MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 4704, 12 July 1902, Page 3

MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

FRIDAY, JULY 11. (Before Mr W. R. Haselden, S.M.) Three first offending drunkards were convicted. An Indian youth named Osmond Digame pleaded guilty to a charge of being an idle and a disorderly person, having no visible lawful means of support. SubInspector O’Donovan stated that .the defendant was charged last week with a similar offence. On Wednesday night lie slept at a hotel and had his breakfast in the morning without paying. His Worship imposed a sentence of three months’ imprisonment. A young woman was charged with having importuned in Hunter street on the sth inst. The case was adjourned until Monday. A young man named Robert Gordon admitted having behaved in a disorderly manner while drunk in Cuba street, and was fined 20s, with 8s costs, in default seven days’ imprisonment. William Freeman was fined 20s, with 7s costs, for having failed to have available in his halier’s cart a correct beam and scales, with proper weights, for weighing loaves. Walter Dymock Perry was charged with being a medical practitioner, attending certain patients found sick of scarlet fever, and failing to give notice to the District Health Officer in accordance with section 26 of the Public Health Act 1902. Mr Myers conducted the case for the prosecution. Mr Wilford, who appeared for the defendant, entered a plea of guilty and stated that his client had always taken the course which the Legislature considered necessary. but the present cases had escaped his memory. Mr Myers stated he did not press for a heavy penalty. The reason of proceedings being taken was because the Health Department had reason to believe that a number of mild cases of scarlet fever were never reported. His Worship imposed a fine of Is, with 30s costs.

Andrew Wixon was charged with having been the occupier of a house at Ngahauranga, in which persons were suffering from an infectious disease, and failing to report the cases to the District Health Officer. The defendant remarked that when he knew that his children were suffering from scarlet fever, ho took steps to prevent the spread of the disease. He called a doctor in to attend the children, and thought it was the doctor’s place to report the cases to the Health Officer. His Worship imposed a fine of Is, with 9s costs. Mr Myers appeared for the Health Department. Alfred Jonas, master of the s.s. Mokau, was charged with having failed to pay on the Ist June, or within seven days afterwards, wages earned by the crew during the month of May. Mr Tripp, who appeared for the defendant, argued that section 14 of the Shipping Act of 1894. under which the charge was brought, did not make the default a criminal offence. Mr Myers, for the Marine Department, contended that it did, and that the penalty was provided by section 7 of the Act of 1895, which stated that for any offence under the principal Act or any amendment for which no specific penalty was provided, the penalty should he any sum not exceeding £SO. He argued that by the Interpretation Act, all Acts were remedial, and that unless section 14 constituted the default an offence liable to penalty it had no effect whatever, since the seaman had already a civil remedy. His Worship reserved judgment.

Two butchers, named John Cooper and William Smith, were charged with having dressed a carcase for sale elsewhere than in a registered slaughterhouse, about the 13th June, near Petone; with having slaughtered! calves for human consumption elsewhere than in a registered slaughterhouse ; and with having subjected carcases of calves to the process known as “blowing” or “spouting,” Mr Dalziel appeared for the Stock Department, and Mr Wilford for the defendants. After a short argument as to the offence of “blowing,” the case was adjourned until Monday for further argument. The four cases brought against J. W. Reode, at the instance of A. J. B. Rosenberg, for alleged offences under the Postal Act. were further adjourned until Friday next.