BY-LAW BREACHES

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12548, 10 September 1926, Page 4

BY-LAW BREACHES

COMPLAINT BY MOTORISTS LONG WAIT IN COURT.

(By Telegraph.—Special' to “Times.”) AUCKLAND, September 9. Moterists charged with breathes of the by-laws object having to watt in the Police Court while a list of vagabonds, thieves and drunkards are disposed" of. This is considered exceptionally objectionable in th* .tote °f lady motorists. , The matter was raised at a meeting of the Auckland Automobile Association when the secretary,. Mr G. _\V. Hutchison, said the situation had been - brbught to a head by the experience of a lady motorist, who received' a summons alleging she had' disobeyed • traffic signal. She had no recollection of any breach, but was equally at a loss tb bring evidence to refute' the allegation. The' official told the .lady her best course was to plead guilty and draw the magistrate’s attention to the fact that the omission had not been wilful The lady attended, tne Police Court and had to wait while a police list was disposed qf. Mr H. C. Jones said much unnecessary court procedure would he avoided 'if the .Traffic Department were empowered to collect fines from motorlets who did not wish to go to the expense of defending trivial cases. ,Mr Hutchison said many motorists preferred to let their cases go by ■ default rather than spend several hours waiting in the Police Court. It was time motorists were given an opportunity to put up a .defence under reasonable conditions. The Auckland Automobile Association would have to consider .the appointing of, a permanent Solicitor to handle oases for members. Prosecutions brought by the Auckland Traffic Department were usually disposed of in a separate courtroom, but police oases followed-on lists of crime - It va s resolved that a deputation should wait on tho' senior magistrate at Auckland.

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