PATEA S.M. COURT.

Patea Mail, Volume XLV, 17 January 1921, Page 2

PATEA S.M. COURT.

ORDINARY SITTING.

The ordinary monthly sitting of the Patea S.M. Court was held on Friday, before Wyvern Wilson, Esq., S.M., when the following eases were dealt with:—

Breach of Apiaries Act. W. A. Allan was charged with failing to register his apiary. Mr. F. A. Jacobsen, Government Apiarist, appeared in support of the information.

There was no appearance of defendant, who was absent on holiday leave.

Mr. Jacobson explained that he had laid the informations with the view of calling the - attention of apiarists to the need for registration. An adver-; tisement had appeared notifying registration was necessary. It was essential that apiaries bo registered,. % so that the Department’s officials -■** would be able to find them when they '** wished to inspect them. Ho did not wish to press for a heavy penalty, but he would like the cases to servo as a warning to others. In the present case he had called on the defendant in November, and pointed out to him the necessity for registration. So far he had not registered.

■Constable Armour said the defendant had given the bees away since the Apiarist had visited him.

His Worship said in that, case the bees- had gone, and the Inspector could not tell where they were, which was just what the Department wished to guard against. The defendant had explained that he was a new arrival in the Dominion, and did not understand the law. It was, however, most necessary that apiaries should be registered with a view to preventing the spread of disease amongst bees, and penalising innocent persons. The defendant would be fined 10s and costs 7s. Yfishard Willis was charged with a similar offence, and pleaded guilty, stating that he was ignorant of the law. He had had bees on the property for years. He was quite prepared to register the apiary. His Worship again explained the necessity for registration, which was for defendant’s protection as well as that of others. ■Charles Martin also pleaded guilty to a like offence, and stated that he had Kept a swarm, for about five years. His hive had never bebn inspected befOM. Mr. Jacobsen said he was the officer in charge of the Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay, and Wellington districts, and had been the only officer in charge for some time past, but had now got assistance. ■Convicted without fine, and ordered to pay costs. Frank Hamorton, who w r as charged with a similar offence, did not appear. Mr. Jacobsen explained that he had visited the defendant’s j’roperty and inspected the hives. They had not been registered/' Fined 10s and costs. Civil Cases. Judgment by default w r as given in the following cases:— Wv C. Glenny v. A. E. Holley, claim £3 6s. Mr. Here (Hamel and Here) for plaintiff. A Patea Farmers’ Trading Association v. J. J. Bourke, claim for £l7 13s. Mr. Roberts (Clarke, Dunn, and Roberts) for plaintiff. R. A. Adams and Son v. E. W. Norris, claim for £7 7s 3d. Mr. Roberts for plaintiff., Patea Farmers’ Trading Association v. R. Coote; judgment for £lO 5s and costs. Mr. Roberts for plaintiff. McCarty and Hunger v. Solomon, a native; claim for £lO 133. Mr. Roberts for plaintiff. Adjourned Case. G. Kchfus v. Eongonui; claim for £25 13s —a sheep worrying case. Mr. Horc appeared for the plaintiff. Adjourned until February 11th. The Court then adjourned. '