OPUNAKE COURT CASES

Taranaki Daily News, 15 July 1933, Page 2

OPUNAKE COURT CASES

COUNCIL CLAIMS DEALT WITH. . TRAFFIC AND OTHER CASES. In the following civil cases at the ( Opunake Court yesterday judgment was given by, Mr. W. H. Woodward, S.M., for plaintiff by default with costs: Opunake Harbour Board v. Minnie Connell, £5 Is (costs £1 10s 6d); C. Smith v. C. Maindonald, £1 6s (8s); Opunake Hospital Board v. Tai Ngaia, £lO 10s (£2 19s); Hughsons Ltd. v. Geo. H. Taylor, £ll 14s 2d (£3 3s). In a number of judgment cases after evidence had been given by the judgment debtor the magistrate declined to make an order. Some cases were adjourned and in others orders were made by consent. A disputed account for £4 8s 6d for groceries supplied to a wood-splitting camp near Opunake formed the basis of a claim made by G. J. Morris, store keeper, Opunake, for whom Mr. J. Foy appeared, against P. Waite, who was not represented by counsel. The defence ' wa3 that the goods had not been obtained and that if they had defendant had a receipt for them. ■ i • + Morris gave evidence as to making out the order for the goods, which were delivered by his lorry. He also produced the docket from his file showing the account as owing in July, 1931, and stated that the receipt produced, being for a different amount, was evidently for a separate account. Waite had not disputed the account when at the conclusion of the contract he told witness that he would have to wait for his money as the filer wood cheque would not be paid until the .wood was delivered to the factory. Waite gave evidence to the effect that he had always paid his account monthly and that he had not obtained the goods mentioned in the account sued for. In cross-examination he denied that he had told Morris that he had not been paid for the wood contract. Witness could produce only one receipt, as the others were burnt. When he wrote a letter alleging that the account was a “fake” he thought all his receipts were burnt, but he had since found one. To the magistrate Waite said he knew only two or three days ago that plaintiff had been burnt out. In giving' judgment for plaintiff witli costs £1 19s the magistrate said that if defendant’s story was correct the account must be a deliberate fraud. Plaintiff had a clear reeollec.tien of his last interview with defendant. He hs-d come to the conclusion, supported by the docket, plaintiff's version was the- correct one. UNREGISTERED KREARMS.. A relief worker. Nortnan George Rudman, who did not appear b«t .wreste pleading guilty, was charged with two> breaches of the Arms Actte-that ca er about May 1, 1931, at Taita. he. obtaU>ed possession of a .22 calibre repeating' tute without having obtained a permit. —e was also charged with delivering rhe firearm to John Buchanan Bryce, a person not entitled to obtain such rifle by virtue of a permit. Constable Clouston said that the incident occurred eight ago- The rifle was now registered. Rudman was m a single men’s relief camp. The others concerned had been prosecuted. The magistrate convicted Rudman and ordered him to pay costs 10s on the second charge and convicted and discharged him on the first charge. SPEED PAST ROAD WORKS. On the information tof the Egniont County inspector (Mr. J. G. Mclvor) T. Raven was charged with having .driven a motor lorry on Newall Road m a manner which, having regard to all the stances of the case, might have been dangerous to the public; that he drove past a portion of the road then under going repairs at a speed exceeding 15 miles an hour. Mr. A. A. Bennett appeared for the inspector. Asked to plead defendant said that he might have been travelling at over 15 mifes an hour. If the inspector said so he must have been. The plea was acccd ted as one of guilty* H. Pickering, inspector and ridmg foreman gave evidence that the county workmen had taken up about 10 feet of the roadway-while installing a culvert, Savtog an 8-loot n»d«W. which was Sficient for aU traffic driven carefully. Raven came up the road m his motorlorry at about 25 miles an hour and witness stopped him a few chains from ffie culvert, waving to him to go carefully. Raven, however, proceeded acro.s the culvert at about the same pace and wormed him tat he would be P RX‘ e »id'h. did not consider 23 m To S magistrate Raven said he: had been driving since 1915 and that he was a safe driver. He had great XS J” of """ ln fhe n Xs“a d te said that il defendant costs £1 2s 6d.