CITY POLICE COURT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23529, 18 June 1938, Page 27

CITY POLICE COURT

Friday, June 17 (Before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M.) Damage to Telegraph Pole Charged with having damaged a telegraph pole, Victor Henry East was ordered to make good the amount of the damage (£2 10s). Unlighted Bicycles Oliver William Hastie was fined 10s and costs (10s) for riding an unlighted bicycle.—Similarly charged, William McKechie, Terence Williams and Magnus Williamson were each fined a like amount, with costs, and Eric Brown was convicted and ordered to pay costs (10s) within a month. Failure to Give Way to Pedestrians Samuel James Morrison was fined £2 and costs (10s) for failing to give way to pedestrians at an authorised street crossing, and costs (10s) for driving a motor car without a warrant of fitness. Tom Barker Mann was fined £1 and costs (10s) for failing to give way to a pedestrian on a regulation crossing at the intersection of Rattray and Princes streets, the magistrate remarking that this was a very awkward crossing for a motorist, especially if he were turning from Rattray street into Princes street. Unlicensed Drivers Guylema Constance MacPherson, an unlicensed motor driver, was also charged with parking her car on a tram stop, and was fined 5s and costs (10s) on each information. Jacob Howley, an unlicensed motor driver, was convicted and ordered to pay costs (10s). No Warrants of Fitness John Robert Cameron, an unlicensed driver, was charged also with driving a car without a warrant of fitness. He was fined 3s and costs (12s) on the first charge, and 8s and costs (12s) on the second charge. Thelma Eva Newall was convicted and ordered to pay costs (10s) for driving a motor car without a warrant of fitness. A similar charge against Henry Hugh Donald Hamilton was adjourned for six months. The charge concerned a motor cycle, which the defendant had not been able to start and was pushing when stopped by an inspector. He had only recently bought the cycle. William Hastie was fined 10s and costs (10s) for driving a motor truck without a warrant of fitness. Charge Dismissed Frederick Leonard Duncan, for whom Mr F. G. Duncan appeared, pleaded 1 technically guilty of driving a car without a warrant of fitness. Evidence was given that the car was being repaired, and when the driver was approached by the inspector, it was merely being moved from one garage to another. The charge was withdrawn. Dangerous Driving Colin MacPherson was- fined 30s and costs (10s) for driving a motor cycle dangerously. Speed Limits Exceeded William Smyth Robins was fined 40s and costs (10s) for exceeding a speed limit of 25 miles an hour. William James Barnes was fined 30s and costs (10s) for exceeding a speed of 30 miles an hour. Traffic on Right Richard Ernest Bennetts pleaded not guilty to a charge of driving without due care and attentionAfter evidence had been taken, the charge was amended to one of failing to give way to traffic on the right, on which he was fined 10s, costs (16s) and witnesses’s expenses (8s). Driving Without Due Care Robert Sheriff Black, who was represented by Mr F. C. Dawson.

pleaded not guilty to a charge of driving without due care and attention. The charge was the outcome of a collision in Lower High street between a car driven by the defendant and a cyclist. Evidence was taken, aijd the defendant was convicted and fined 20s with costs (16s), and witnesses’ expenses (16s). , , s . Charge Dismissed Stuart McNaughton Robertson, who was represented by Mr O. G. Stevens, pleaded not guilty to a charge of dangerous driving. After hearing evidence, the magistrate dismissed the charge, Charge Against Taxi Firm Colin Macdonald was charged with operating a rental car as a taxi ■without paying the higher licence fee, and the Silver Fern Taxi Company, Ltd., was charged with permitting a rental car to be used for taxi work without paying the higher fee Mr O. G. Stevens represented both defendants and pleaded not guilty, although he said he woud probably have to admit a technical bi’each by the company.—Chief Inspector Avery said the defendant Macdonald was operating a rental car for - the defendant company, and was engaged in taxi work with it. The serious aspect was that the third party risk ceased to operate when a rental car was being used as a taxi. The defendants had been very helpful.—The magistrate investigated the interpretations of private hire cars and rental cars, and the chief-inspector quoted from the Act as follows:—rental car’ means a motor car let on hire to any person who himself drives or provides a driver, but does not include a passenger service as defined in the Transport Licensing Act, 1931, and does not include a vehicle let under a hire purchase agreement but not let on any further contract of hire; ’private hire car’ means a public motor vehicle being a motor car which is not a passenger service vehicle as defined in the Transport Licensing Act, 1931, and is .not 3 public motor car as defined in the Motor Vehicles Amendment Act, 1927.”—The interpretation of a private hire car was obscure, the magistrate commented. —Mr Stevens said the manager of the defendant company had bought the car concerned m Invercargill and instructed that it should be registered as a private hire car. He thought that had been done, and the mistake was made by the Invercargill firm which sold the car. The defendant company did not cater for rental work and did not have rental cars. The registration was corrected as soon as it was found that there had been a mistake.—The magistrate said there had been carelessness in the registration of the car, presumably by the Invercargill firm which sold it. The defendant company was fined 10s and costs (10s), and the charge against Macdonald was withdrawn.