MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 217, 1 June 1918, Page 3

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

a . — POUCK AND BY-LAW CASES. At the Magistrate's Court yesterday Mr. W. G. Riddcll, S.M., presided, and dealt with the police and l>y-law cases, An elderly man named Thomas Jlill •Vila charged I hat -on April 17 lie did steal a garden hose, valued at .£!). It Appears that Hill removed the hose from the premises of a neighbour and sold it to a second-hand dealer. He tplri the Intter that the hose belonged to a man who owed him money, and ho was selliiir it to recoup himself. The defendant was convicted, and ordonil io come up for sentence when called upon. For insobriety a first offender who was unable to appear was remanded for a week for medical treatment.

Por interfering with tho military police v>hile in the execution of their duty, Ted .Tones was fined 205., with costs 75., in default sevon clays' imprisonment. Inspector Ifnrsnck stated that the interference was not of a serious nature. The Excelsior Laundry Company, for whom Mr. T. W. Hialop appeared, was charged with committing a breach of the Machinery Act. Tho company emrloys a qualified man, and during the temporary absence of the latter another iimn who did not possess n local certificate took charge. The. defendant company wns convicted and ordered to pay 2(15., with costs 7s. Robert Bunn, for riding n motor-cycle on the wrong side of the road, wns convicted and fined 2f1«., with costs Ills., in default forty-eight hours' imprisonment. Henry Godfrey wns> charged with driving a motor-car without first obtaining n certificate. Mr. it. P. O'Leary. who appeared for the defendant, snid the offence was not a serious one. Godfrey lin<] applied for n certiScate, and had satisfied the. City Inspector that he was a competent driver. Hβ was. however, Wind in one eye, and the certificate hud therefore been held up in the meanwhile. He was convicted and ordered to pay court costs.

The Health Depn-rlnient proceeded ngaiost Hawthorn and Simmonds for selling aerated waters without having written on the principal lahel attnchccl a statement that the food was artificially coloured. Tho Phoenix Aerated Water Company nnd Thompson, Le-.vis. and Co. were similarly charged. 3Wr. 51. Myers, who appeared for all three defendants, Raid there was eome misunderstanding between his clients and the Health Department. The former had a quantity of lahels such as those which were made the subject of the charge, and they un('erstood that they would he allowed to use up those labels oefore the Department would take action. He had seen the head of the Department, and explained the position to him, and he ogreed that a mistake haci been made by the defendants, and it was therefore not intended to press for any penalty. Mr. ■T Prendeville, of the Crown Law Office, endorsed tho statement, and the Magistrate convicted and ordered each of the defendants to pay costs.