MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 242, 13 October 1936, Page 12

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

YESTERDAY’S SITTING. A short sitting of the Wanganui Magistrate’s Court took place yesterday, Mr. J. H. Salmon, S.M., presiding. Sergeant F. C. Harrison represented the police. Douglas Gordon Blair, for not giving way to traffic approaching from the right, was fined £2 (costs 15s). Arthur Thomas Cole, who rode a bicycle on the footpath in Fitzherbert Avenue at 6 p.m., was ordered to pay costs (10s). Maurice J. Kennedy, for a similar offence in the same street, was also ordered to pay costs (10s). Te Moana te Waka, for depositing offensive matter in a right-of-way off Victoria Avenue, was fined £3 (costs -425). Hodson’s Pioneer Motor Services, for carrying a greater number of passengers in motor coaches than was permitted by licence, was ordered to pay costs in respect to two charges (10s in each case), plus solicitor’s fee 10s 6d. Mr. T. R. Blennerhassett, who appeared for the local body, said that in one instance twenty-five were carried instead of twenty as specified by the licence, the other in fourteen

instead of eleven. Mr. Peter Dickson, for the defendant company, explained that Hodson's were always keen to observe the regulations. These breaches had occurred when the company was carrying out dance contracts. They had some difficulty in controlling the number of passengers on these vehicles and the prosecution was not unwelcome to them. In view of the circumstances the magistrate ordered payment of costs only. A similar charge was preferred against the Wanganui River Services, Ltd. (Mr. J. M. Hussey). In this case the vehicle was licensed to carry ten passengers and it was found, Mr. Blennerhassett stated, to contain fourteen adults, ten children of varying ages and some babies in arms, all Maoris. In other respects the case was on all fours with that of Hodson’s. Mr. Hussey said that it was really a case of misplaced generosity. A line of 10s was imposed (costs 110 s), solicitor’s fee, 10s 6d. i Walter James Muir Scott, not being I the holder of a public motor driver’s licence, was fined 5s (costs 10s>. Mr. Blennerhassett, for the prosecuting company, said that the defendant had a private driver's licence but had done a job for Hodson’s. Mr. Dickson, for the defendant, said that he had obliged a number of passengers who wanted to get back from a dance and the car was not ready to go. Defendant was an expert driver, and although he did not have a licence to drive a public conveyance he had a private driver’s licence and was used to handling Hodson’s cars. A nominal fine of 5s was imposed on G. M. Ross for failing to register his poultry run as required by the Act of 1933. Defendant was also ordered to pay the 2s 6d per week fee for the five weeks during which he was without registration. f