STRATFORD DISTRICT NEWS

Taranaki Daily News, 18 October 1927, Page 10

STRATFORD DISTRICT NEWS

I Telephone Nos. 552 Office 718 Private

(FROM OUR RESIDENT REPORTERS)

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CRUELTY TO A HORSE. WORKED WITH BAD SHOULDER. PROSECUTION OF A FARMER. “The Court can see no justification for working this horse in the manner described in the evidence,” said Mr. 11. VV. Tate, S.M., yesterday when convicting Oscar Wood, farmer of Puniwhakau, for permitting cruelly to a horse, and of cruelly ill-treating the animal. “In view of defendant’s circumstances,” continued the Magistrate, “it is difficult to decide upon a penalty that will meet the case, and also act as a warning to others.” After pointing out that conviction ou such charges could be followed, with fines to tlie extent of £2O or six months’ imprisonment, the Magistrate ordered Wood to present the horse for examination in three months’ time, when a penalty would be fixed according to the condition of the animal. Court costs and witnesses’ expenses amounting to £5 6s were allowed, the sum to be paid at the rate of £2 per month. James Percy Williamson, farm labourer, of Beaconsfield Road, and at- one limo an employee of Wood, said he was ordered to work the mare despite the fact that she was in poor condition, and liad’-a bad wound in her shoulder some ■2>/i inches long. lj inches wide and fairly deep. Witness had worked the mare periodically tor about a month and considered that apart from the wound, the animal was in too poor a condition for Work, yet Wood made him use it despite protests. He actually worked the mare four times, but on the last occasion he refused to use her, and tendered his resignation.

Wood then said: “Yon know that a eow with sore teals has got lo be milked, so a horse with a sore shoulder can be worked.” Witness said his employer insisted that the horse should be worked, so he waived his week’s notice, and. left that day. He was of the opinion that a sack beneath the collar was useless to prevent pain; moreover the ruts on the road jerked the sack from position and created fric-

“I—once cut a hole in the sack to fit over the wound, and on another occasion I used two sacks," he explained, “but Wood made me take one out.” He said the mare was worked always in. the shafts and it was usual to cart the mill; with two other horses, one on

each side. Replying to Wood, who conducted ills own defence, witness admitted that lie

had instructions not to work the. horse without the sack. lie acknowledged having felt annoyed at Wood having approached a neighbour with inquiries regarding his character. A neighbour. William M. Lyons, said lie knew the mare had been in work for some time. It was a good horse, and a fine worker. Witness had examined the shoulder and considered it shameful that an animal in such a condition should be, made to work, especially as a shafter. The sack beneath the collar tended lo chafe the wound and inflame the surface. To IVood,. witness said lie had not been long in the district. James F. Murray, cattle dealer, of Hawera, and Joel Prestige both saw the horse while on a visit to Puniwiiakau. They considered it should not have been-worked. Constable Chesuutt said he visited defendant's farm as the result of a complaint, and he examined the wound. When the collar alone, was pressed against the shoulder, the animal flinched. but when the sacking was adjusted the mare showed no signs of discomfort, even when pressure was exerted. There was blood on the collar, and at tiie point where it came in contact with the wound the stuffing was exposed. During the past mouth the mare had been well looked after, and the wound was now quite healed.

The defendant, in evidence, said the horse had a small sore on its shoulder when, he purchased it, but his experience had been that if properly protected by sacking, work did not adversely effect such a wound. “I do not think the witnesses for the prosecution can have had a great deal of experience with horses when they say sacking is no good as a protection,’’ he said. All liis life he had worked horses, and he had always been taught to pack a collar with sacking to relieve a sore shoulder. Pads tended to make other sores, but the sacking remained in position, and did not rub. Moreover, the mare was only in irregular work, and in fact would not have been used at all but for tli:» urgency of bringing building materials from the end of the metal to his farm. Regarding the actual condition of the horse ,he expressed the opinion that the shoulder had been irritated by Williamson working the animal without the sacking. lie denied that the wound was as deep as had been represented, er that he had expressly ordered Williamson to work the mare. Ito considered that in placing the mare in the shafts he wa»

giving her the easiest place in the team as the outside horses did the collar work, while the shafter steadied the load. The fact that *iie wound had quite healed indicated, he said, that it could not have been very bad. He drew attention to the fact that no settlers who had been in the district for any length of time had been called as police witnesses, and hinted that there might have been more behind the actions of at least one witness than a genuine concern over the welfare of the horse. CYCLE CRASHED INTO CAR. LIGHT PENALTY IMI’GaLW Thomas James Joes, monumental mason, of Hawera, pleaded not guilty in Stratford yesterday to riding a motor cyclo in a manner dangerous to the public at the junction of the Mountain and Bird Roads on September 7. The prosecution centred round the experience of Alfred Clement Hill, painter, of Stratford, who told the Court that shortly after 5 o'clock in the evening of the day in question he drove Jils car out -of Bird Road and, turning

