ALLEGED OVERLOADING.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1107, 21 April 1911, Page 4

ALLEGED OVERLOADING.

■ - CITY CARRIERS. Tho By-Lavs Committee reported to" the City Council Inst evening that its attention had been drawn to the fact that carters were in the habit ot overloading their carts. The committee recommended that the carters be notified that overloading would not be permitted in future. The committee,'also recommended that the maximum weight allowed by the by-law be altered from 2 tons to 35cwt. It was added that tho committee had cautioned two. drivers, and withdrawn tho casts against them. Councillor Atkinson spoke strongly against the withdrawal of tho prosecutions. It..was one of the most monstrous suggestions he had heard oi, especially as it "was proposed to reduce the weight to be carried froij 2 tons to 35cwt. The weight on the carts of those men con-, cerned in the prosecutions ranged up to 4 tons -tewt. Councillor Fletcher: "The men were charged with having 4 tons 4cwt. oil one horse, and 3 tons 3cwt. on another, and 3 tons llcwt. on another. I want to know why tho prosecutions are not to be proceeded with. I understand the prosecutions have been withdrawn. Why?" The Mayor: "The cases have not been withdrawn." The committee, he added, had suggested it, but he understood the cases como on to-day. Councillor Fletcher; "I want to know why the committee have made that recommendation." Surely there was some reason! It was absurd to say the men had not known they had had such weights on tho carts. Ho also said it would be wrong to reduce the weights to bo carried to 35cwt. The inspector of the S.P.C.A. had agreed that 2 tons was not too great a weight. The proposed reduction would be a serious thing for carters in the city. Councillor Smith, a member of the committee, said the statement that one of the carts had been loaded with 1 tons ■tewt. was found to be not eorroct. That had been tho whole weight, including the cart. The higjicst. was 3 tons flewt. Councillor Fletcher said Inspector Seed had said that if tho cases wero'witlulrawn lie would institute prosecutions himself. The Mayor again said the cases had not been withdrawn. That was for the council to say. I he whole clause quoted above was finally deleted from tho report on the voices.