BY-LAW BREACHES

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12185, 9 July 1925, Page 3

BY-LAW BREACHES

SCHEME FOR INFLICTING FINES AUTHORITY GIVEN TO CONSTABLES. <By Telegraph.—Special to “Times.”) AUCKLAND, July 8. A feeling that motorists charged with breaches of the by-laws should be saved wasted time, and the publicity of police court proceedii.gs lay behind a resolution carried at the annual meeting of the Auckland Automobile Association. Mr H. C. Jones said that every Thursday the court-room was crowded with motorists charged with breaches of the eitv by-laws. He suggested that i.’ sell time would be saved and a srf,t deal of trouble, and inconvenience avoided if legislation could be obtained conferring upon the chief traffic inspector/ power to inflict fines in all cases in which a plea of guilty is entered. The procedure would be. Mr Jones said, for the motorists accosted by a constable, or traffic inspector, to go straight to the chief traffic inspector’s office, hear the complaint, plead guilty if desired, and pay over his fine immediately. If he pleaded not guilty, the case would of course be heard in the court in the usual way. Upon his motion it was unanimously decided to forward to the North Island Motor Union a remit urging that legislation be piomoted to give effect to the idea, which is favoured by Mr J. W. Poynton, S.M., wTio hears most of the by-law cases in Auckland. Mr Poynton said in court “about two years ago, I wrote to the Department suggesting ihat each constable or local authority officer should have a book containing three receipt forms to a pn&e. One would be given to the person fined, the second handed into the superior police officer in the district, or clerk of the local court, and the third retained by the officer imposing the penalty. In Germany this system is universal, a.nd fines up* to say £2. can be imposed by such’ officers. In Switzerland they are authorised to penalise up to £5 under a similar system. CONFIDENCE IN POLICE “It is objected to on the ground that with such power at their disposal, officers might stoop to imposition or blackmail,” said Mr Poynton,’ “hut surely if foreigners are trusted in this ! way our police could also be trusted. | Anyhow I have the utmost confidence in our police as a. fine, honest body of men. who could well he trusted to I perform ibis extra duty honourably.” Mr .Poynton emphasised that a great saving, both to the State and people, would result by the innovation. The issuing of summonses occupied a great deal of the police time, and frequently it was necessary to travel some distance to serve a summons. Then the court’s time was occupied in hearing cases where a plea of guilty had been entered. Often after the imposition of a fine, a difficulty was experienced in collecting it and sometimes a distress warrant had to he issued. Moreover there was the offenders’ position to consider. Many motorists were business men, whose time was valuable, and they were greatly inconvenienced by having to appear in court. Of course the majority of persons who were not denying offences did not appear. NEW SCHEME NECESSARY The functions of local hodies and central government were continuously growing, and some more expeditions ■ and less irritating form of imposing penalties for a breach of our multitudinous regulations, than the existent one, should he devised. For the majority of by-law breaches only a small fino was necessary to meet the case, and often it cost three times that amount to lay the information and collect thfe penalty, or bring the defendant to court. All this trouble and expense could be avoided if the arresting officer was able to collect the fine from the motorist in the first place. Iri regard to the amount of fines and tlieir imposition to meet the circumstances of the case, a schedule could be drawn un e.nd a copy supplied to each officer, as was done in other countries. In all cases it would hq optional for an offender to pay on the spot or take the case into court.