TAIHAPE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 110, 11 May 1936, Page 3

TAIHAPE

MAGISTRATE’S COURT The monthly meeting of the Taihape Magistrate’s Court was held on Thursday before Air. J. G- L. Hewitt, S.AL Robert John Boyd was fined 20s and costs 10s for driving without a licence, and a similar amount for a breach of a prohibition order. A fine of £2 and costs 10s was also imposed upon Boyd for failing to keep a motor lorry to the left of the centre line of the road. C. W. Newport, stock inspector, proceeded against P. J. Sladden on a charge of exposing sheep affected with lice in Messrs. Abraham and Williams sale yards at Taihape on Alarch IS. Giving evidence, Air. Newport stated that he examined 21 lambs out of a line of 108 belonging to defendant, at the saleyards in Taihape on the date in question and found 15 out of the 21. infected with lice. He considered that it was a bad case. Air. R. C- Ongley, who appeared for defendant, said that his client had arranged with Alessrs. Abraham and Williams to sell a line of his sheep and had also requested this firm to have the sheep dipped. The stock firm in question had made arrangements for the dipping but owing to the abnormal season it was not carried out. A fine of £1 and costs was imposed. John Robinson, noxious weed inspector, for the Rangitikei Council, proceeded against H. A. Hintz, J. R. Parkes and A. S. Anderson on a charge of failing to keep their respective properties clear of ragwort. Parkes and Anderson were each fined £2 and costs, while Hintz, whose case was not a bad one, according to the evidence of the inspector, was fined 10s and costs. John Hackett was fined 10s and costs 10s for .throwing a beer bottle from a railway carriage at Porewa on December 12. Negligent Driving The police proceeded against lan Ranfurly Parkes on a charge of negligent driving on the main south road on April 4. The case arose out of an accident which occurred near the Taihape Cemetery about 8 p.m. on the date mentioned when a native woman, Airs. Ruta Rapana Taylor, was knocked down by a car driven by Parkes as she was walking to Taihape with her husband, Te Teira Taylor. Defendant, who was represented by Air. T. C. Kincaid, entered a plea of not guilty. Prior to the hearing of evidence the magistrate inspected the scene of the accident at the suggestion of defendant’s counsel. Airs. Taylor stated, in evidence, that after passing the cemetery gate on her way to Taihape with her husband on the evening of April 4 she noticed the lights of a car overtaking her from behind and saw her husband move over to the side of the road. She followed him and was about a foot off the bitumen when she was struck by Parkes’ car and thrown off the road down to the fence. After the accident Parkes stopped and brought witness to Dr. Hay in his car. Witness was cross-examined by Air. Kincaid, who asked her if she was walking side by side with her husband. Witness: I was off the bitumen on the right hand side of the road. Air. Kincaid: Then Parkes must have gone off the bitumen on his wrong side before he could strike you. This does not sound reasonable. _ If he denies that he went off the bitumen will you say that he is telling lies? Witness: No, it is only natural that he should defend himself. Mr. Kincaid: There is only four feet between the bitumen and the bank and you and your husband could not walk side bv side in this space. I suggest that you don’t know what happened. Witness: 1 know what happened all right.

3’ll e Magistrate: Did you go off the road side by side. Witness: My husband went first and I followed. The Teira Taylor told the Court that he was walking along a narrow track off the road and his wife was along side him off the bitumen when she was struck. The Magistrate: Did you turn round when you saw the lights of defendant’s car? Witness: No. Continuing his evidence, Taylor said that when he saw his wife thrown off the road and down a bank he thought that she was dead and there was murder in his eyes. He was going after the driver of the car when his wife called out and he then knew that she. was alive. Parkes stopped his car and walked back to the scene of the accident and witness recognised him. I He apologised and said that he would pay all expenses. He didn’t say how the accident happened, and took Mrs. Taylor to Dr. Hay. Mr. Kincaid: He did everything possible for your wife, did he not? Witness: Yes. Questioned further, witness said it was a moonlight night when the accident occurred. Defendant might have been travelling at 25 miles per hour. The Magistrate: I cannot think that he would drive off the bitumen. Constable J. Beaton said that Parkes had reported the accidert to him and had invited him to visit the scene of the mishap and he had done so. He found glass two feet on the right of the bitumen. Parkes had admitted that he was on his wrong side so that he could avoid a broken surface of the road. Witness said that he was of the opinion that Parkes was off the bitumen. Mr. Kincaid: We want facts, not opinions. You were not there and you don’t know what happened. The fact that glass was found off the bitumen proves nothing. I. D. Parkes stated that he considered that he was keeping a proper look-out on the evening in question. The Magistrate: Why didn’t you see them. You had good lights and it was moonlight, and you were travelling on a straight piece of road Defendant: I cannot say why I didn’t see them. Mr. Kincaid: They were both wearing dark clothes. Continuing his evidence, Parkes emphatically denied that he was off the bitumen but admitted that he was on the wrong side of the road. The Magistrate: 1 can hardly believe that Parkes was off the bitumen and I can understand his being on the wrong side of the road in order to avoid a broken surface, but I think that if he had been keeping a proper look-out he would have seen Mr. and Mrs. Taylor. He certainly should have seen them, but they, in turn, should have seen the lights of defendant’s car and taken more precautions. I would do more than stroll off the road if a car was overtaking me at night. Parkes was fined £1 and costs 30s. THE MAJESTIC THEATRE "Mutiny on the Bounty’’ continues on its mighty way, creating new records everywhere, and on Saturday it delighted huge audiences at the Majestic. It screens again to-day and to-morrow at both matinee and evening sessions. “One Way Ticket.’’ The familiar behind-prison-walls theme undergoes au engrossing and novel treatment in Columbia’s pieturised version of Ethel Turner’s popular novel, "One-Way Ticket,’ which screens at the Majestic Theatre on Wednesday. For what is probably the first time" on the screen the searching camera delves into the story of the daughter of a prison guard, with many amusing glimpses of life within the i homes of prison officials.