MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 193, 10 May 1919, Page 9

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

A PROHIBITION PAMPHLET

BREACH OP NEWSPAPERS

REGISTRATION AjCT

In tlio Magistrate's Court yostenlay, before Mr; F. V. Frazer, S.M., prosecutions for breaches of the Printers ami Newspapers Registration Act wero preferred against,the Rev. R. S. Gray and AVilliam John Lankslnjar, who were both represented by Mr. J". M. Dale.' ChiefDetectivo Boddam prosecuted. The prosecutions arose out of the publication of a poem entitled "'The Vote,'' and the charge against the Rev. R. S. Gray was that ho was concerned in the publication of the paper, which failed to liavo printed thereon tho name and place of 'abodo of . tho printer ■ as' re; quired by tho Act. .The charge against AV. J. Lankshear was that lie printed the, poen entitled "The Vote" and failed' to print thereon his name and place of abodo as required by tho Act. On behalf of tho defendants, Mr. Dalo entered a plea of guilty, and remarked that the breaches were puroly technical and'due to an oversight. His Worship imposed tlio minimum penalty in each case (Jis and costs 75.). CHARGE' OF THEFT DISMISSED. A plea, of not guilty was- entered by Frank Nelson, when charged .with the theft of a quantity of fishing-lines and nets, valued at the property of the Wellington Harbour Board. Mr. <JI. F. O'Leary appeared for tho defendant. Acting-Sub-Inspector Emerson said that on March 28 last thero was a bajo of fishing material in a shed on tho King's Wharf. The defendant was carting for the firm of Georgo and George, and he attended at . the shed to take a load. He loaded five cases and five bales, all marked "G. and G." As accused was leaving, one of the tally clerks noticed that there were eleven .packages on the cart, and he informed the. accused. The accused said: "Good —! *J.Vho put it there?" The tally, clerk told accused he would have to bring it back. Tho extra bale was different from the others, and bore different markings.

Evidence was called to support the foregoing statement. For the defence, Mr. O'Leary said that his client absolutely denied tho chdrgn. He did not put the package on his cart nor was he aware that it was on the vehicle till the tally clerk called his attention to it.

The defendant, giving evidence, . said that when he left the shed he thought he had six cases and. four bales on his lorry. ■ He did not know how the .extra bale got on the cart.. He called evidence to support .his statements.

1 His' Worship said that' there was apparently some muddle somewhere, the evidence indicating that the extra bale got on the; lorry accidentally. The information would' be dismissed. POISON IMPROPERLY PACKED. ■ Prosecutions against the New Zealand Farmers' Co-operative Distributing Co., Ltd.j and the Farmers' Co-operativo Wholesale Federation (N.Z.),' Ltd., for importing improperly-packed poison, wriro conducted by , Mr. P. S. li. Macassey, of the Crown Law Office. The poison consisted: of 139 .cases of sheep-dip powder containing arsenic, and it was alleged that this had not been packed in conformity with the requirements of the Poisons Act, 1908. Mr. 0. C. Mazengarb appeared for the defendants. The information against the first< mentioned defendant company was withdrawn. . 1 1. Ia the case of the Farmers' Co-opera-tive.. Wholesale Federation (N.Z.), Ltd., the defence was that the .firm had received the cases from the shippers in Melbourne, who had failed to provide secure packing, with the result that the paokages inside- were damaged, 'but it was not the fault of the defendants. They- had made complaints to the shippers, and arrangements had already been made to obviate any recurrence, His. Worship entered a conviction, and ordered defendants.to pay costs,.amounting to £1 Bs. BREACHES OF LICENSING REGULA- ; 'HONS. . In the Cricketers' -Arms Hotel on April 19 last certain 'breaches of the War Regulations took place. As a result, Joseph Campbell, a servant' of the licensee, was fined £3 ;and costs for selling liquor when the bar should have been closed, and'fined 10s. and costs;for. supplying' Frederick Fletcher with liquor. Fletcher was fined 10s. for treating John Deboo, and a similar penalty was imposed on Deboo for receiving liquor purchased by Fletcher. A charge against the'licensee (Joseph Stuart) of selling liquor when tho premises should have been closed was dismissed. . OTHER CASES. An Australian named Sydney John Nelson pleaded guilty .'to a charge of stealing a sum of .£1 is. 9d. from the shop of Mrs f Poulter in Ellice Street. It appeared , that complainant saw' the accused enter tho shop, but thought he was a delivery man, and did not, therefore, take any particular notice at first. However, she became anxious, and on

going into the 6hop she 6aw accused coming from behind tho countor. Ho took to his heels, and, after being chased by a civilian,'was captured by G'onstablo lsbister, who took up the pursuit on a bicycle. His Worship imposed a fined of £2, with costs 10s., and allowed acpused 14 days in. which to .pay. Ho advised Nolson to get work, and ordered him to report to the policc every night. . A fine of £2 and costs 7s. was imposed on R. Bonge and Son, who failed to close their shop at 5 p.m., as required by law.' Roid and Fenwick, Ltd., were fined XI and costs 7s. for failing to notify tho Inspector of Factories within forty-eight hours of an accident which had happened in their factory.

G. H. Thornton, who had employed a female assistant in his shop after 9 p.m., was fined Jil and costs.7s. John Johns and Henry Simmons were each lined 20s. and costs 7s. .fer;-hating been on licensed premises after hours without lawful excuse. Similar charges against Patrick C'arrig and Alexander King were dismised.

Fur gambling on the King's AA'harf, Thomas Glengarry was convicted and fined 205., with costs 7s.

Herbert Henry Knight, who had travelled on the train from Lambton Station to Upper Hutt on a ticket which had already been used, was convictcd and fined 205., and ordered to pay costs, amounting to .CI 13s. Bd. Patrick Michael Murphy, who was dofended by Mr. H. F. O'Leary, was fined iC3, and ordered to pay costs 135., on a charge x>f impersonation at the licensing poll on April 10. It appeared that Murphy duly recorded his voto in No. 7 booth, and immediately afterwards recorded another vote in booth No, 8. His Worship, in imposing tho fine mentioned above, said that he would follow the example set by an Auckland Magistrate'recently in dealing'with a similar offence. On each of* two charges of breaches of her prohibition order, Myra Donaldson was fined 40s. For like offences, Cecilia Parkinson, Timothy Delariey, and Thomas Blake wero fined 20s. each, and Harriet Maloney was fined 10s. ' ■ _ I Tlie Inspector of Factories (Mr. F. Wilson) proceeded against H. M. Jones, of Eastbourne,, on a charge of failing to close his shop at 5 p.m Mr. J. M. Dale appeared for the defendant It was explained by the defendant that there was a restaurant connected with the shop, and to gain access to the restaurant it was necessary to pass through the shop, and therefore the shop door was kept ojjeh. Defendant stated tha.t the terms of the lease prohibited a separate lease. He was fined , 10s. and costs.

For failing to render military service required of them, tUe following were dealt .with:—James M'Glinchy, fined .£5 and costs 75.; AY. Petheram, fined ,£2 and costs 75.; and P. Davis and E. R. Murphy, each convicted and ordered to pay costs 7s. " A fine of .£2 was imposed on Kejyieth Jeffrey Affleck for resisting the police when arrested. On charges of drunkenness and refusing to quite licensed premises, ho was convicted and discharged. For committing a nuisance in a public -thoroughfare Georgo AVilliams Passingham'was furxl £2, and on a charge of insobriety lio , was : convicted and discharged. . ' Oie first offender was fined 10s. for insobriety, und a sacond was fined ss.