FINES AND PENALTIES FOR VARIETY OF TRAFFIC OFFENCES

Wanganui Chronicle, 10 November 1950, Page 3

FINES AND PENALTIES FOR VARIETY OF TRAFFIC OFFENCES

A variety of traffic offences came before Mr. A. Coleman, S.M., at a sitting of the Marton Court this week. Total lines amounted to £l9 10s (costs £6 8s). Prosecutions were in the hands of Sergeant W. J. Brown and the traffic fiicer, Mr. W. C. Shaw.

Friday, October 13 will no doubt be remembered by Samuel Hooper Smith (Dannevirke). On that day he was driving a car near Turakina, but when he took a lighted cigarette from his daughter who was travelling with him, he momentarily took his eyes off the road and ran into a cyclist. He faced a charge in the Marton Court of driving without due care and attention for which he was lined £2 (costs 12s;. Defendant had no explanation to offer, said Constable A. Rodden when giving evidence against Clifford Noel Andrew (Marton) who was charged with riding a bicycle along High Street at 10.5 p.m. without a light. He was lined 10s (costs 10s).

For having no effective rear vision mirror, Noel Terence Benseman (Marton) was lined £1 (costs 12s. Defendant was driving a light vehicle in Marton which four weeks previously had been litted with a new roof, but no mirror had yet been litted, said Mi Shaw . On a second charge of having no warrant of litness (the warrant defendant possessed had expired two months’ previously) Benseman was fined 10s (costs 12s).

Pleading guilty through counsel (Mr. K. A. Williams), W. R. Cherrie Ltd. (Palmerston North) were fined £3 (costs 10s) for operating an unlicensed ancillary goods service. Mr Shaw told the Court that defendant was proceeding from Mangakino (National Park) to Palmerston North with a load of timber. He could, however, not operate outside the 30-mile limit without a special permit, which defendant did not possess.

Mr. Williams explained that the company had a mill in National Park, but experienced difficulty in obtaining carriers and sufficient railway trucks to cart the timber to Palmerston North. The vehicle had been working at the company’s mill and had backloaded a quantity of timber. The radar micro-wave speed detector disclosed that defendant was travelling at 39 m.p.h. said Mr. Shaw when prosecuting Edward Morrell Hood (Wanganui) for exceeding the maximum speed limit for a heavy motor vehicle. Mr. Shaw said he was stationed on the Wanganui-Whan-gaehu state highway engaged in checking the speed of vehicles at the time the offence was committed. Hood was fined £2 costs 10s). James Arthur Hunt (Marton) who was checked for one-third of a mile travelling at 42 m.p.h. at Turakina was similarly charged. He was lined £2 (costs 10s).

Three charges were preferred against G. and L. Jones Ltd. (Wanganui) and a plea of guilty was entered for each. On a charge of having an excessive rear overhanging load, the company was lined £3 (costs 10s). Mr. Shaw said the company was engaged in carrying second-hand dried timber, and the vehicle was towing a box trailer. The length of the overhanging timber was 12ft., whereas the regulation was a maximum of 9ft. 6ins. There were no flags and the load did not look roadworthy.

The magistrate commented upon this dangerous type of offence and said he had been imposing tines up to £7 in the King Country, where the offence was prevalent. On further charges of not having a warrant of litness for the trailer ana a rear number plate, defendant company was lined 10s on each charge (costs 10s). The excessive noise attracted his attention said Mr. Shaw in giving evidence against Trevor Henry Rose (Marton), a motor cyclist, for exceeding the 30 m.p.h. speed limit in Marton Borough. Defendant was checked at travelling at 40 m.p.h. down Wellington Road and passed five intersections. He was lined 30s (costs 10s).

A licensed operator from Rangataua, Clarence David Whale, who carried on an unlicensed ancillary goods service was lined £3 (costs 12s). Mr. Shaw said defendant when accosted was engaged in carrying his own materials from Palmerston North to his own town. Defendant said he was un aware that he could not carry his owr. goods without a permit. “BLITHE SPIRIT.”

Spectators numbering in the vicinity of a thousand witnessed the last presentation of The Marton Players in the Civk: Theatre and present indications are that this number will be exceeded for the coming production “Blithe Spirit,” the three act hilarious farce by Noel Coward, to be produced on November 22 and 23 by Mr. John Wales. Rehearsals of the production are well under way and the staging of the play promises to be the most attractive and elaborate yet done by the Marton Players. Those who have already attended performances by this local Repertory group will know the standard of entertainment achieved. MARCHING CHAMPIONSHIPS.

Appreciation to all those who assisted at the Marton marching championships was expressed by the secretary, Mr. J. D. Dickson, last night. He particularly mentioned supporters who donated trophies and medals, to whom the association was much indebted, the Marton Borough Council for the use of Marton Park, the Marton Brass Band, the Highland Pipe Band, the gate-keepers, the St. John Nursing Division, the Boy Scouts, Mr. J. Jensen who surveyed the ground for the marching displays, the judges, visiting teams, the marshal, Mr C. Wadman (Marton) and Messrs. R. Falconer (Wanganui) and R. G. Brabyn (Marton) for their work as recording stewards. WORK IN MARTON BOROUGH. Reporting on work carried out in the borough over the past month, the overseer, Mr. W. R. Brant, stated at the councils meeting this week that live chains of concrete kerb and channeling had been laid in Hair Street and 14 chains of foolpath had been tailed on Station Road. The footpath in front of a store on Station Road collapsed, said Mr Brant, and it was necessary to instal a six-inch coni' etc wall 12ft. in length and 2Ht. in