TAXI-DRIVERS CHARGED

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 296, 14 December 1931, Page 7

TAXI-DRIVERS CHARGED

Allege They were “ Given Away ” by Rivals.

Alleging that it was another phase in the taxi war and that they had been given away by rival taxi-men, seven taxi drivers, employees of a company, appeared in the Magistrate’s Court this morning charged with being asleep in their taxis or with leaving their taxis unattended. They were Frederick Aldridge, Cyril Bradford, Cliffe Carey, Lawrence L. R. Mahoney, Tom May, Charles G. Strong and Albert J. Reed. All pleaded guilty. They were convicted and ordered to pay Court costs and witnesses’ expenses. The Chief Inspector, Mr H. Macintosh, explained that the charges arose out of a telephone message that he had received at his home at four o’clock one morning. He had sent an inspector to the station stand, and the charges had been laid. Counsel for one of the defendants stated that his client had to work very long hours in order to make a living, and under the circumstances it was not surprising that he fell asleep. His clieht was to be commended on the fact that he was willing to work such long hours to earn a living.

Evidence was given by several of the defendants that they had gone over to the garage to have a cup of tea. They said that they had not been away more than fifteen minutes.