north, crossed the Mountain Road to get on his correct side. Defendant was approaching on a motor cycle, and witness drew off until his left hand wheels were actually in the sand at the road side. Notwithstanding the large amount of available .road ' space, defendant swung on to his wrong side, and struck witness’ car. Witness said he slowed down to cross the railway just before reaching the Mountain Hoad, and had not picked up speed when the accident occurred. He estimated defendant’s speed at from 30 to 35 miles an hour, and pointed out that the motor cyclist actually struck the car on the left- side, that was, the side further from the edge of the tai. In reply to the Magistrate, witness admitted that he did not see the approaching motor cycle until he had almost reached the junction. Defendant’s version was disclosed in a statement produced by Constable Tocker, of Hawera. In this defendant mentioned that lie swerved to his right because, owing to hesitation on tlto part of Hill in slowing down on turning into the main road, he was led to believe that Hill, intended to stop and allow him to pass in front. Defendant, who conducted his own case, explained that lie was only about a chain or a chain and a half from the junction when Hill appeared, travelling so slowly that he received the impression that- the car would be stopped. Instead, Hill crossed the road, but witness had already -begun his swerve to the right and was unable to regain his correct side before the collieion. “I must say, Sergeant, that Mr. Hill does not appear to have entered the main road with the fullest caution,” said the Magistrate, “but at the same time defendant did absolutely the wrong thing in swerving on to his wrong side.” In view of the fact that both defendant and his lady pillion rider received rather extensive injuries, and that Jones bad had to pay heavily to have hw machine repaired. Mr. Tate said ho would inflict no tine, but defendant was ordered to pay costs 19s and witnesses’-expenses £1; MUNICIPAL MATTERS. BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETS. The monthly .meeting of. the Stratford -Borough Council was held last nigl.t, the .Mayor (Mr. J. VV. Mc-Mil-lanj presiding. Present: Councillors T. Lawson, S. A. Ward, H. C. North, A. Nelson, R. T’. Harkness, N. B. Fletcher, C. Moore and J. McKee. The works committee recommended: That notices be served -on owners of overhanging trees to have them cut back; that steps be taken to take a poll on the question -of raising a special loan of £'2ooo for erecting a chilling chamber and machinery at the abattoir, .Mr. J. D. Healy to prepare plans and specifications. The committee :> commended that cars parked in Broadway, from Seytoii to Lear Streets, to be on an angle with, front of ear pointing to kerb, a white line to be drawn., say, two feet from the kerb to fndicate where the front of the car should rest; that motor lorries -be allowed to .pick up parcels along Broadway as at present, and a parking place for these vehicles to be provided on the south side of Regan Street west, between Broadway and Miranda Streets; that motor spirit tank lorries may park on western side of Juliet Street central, if the lorries are remaining in Stratford for any length of time; the space already allocated for service cars and-motor-cycles to be reserved for these -> jicles: that steps be taken to extend the area for the removal of rubbish to Juliet Street north. The report was adopted. The borough foreman reported that the storm water drain from the Juliet Street and Fenton -Street intersection had been diverted to run direct down Juliet Street to the river. A good deal of work had been done on footpaths. The Swansea Road bridge ‘had been opened for traffic, only the tarring of the decking and the painting of the ■side rails remaining to be done. In connection with the relief works good progress had been made with the work in Portia Street. That work would be completed in a few days, when the foreman hoped to finish Ahe work in Juliet Street, for which a week’s fine weather was needed. In Victoria Park the path around the lake hail been gravelled. A wire-netting fence had been erected around the new nursery and the old fence between the hockey field and crc x et lawn had been taken down and a new wire-netting fence erected. The cricket [ltclies. had been removed from the f 'l.ball field and one new pitch laid town between the two fields. The ground would be put. in order for cricket next week should the weather be favourable.

