WAIHI COURTS

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XXVI, Issue 7901, 12 September 1929, Page 2

WAIHI COURTS

BREACHES OF MOTOR REGULATIONS FIELD DAY FOR INSPECTOR CONVICTIONS AND FINES Breaches of the motor vehicles regulations and of the borough bylaws occupied practically the whole of the list of cases set down for hearing at the monthly sitting of the Waihi Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, before Mr F. W. Platts, S.M.. Sergeant D. L. Calwell conducted the cases brought by the police and the borough inspector (Mr J. Spence) appeared for the Borough Council. To a charge of having unlawfully plied an unlicensed omnibus and an unlicensed motor car for hire the Waihi-Paeroa Transport Company, Ltd. (Mr F. C. V. Clark) pleaded .not guilty.

Mr Spence said that he had warned the defendant company about not having taken out licenses in Waihi for the vehicles, but his warnings had not been heeded. Counsel stated that, as His Worship, no doubt knew, the Transport Company had an extensive service not only between Waihi and Paeroa, but also between Waihi, Paeroa and Auckland. Four buses were registered in Waihi. The company had been particularly busy, and as a bus had broken down the two vehicles had been sent from Paeroa to keep the service going in the meantime. Mr Spence said the buses complained of were being used that very day.

Evan S. Thomas, manager of the company, said the buses had never been used constantly. They were used only when breakdowns occurred.

Stating that the manager had been warned, that an offence was being committed, the magistrate imposed a fine of £3 10s in one case and £2 in the other, with costs.

INFORMATION DISMISSED On the ground that the driver of the vehicle should have been summonsed instead of the present defendant, Mr Clark pleaded not guilty on behalf of D. McL. Wallace, Ltd. (Te Aroha), which firm was charged with having left a motor car standing at night without lights. The inspector gave formal evidence as to having seen the car unlighted on the side of a road in Waihi one evening. To Mr Clark: There was a demonstration number on the car. He could not say who had been driving it. Counsel then submitted that a conviction against the defendant company could not stand, and that :it. would be necessary to find out wh,(? £ had been driving the car before a prosecution could succeed. <; Mr Thomas stated that the car had been removed from outside the headquarters of his firm at Paeroa during, the night and had been put back again. He had not been able to find out who had taken it. The information was dismissed.

WRONG PLATES USED Charges of having a motor car with an unauthorised distinguishing mark and without the assigned number plate were admitted by Edward Dye, junr. John D. Ryan also pleaded guilty to having no authorised plate on his car. Mr Spence explained that the plate had been removed from Ryan’s car and used on that of the other defendant. The Magistrate: Apparently an attempt by Dye to make it appear that his car was. licensed. The Inspector: Yes. Dye said that Ryan’s car was not in working order and he had used the plates just to run down town. He had got the proper plates the next day.

A fine of £1 and costs was imposed on each of the charges concerning the defendants. ORDERED TO PAY COSTS Albert Lynch was, charged with having driven a motor vehicle without the assigned number plates attached. Constable A. R. Rimmer said that when spoken to defendant stated that the plate had come oft, and that it was in his possession; but that he did not think it mattered if he had put it on again immediately. Lynch was ordered to pay 10s costs.

A DANGEROUS PRACTICE Points worthy of note by other motor cyclists were Involved in the prosecutions of Edward Spalding and James Thorn. The former was charged with having ridden a m&or cycle without adequate footrests for passengers, with having carried more than two persons on his machine without having a' sidecar attached, and with having carried a person in front of the driver. Thorne was charged with the first mentioned offence only. “It is a very dangerous practice, which might easily result in an accident,” said Sergeant Calwell with regard to the third charge against Spalding, on which defendant was fined £l and costs. On each of the other two charges he was convicted and ordered to pay the costs, while Thorn was fined 10s and costs for his offence.

WITHOUT LIGHTS “Not guilty,” was the plea of Birtley Aitken to a charge of having left a motor car standing in Haszard Street at night without lights. Aitken said that when he left the car the lights were on, and that he thought they had been put out by some young fellows as a joke. He was at a dance at the time. Defendant was ordered to pay the costs. For similar offences, Leonard Cecil Kent, Frederick Plows and Alexander James Imrie were fined 10s and costs and George Emanuel Manning was fined 5s and costs, while Cedric Kayes was qrdered pay costs. Claude Over, who left a motor cycle unattended at night without lights was lined 10s and costs. Driving a wagon after dark without lamps resulted in Basil Hoyle being fined £1 and costs. Defendant’s excuse was that he had been uu-

avoidably delayed before setting out for his home. DRIVING ON FOOTPATHS John Angle, Alfred Whaley Baden Croker were caught driving motor vehicles on footpath?,. The first two. were fined lbs, and costs each and the third, was, ordered ,tQ. pay 10s cpsta. For cycling on, a footpath Freda Birse was ordered to pay 5s towards the costs of the prosecution.