GORE NEWS

Southland Times, Issue 24439, 20 May 1941, Page 2

GORE NEWS

MAGISTRATE’S COURT MONDAY (Before Mr R. C. Abernethy, S.M.) Judgment was entered for the plaintiffs by default in the following civil claims: —Farrys, Ltd. v. R. H. Lavender (Gore) for £l/9/4, costs 15/-; W. T. Trusler v. A. Deans (Mataura) for 14/- costs £l/2/-. G. F. Inder proceeded against A. G. Muir (Gore) on a judgment summons. The judgment was varied to the payment of £2B/1/- by instalments of £1 a month. NEGLIGENT DRIVING Edward Clayton Jones, of Riversdale, appeared on a charge of negligently driving a car on the Gore-Riversdale road on April 24. He was represented by Mr H. L. Smith, who entered a plea of guilty. Sergeant King said the defendant had been driving to Gore from Riversdale at night when his car collided with a car coming in the opposite direction. The defendant had been trying to pass another car at a point on the road where there was a dip and a slight bend. It was difficult to understand why the defendant had not seen the lights of the approaching car. Mr Smith said that when the defendant went to pass the other car the driver of the other car increased his speed and the defendant took longer to get past than he would have done. The accident was caused by a combination of an error of judgment and the fact that the driver of the other car prevented the defendant from passing by increasing speed. The defendant’s car was badly damaged and this meant a serious financial loss. Tlie defendant was convicted and fined £2, costs 12/-. CROSSING ACCIDENT Elvina Joan Johnston, of Maitland, was charged with attempting to drive a car across a railway line when a train was approaching within half a mile. The defendant was represented by Mr S. D. Macdonald, who entered a plea of guilty. Sergeant S. King said that on March 27 the defendant was driving a car to her home at Maitland and when crossing the railway line on a private road the rear of the car was struck by the engine of a goods train. The force of the impact swung the car around and the engine then struck the front of the vehicle. The defendant had stated that the view was obscured by some willow trees and that it was raining at the time. She had not seen the train approaching. The defendant had suffered injuries and a woman passenger suffered severe injuries. Mr Macdonald said that the road was a private one. The defendant had looked for the train, but had not seen it. The car was a total loss and both the defendant and her passenger had been injured. It was admitted that a breach had been committed.

The defendant was convicted and fined £l, costs 10/-. Ann Isabella Barclay (Mr S. D. Macdonald) proceeded against James William Mclntosh (Mr H. L. Smith), of Croydon, for possession of a house. After the evidence had been heard the Magistrate said that it was clear that the defendant was not the tenant but that his wife was. No order was made, but the Magistrate asked the defendant to take steps at an early stage to obtain another house. The defendant was awarded costs, £l/1/-. The case which was started at Mataura on May 6, in waich Allan Thomas Aorangi Fisher (Mr S. M. Macalister), of Otautau, proceeded against William Perriam Thorn and Charles Archibald Thorn (Mr E. C. Smith), of Mataura, on a claim for £123/17/9 for damages as the result of a collision on the Mataura-Winton road, was continued. The defendants counter-claimed for £3l/5/-.

After evidence had been given by several witnesses for the defence, the Magistrate gave judgment for the plaintiff for £ll3/17/9, costs £lO/3/-, and witnesses’ expenses.