PETITION CANVASSER'S ZEAL.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14878, 28 September 1918, Page 2

PETITION CANVASSER'S ZEAL.

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In >he WellingtDn.T!\lagistr L ate?>s-Coun this week *Mr F.^V^Fi^zer; IS3\<£, >-tendered some; useful advicV to ""'petSion canvassers "who arc at'pi'esont'Jbusy^in the city streets 'seeking" to "obtainl'signatures;, ~ He-had-bcfprejiiim' a Tetr,rnd"d soldier -.iiame'd'JV'ictor' >Yilfr6&~yFlood,- t and it .was "alleged against him that he I acted in,a manner calculated ' to cause : interference to the pedessbra¥n'^an Mani ners^street. •■"■ -•'* ,\ ~ ~-,!:»., ./•■*/,. ;i Sergeant Martin, in hite^. .evidence, showed that- the defendant' was^aeting for a certain side in the' 'liquor' t-am-paign. He carried in his land-a petition, and was carrying out his duties vigorously when the Sergeant' Hshoughtf fit to interfere. . ~ ' Thei 'Magistrate': .^Assuming'; tli'at. a man. is prepared to r simply attract attention of people in a reasonable way without causing more congestion "of traffic than' was1' necessary, would you interfere with him-? Sergeant Martin: No, I don't think so. The Magistrate: Then it was not what the man-vvf'as doing, but-the way ho was doing it? " . The defendant1 was rather agitated, and > could not ujidorstand ' why he' should bo selected out of the many petition canvassers operating ,in the streets. ' ' < .The, Magistrate: '/A^-this is the first .case of its Kind, J- will treat ,it as an ordinary-breach of the by-law. Defendant will be fined 5s and costs." Continuing, the Magistrate said that people with these petitions should remombor that the streets of the" city could not be blocked in this way. The footx^aths were narrow enough as they were, andj^eopLe- should not be intor-jfored-owith by over-zealous." petition canvassers. The City Council.' " would not object <to grant a permit for, canvassing so long as there was "no' undue obstruction. Objection arose ' when canvassers lot their zeal outdo their ■ discretion.