MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 109, 1 February 1919, Page 5

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

A VARIETY OF CASES ADULTERATED MILK ...In the Magistrate's Court yesterday it was alleged that tin analysis of milk supplied by tiniest C'pok, farmer, showed that it only contained 2.8 per cent ol tat, whereas it should have contained 3.5 per cent; The prosecution stated that when chained with- ■ selling milk deficient in fat, lie did not dispute the Government Analyisfs report, but stated that ho hod not mixed the milk or interfered with it in any way. The milk from his y. ll ' in » he had "said, was put in the cairn direct from the cow.?, and the only explanation he could give was that the Mnppwgs which were the richer in fa to hod gone into duo can. T ni» Mr. J. Tudhope, of iho Crown Law Ui(ice. stated that the defendant had a very good record as a. vendor, for the cample complained of was llio first out of fourteen found to be below the standIn fining defendant .£3, His Worship stated that vendors would have to understand that every can of milk must be up to standard. It was no use having a good milk system unless every one played his pnrt. If some cans were rich and others were poor it was by no mearis Sliro that the milk would be mixed to produce a standard quality before it was retailed. The defendant was also> Mdo*ed to pay costs amounting to 18s. uu. UNSTAMPED WEIGHING MACHINE. The Champion Confectionery Company. Ltd., Tasmaii' Street, was proceeded against by' Robert Cashman, Inspector of Weights and Measures, for having _ oil their premises an unstamped weighingmachine. . , Mr. M. Myers appeared for the defendant, and Mr. ,T. I'rendeville, of the Crown Law Office, conducted the prosecuCounsel for the defeuce admitted that the weighing-machine (produced) was unstamped, and had been used in the.-iac-tory, but colled witnesses to show that 1 lie machine had merely been used loi rough weighing of ingredients, Mid not for selling purposes. ,It was submitted that the present case did not come witliiu the scope of tho Act, which was framed to prevent fraud. Counsel suggested that tho case should be dismis;ec, a.-; ial, and ho assure/I His Wois.'.ip that iho defendant would take steps to have the scales stamped at once. Mr. Prendfville quoted sections of tlio Act which stated that anyone using unstamped scales or weighing-machines was liable top rosecution. His Worship said that the rfltnee under' the 'Act had been proved, but ps there was no suggestion »f fraud lie dismissed the case as trivial, under section 02 of the Justices of the Peace Act. ao ordered that the scales must bo stamped immediately. ' A'MISSING BICYCLE. A charge of theft of a bicycle valued nt .£ls, the property of Inglis Bros, and Co., Ltd., was preferred against Alfred William Donaldson. ' , , The recovery of tho bicycle was due to tho efforts of the office boy at lug is and Co., named Einil Brandhs, who detailed in his evidence the manner in which he obtained possession of the anachine, He stated that he saiv the accused with the bicycle in Courtenay Place, and he recognised it as a raaclimo Which was missing from the office, no approached the accused, who endea\ouicd to convince witness that it was not the machine ho thought it was. However, witness persisted, and told accused that a policeman was coming along to see about it. Witness then told another boy to get the police, and meanwhilo accused gave up possession of the machine, and .proceeded to a house in laranaKi I Street, where ho was subsequently apprehended by a policeman, lo the constable accused is alleged to have sain that a man had given him the machine near the Queen's Wharf. Tho bicycle was identified as the property of Inglis Bros, bv a representative of that firm, who gave evidence as lo ■it being removed from outsido.fho office. , . , , The accused elected to be tried by a jury, and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. • EVADING'TRAIN FARE. A charge of evading train fare was preferred against AV. Collins, who pleaded not guilt}'. The offence was alleged to have taken place at the last Wellington raco meeting, when the. accused was asked for his ticket, and was unable ' to produce one. The guard, in evidence, stated that Collins was without a ticket oil tho Lambton station in the morning of Saturday last, and ho took his nnmo when he again saw him on the train returning from Trenlham iu the afternoon. Accused said that he had lost his ticket after passing through tho barrier on Trcnthnm .station. His Worship explained that it was the practice in cases of this kind to impose a fine equivalent to tho cost of taxi inro to Trcnthani. The accused would bo convicted and fined. 255. and costs, and ordered to pay witnesses' expenses os, lid. OTHER CASES. Esther Collier pleaded not guilty to a chargo of being an idle and disorderly person who habitually consorted'with reputed thieves. She also denied using obsccno language. Anabella Swnnson also appeared to answer a chargo of being an idle and disorderly person, aiid_ with supplying Esther Collier, a prohibited person, with intoxicating liquor. In tho ease of Collier, His Worship ordered accused to be detained at I'akatou Homo for n period of twelve months, and on the charge of using ohsceno language she was convicted ami discharged, On' the chargo of consorting, Swausoti ,was sentenced to one month's imprisonment ivith hard labour, and on the chargo of supplying a prohibited person with liquor §ho was convicted and discharged. A charge of v attempting lo leave New Zealand without a. permit on llio tdiip Columbia, bound for San Francisco, was preferred' against . William .lames Vauglinn, a returned soldier, who entered a plea of guilty. Acting-Sub-inspeuloi' Emerson stated that accuscd had been found oil board the ship, but lie was satisfied that,Vaughau had not intended to commit any crime b,y boarding tliu ship, lie had served in France, and wan now over military age. As aeeii'icd had been detained for a week awaiting the police investigation of his case, Iho Magistrate entered a conviction ami discharged him. A fine of 10s. was imposed on I'toilerick Gordon Potter, who won convicted ol using threatening behaviour on Mmlilnn Quay. I'or ft similar oll'enoi' Michael Murphy and H/chard O'Brien, who fought each other in Cuba Street, wore each fined 10s. Ernest Gilbert Kinibcrley jtare, who wns represented by Mr. It. !•'. O'l.eary, was fined JI2 for as'-iuilting Willihiu James Pethorick. The case arose out ol a family dispute over ccrUiia bnai'deis. For being on liconsed promises ofler hours Eric Ludlow and Joscplier Manor were cach fiued J:1 and coats. _ For a breach of her prohibition order Grace Richardson was fined -£l.