PARKING AT THE FOOTBALL

Taranaki Daily News, 18 July 1929, Page 8

PARKING AT THE FOOTBALL

THE INSPECTOR NOT OBEYED. I'l Xl< IN HAWERA COURT. How a motorist parking his car near the showgrounds at Hawera on the occasion of the Wellington versus Taranaki football match allegedly said words that came true was unfolded at the Ilawera Police Court before Mr. J. H. Salmon, SAI., yesterday. “That’s ail right! That’s all right! It will only cost me 5s costs and 10s flue,” Bruce Langdon Jo]l was reputed to have said when told by Herbert Bachelor, assistant traffic inspector, not to park his car where he did near the alley way leading to the showgrounds. Joll denied having used the words Bachelor swore he used, and the motorist defended two by-law charges of obstructing traffic by parking his car in the wrong place and with failing to obey the reasonable request of a traffic inspector’s assistant. He was found guilty of the lattei* offence and fined 10s and costs. The first mentioned charge was dismissed as being trivial.

“We had words but I could not exactly say what they were,” said Bachelor in evidence.

Repeated requests that counsel “refer it to Mr. Hunt” followed cross-examina-tion of the assistant inspector. “They offered me 10s for this place, but I was there to look after ray job and I could not do that,” said witness.

“Were you not too nervous to keep the matter up?” asked Mr. North.—“ No. I may be a bit nervous now I’ll admit,”

Inspectors had the right to use their own judgment, said Mr. Hunt for the prosecution in answer to Air. North’s claim that it was contrary to the Hawera' by-laws for motorists to park any way except parallel to the footpaths. A heavy penalty was not being asked for, but traffic inspectors were entitled to have directions observed without argument and waste of time. Joll absolutely denied he said it would cost him 5s costs and 10s fine. There had been no obstruction, he averred. It was just the kind of thing one got; people who considered themselves the inspectors’ friends came up and bustled inspectors.