The electrical engineer reported that a very steady bulk supply had been maintained both as regarded pressure and frequency, while no stoppages of any description had been recorded. The electrical committee submitted the following recommendation: That the electrical department’s poles standing at street corners, should be . painted White for n height of eight feet, and that the Post and Telegraph Department be asked to have their poles done also; that time switches be placed on water, heaters and that all elements be of JOOOw. A letter was received from the secretary of the Automobile Association stating that the council’s proposal regarding parking of cars in Broadway had been endorsed by the committee. —The . ouncil to prohibit the parking of cars in front of the theatre during performThe Automobile Association wrote a. king that the direction sign for the Mountain House should be replaced.—■ Agreed to. » Mr, G. Lamplougli wrote stating that lie received the council’s intimation that the license for his piggery on Pembroke Road would be discontinued. “If mv license is being withdrawn because the piggery is near the stream, why is it that other people are allowed 1 to have piggeries near the stream further up?” he asked. He went on to say that Inspector Gray had condemned the old piggery because it was built of wood. Mr. Lamplougli had then rebuilt it in concrete at a cost of about £2OO. He did not think it fair fliat lie should

have to rebuild again without some compen sat iou. lAlr. Lamplougli was granted an extension of time to November 30, provided that ’he placed the piggeries in order to the approval of the health officer. . The electrical engineer is to report upon the cost of installing fans at the abattoir and the foreman upon the question of supplementing the water p’yThe renovation of the abattoir manager’s house was authorised. SKYLARKING IN BROADWAY. AFRAID OF FRIENDS’ “CHIPPING." “About 8.45 one evening these, youths were skylarking oil cycles on the footpath in Broadway. ■ In' fact they were acting in a silly and dangerous manner, because immediately behind them was a large plate glass ' window, and the constable acted wisely in taking their names.” That was the account given by Sergeant Rowell in the. Stratford Court yesterday when explaining the case again Leo Ford and Patrick Ungers, who were charged with creating a disturbance in a manner calculated to cause inconvenience to the public. The working off of youthful spirits and undue exuberance was the excuse offered by counsel in entering a plea of guilty. He asked for an order suppressing the names of the two defendants, “because if their names are published the youths, in the language of the street, will no doubt ■be subjected to. a good deal of ‘chipping’ from their friends.’ • ’

Remarking that the offence in itself was not particularly Serious, but that it might lead to serious consequences if proceeded with unchecked, the Magis-trate-ordered defendants to pay costs only 10s. No order for the suppression of their names was made. RIDING WITHOUT A LIGHT. JUDGMENTS IN DEBT (I.AIMS. “They take the risk, knowing that if they are caught they go up,” said the county ranger (S. J. Cuff) in the Stratford Court yesterday when giving evidence against I’ercy Keheley, of Midhirst, who was found riding a bicycle without a light. Keheley was fined £l, costs 12s. In the following undefended civil cases judgment by default was given: Farmers’ Co-op v. E. .1. Frost, £1 15s (costs, 8s): -same v. Thoiiias Clark, £ll 12s (£1 Ils). Paul Perry, who did not appear on a judgment suiumons, was ordered to pay Triiby King £G 8s lid forthwith, in default six days’ imprisonment. r DOMAIN BOARD. A meeting of the Domain Board was also held last night, all the above councillors being present with the addition of Messrs H‘. C. .Johnson, C. R. Finnerty aril P. Thompson. In reply to the board’s letter pointing out the advantages of the Stratford recreation grounds for sports meetings, etc., the Opunake School Committee wrote saying that they would keep Stratford in view when deciding on a place to hold their annua! -outing'.

Mr. N. B. Fletcher was accorded a vote of thanks for his donation of young rimu plants. The-foreman was instructed to carry out necessary repairs to the swing bridge in King Edward Park and to report on the cost of widening it. At the meeting of the borough Council last night, a letter was received from the Automobile Association complimenting the council on the improved lighting of the domes in Broadway. At last night's meeting of the Stratford Borough Council it was decided to hold only one ordinary meeting of the council each mouth, on the third Monday. No correspondence received after the meeting of the committees earlier in the month will be considered at this u. -eting, unless by special vote of the council. The council will meet at 8.30 p.m. by the clock in future. At a recent meeting of the Stratford b ;icli of the -South Taranaki Automobile Association, complaints were received of petty -stealing and interference with cars parked in Broadway. At last night’s meeting of the .Stratford Borough Council, the council’s attention was drawn to these matters, and the suggestion made that the police should be communicated, with. . Xt-was decided to as': the police to co-operate with the inspector. PERSONAL ITEMS. Mrs. M. Hassall, of Stratford, has received word from New South Wales advising her of the death of her youngest son Albert. Mr. T. Kane, clerk of the Stratford Court, was farewelled at the station yesterday morning by a large number of friends. As the train drew out fellow members of the Celtic Football Club ga\ i a round of cheers for their popular secretary. Constable J. Gill, of the Stratford police, left by yesterday morning's mail train on vacation. He will spend his holiday with Mr. and Mrs. Gray at Waipawa, Hawke's Bay.