LIGHT WARDENS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24783, 6 December 1941, Page 8

LIGHT WARDENS

CO-OPERATION OF PUBLIC a WARNING BY MAGISTRATE GAOL FOR OBSTRUCTORS (P.A.) AUCKLAND, Dec. 5. "There will be no 'beg pardons' about the matter. The public must learn that it must co-operate with the emergency precautions scheme, for its own protection and no matter whether the offenders are highly placed citizens or otherwise they are going to gaol." These statements were made by Mr J. H. Luxford, S.M., after hearing a charge of using indecent language to two wardens preferred against Ernest Edward Payne, aged 51, a painter. The charge was denied. Evidence was given by two wardens that a light was seen from a window in a cakeshop in Ponsonby road. The defendant refused to put the light out and adopted an arrogant attitude, stating' that the wardens were " mugs." When they said they would call the police, the defendant said they could call as many policemen as they liked and used the language referred to in the charge. Counsel said the charge of using the language was denied. The defendant was neither the proprietor nor the occupier of the shop in which, at the time, his wife was making Christmas puddings. The wardens emphasised that the defendant was the occupier and he took offence at the repetition. "When I find that wardens have been obstructed the penalties-are going to be severe," said Mr Luxford, who stated that the charge had been proved. "I have been considering sentencing the defendant to imprisonment for 21 days, but on reflection I think it would probably be wrong to inflict this sentence in view of the fact that the offence occurred before my pronouncement after a recent breach of the lighting emergency regulations that imprisonment would be the penalty for persons breaking the regulations concerning the lighting restrictions or obstructing or interfering in any way with the duties of wardens or committing the offence of not co-operatins with the wardens. This case has all the ingredients of aggravation, and the defendant has taken up a truculent attitude in a spirit of obstruction, concluded Mr Luxford, who inflicted a fine of £2O. -