MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 April 1926, Page 11

MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

SITTING AT INGLEWOOD. FAILURE TO CLEAR RAGWORT. For failure to clear ragwort from their farms, two farmers were fined £5 (costs 16s) and £2 (costs 7s) respectively by Mr. R. W. Tate, S.M., at a sitting of the Magistrate’s Court held at Inglewood yesterday. Francis M. Mills, who was charged with failure to clear ragwort from a farm of 1000 acres at Tarata, pleaded guilty to the offence. The inspector (Mr. F. W. Sutton) stated that the place had been bad for a number of years, and was a menace to all the adjacent land. There had been nobody living on the property, and defendant had been prosecuted last year. The magistrate: I see defendant was fined £5 last April. Defendant stated that he had not appeared on that occasion, though he had put on a machine to cut the ragwort. He had been away and had leased the grazing, but the lessees had not put on the sheep that had been promised. About a month ago he had disposed of the property and he was no longer owner. A fine of £5 (costs 16s) was imposed. A. E. Surrey was convicted and fined £2 (costs 7s) for failure to clear ragwort at the proper season on a Tarata property. Judgment was given in the case heard last court day, when Inspector Cook proceeded against the Farmers’ Co-operative Society for failure to clear weeds on a farm previously occupied by Mrs. Harding. The magistrate dismissed the information on the grounds that the society was not the occupier and was not responsible under the statute for. clearing the weeds. NON-EFFICIENT SOLDIERS. For failure to attend the parade of his company held at Inglewood, a young man named Cecil Edgar Mawson, aged 25, was convicted and deprived of civil rights for a term of five years, in addition to a fine of 40s (costs 19s). Sergeant-Majoi- A. E. Stevens, on behalf of the defence authorities, said that defendant had been training for seven years and had been non-efficient every year. This was his fourth appearance before the court. On a similar charge Stanley Roy Frewin was fined 20s (costs 7s). UNLAWFULLY ON PREMISES. Fines of £1 (costs 7s) were imposed upon William J. Lile, Samson M. Roberts, Reginald Millman, Stanley Riley and William J, Capon for having been found on the premises of the Inglewood Hotel after hours. None of the defendants appeared. Constable Longbottom stated that he had visited the Inglewood Hotel at 10.55 p.m., when he found the men who were being charged. All except Lile admitted they had gone there for a drink, but that they had had no luck and were sorry they had been caught. Lile said he had gone to see a man on business, and later claimed to be the guest of a boarder whom he named. In convicting the defendants the magistrate remarked that Lile apparently did not think it worth while to substantiate his excuse. BREACH OF BY-LAWS. J. Say well. was fined 10s (costs 13s, for riding a bicycle at night without a light. CIVIL CASES. Judgment by default for the amounts indicated was given in the following undefended civil cases: —M. J. Hartigan v. Frederick J. Balchin, £4 17s 6d (cost® 10s); W. J. Smith v. James Clark, '£2 8s 7d ( £1 14s 6d). On a judgment summons, John Wm. Uncles was ordered to pay W. J. Smith £7 15s forthwith, in default seven days’ imprisonment. George Stannard was ordered to pay George Young £l6 4s ’dd forthwith, in default 16 days’ imprisonment. BUSINESS FOR QUARTER. •During the quarter ended March 31, three civil sittings and five criminal sittings were held in the Inglewood Court. The total amount sued for was £351 7s. Thirty-five plaints were entered. and two distress warrants and 13 judgment summonses issued. The number of summonses and other processes served by the bailiffs was 96, and five warrants were executed by the bailiffs. The number of criminal cases against males was 31 and against females one. Ciyil fees paid in stamps amounted to £5l Is lOd, criminal fees to £lO 10s, fines to £5l, licensing fees nil; total, £ll2 Us.