COURT PUT TO TROUBLE

Taranaki Daily News, 12 June 1930, Page 18

COURT PUT TO TROUBLE

MAN FAILS TO ANSWER SUMMONS. NOW HAS TO WRITE TO MINISTER, r“All because ' you did not appear at the Inglewood Court in the first instance," said tho magistrate to Charles Schrieber in the New Plymouth Police Court yesterday, “you have put the court, the stock inspector and now yourself to a great deal of trouble." Charged with failing to clear his property of noxious weeds; Schrieber failed to come before ,tho Inglewood Court a fortnight ago. The magistrate then ordered him to come before the New Plymouth Court the next Wednesday and show why the maximum penalty of £2O should not be inflicted. Although personally notified by the constable and sent a summons by the department, .Schrieber did not appear and the magistrate inflicted a penalty of £2O. Yesterday Schrieber camo before the court and explained that the previous Wednesday he had waited at the Now Plymouth Supreme Court Instead of at the Taranaki County Council chambers; where tho Police Court was sitting. He explained that though there was some ragwort on his property the particularly thick growth was on a piece of land which he did not own but which was incorrectly marked on the stock department’s records as his. “If you had come to the court in the first place you could have told us all that before and saved all tho trouble," said Mr. Tate. “Now you will have to go to a lawyer and represent the matter to the Minister of Justice. I will recommend that your- fine be reduced to 20s. You have got a lot of trouble before you yet and that comes about through treating the court with contempt in the first place."