BY-LAW BREACHES.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20107, 10 December 1930, Page 9

BY-LAW BREACHES.

FREE LEGAL ADVICE FOR MOTORISTS. (rfiiSS ASSOCIATION" TELEGF.AM.) WELLINGTON, December 9. Free legal defence of members ciiarged in the Magistrate's Court with by-Jaw breaches is a scheme that the Wellington Automobile Club hopes to introduce next year. "I am very anxious to introduce it for more reasons than one," said the chairman (Mr E. A. Batt). "A tremendous number of motorists at e almost a.t the mercy of the police and traffic inspectors. Where there is a conflict of evidence between the motorist and the traffic officer in regard to excessive speed the evidence of the latter seems to be taken invariably bv the Magistrates." Many men who had not time to spare did not attend court in defence oi prosecutions, and when they let cases go by default they were fined far more heavily than if they defended them or engaged a solicitor to do so. It was a notorious fact that motorists were prosecuted for very trifling offences. "It appears that as time goes on traffic officers find it so easy to get decisions in cases where defendants do not get a solicitor that we will be at tho mercy of every traffic officer," said Mr Batt. "I do not think we should defend cases of alleged drunkenness in charge of cars. It is one of the most dehatable points in motoring to-day." The matter of investigating the legal defence scheme was placed in the hands oi a sub-committee to report.