TRADE UNION SECRETARY LAID IN WAIT FOR BUILDING OFFENCE

Wanganui Chronicle, 27 January 1948, Page 2

TRADE UNION SECRETARY LAID IN WAIT FOR BUILDING OFFENCE

Charged that having received a permit from the Wanganui City Council for certain constructional work, he did proceed with the work otherwise than in accordance with the permit and secondly, that he did use galvanised corrugated iron for the roof of his house, Desmond Patrick Wadey appeared before Mr. J. H. Salmon, SM., in the Magistrate’s Court at Wanganui yesterday. Wadey pleaded guilty to both charges and elected to be dealt with in the Magistrate’s Court. “This is a typical instance of how the country is over-burdened with restrictions which are hard for the ordinary citizen to follow, particularly if he has been away from the country," said Mr. C. N. Armstrong, who represented Wadey. The roof of the house was to have been built of fibrolite but when an order had been made prohibiting the use of that material, defendant had secured a sufficient quantity of sec-ond-hanct iron. He did not realise that to use it however, he had to get the authority of three separate Government departments and that the authority of one department was not necessarily accepted by another. It was not a case of evasion or defiance, said Mr. Armstrong. Defendant, said counsel, had served with the Royal Air Force on flying duties for four years and on his return to New Zealand with his wife had been faced with most unsatisfactory accommodation. He was having a house erected with a fibrolite roof but a ban had been placed on the use of that material and defendant had secured permission from the State Advances Department to use second-hand iron. However, he had neglected to apply to the building controller also. “The day after the roof was put on the dwelling a trade union secretary brought along the building inspector to. see the roof," said counsel. “The trade union secretary said he knew for three weeks that an iron roof was to be put on the house. A word of warning from him would have saved defendant this trouble, but he preferred to lie in wait.” On the suggestion of the magis. trate. the first charge was withdrawn by the Crown Prosecutor, Mr. N. R. Bain. “I think you behaved quite naturally in securing second-hand iron to complete your home," said the magistrate "Your only error was in that you failed to secure the approval ot the building controller.” The magistrate said that he would have to inflict a deterring fine but that in view of defendant’s overseas service and the circumstances of the case he would make it as light as possible. Defendant was fined £3 and 10s costs, and was ordered to pay the Crown Solicitor’s fee.