside pump. Defendant stopped his car to obtain benzine. Defendant was smoking a pipe at the time. About a pint of benzine was spilt under the car and witness asked defendant to put out his pipe, which was not done until the request.had beein repeated three times. Defendant was standing about three yards from the benzine. The magistrate, referring to the Act, said it appeared that no one could go into a garage for benzine if he had a match in his pocket. Counsel: That is so. No one must carry a match in his pocket. The inspector said he took the action he did as he considered smoking was dangerous. Asked by the magistrate if he did not think the danger of a spark from a pipe three yards away setting fire to the benzine very remote, the inspector said he did not think so. He had instructions to order pipes and cigarettes near benzine to bo put out. Defendant said his pipe was between his teeth when the inspector spoke to him, but it was not alight. The magistrate said he appreciated that caution must be insisted upon to avert any risk, but if he interpreted the Act literally it would lead to all sorts of absurd things. Plafntiff had to prove that the pipe was alight but had failed to do so. The information was dismissed.