"A BIT ANCIENT."

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19844, 17 July 1926, Page 2

"A BIT ANCIENT."

OLD MAN, OLD CAR, OLD LICENSE! WARNING FROM THE BENCH. “He’s been having accidents for some years now. He’" past driving a motor car,” said Inspector M'Nicoll in tlie Police Court yesterday morning, when an old man named Edward Henry Freed was charged with not being in possession of a motor driver’s license. Freed, however, fumbled in his pocket and produced a document. “I have a license, your Worship,” he said. “It’s a bit ancient, but then so is the car and so am I, so we all agree.” The Magistrate (Mr H. W. Bundle); Show it to me. “There it is, your Worship. It’s a bit ancient, like me.” “June 1919!” exclaimed the magistrate. “Yes, I wasn’t aware I had to have another,” defendant explained. Sub-inspcctor O’Halloran said that, the car was licensed, but the defendant had not a driver’s license, and the authorities would no) give him one. “As I have said, we are all ancient,” defendant proceeded, but the Magistrate interrupted: “Yes, all right. You have said that three times already.” Defendant argued that he was an experienced driver, and indicated generally (hat he could handle a car as well as any man, although he was ancient. His Worship said that, if the inspector's report was not greatly exaggerated, the defendant was quite inacapahle of driving a car. In fact, ho was a positive danger. “The case will be adjourned,” Mr Bundle said to the defendant. “If you drive your car again you will be fined tho maximum penalty. You have got to keep off the street.” "Yes, I drive very little indeed,” defendant replied. “Well, you are not to drive at all, do you understand?” “Yes, I’m going to sell my car, anyway.” “Well, don’t drive it,” admonished the Magistrate. The defendant then wanted to know if the ease had been adjourned, and his Worship explained the position to him. Muttering vaguely, Freed left the court, and the magistrate gave instructions that the police should keep nn eye on tho man for his own sake, and to sec that he did not attempt to break the by-law. The Sub-inspector said that a constable lived very close to him.