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Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 128, 3 June 1919, Page 8

Three Auckland taxi-cab drivers were recently charged with breaks of the city bylaw requiring them to be constantly on or about their vehicles while on a. stand. Mr. J. E. Wilson, S.M., in giving judgment, said the bylaw apparently was intended originally to apply to drivers of horsedrawn vehicles, and in relation to that class its provisions seemed not only proper but necessary. It had been made applicable as well to drivers of motor vehicles. Had the bylaw referred only to the- latter class, the word "constantly" might reasonably be construed as not prohibiting an absence for a negligible period of time. However, there was the strongest reason why this construction should not bo adopted in the circumstances, because it would nullify the necessary provisions of the bylaw with regard to horse-drawn vehicles. He must hold that the bylaw was bad in its • relation to motor vehicles, as being unreasonable, and the information would be dismissed. Among the passengers to Auckland from' Vancouver by the B-.M.S. Niagara was the Hon. Sir Timothy Coghlan, formerly Agent-General in London for the State of New South Wales, and now Commonwealth representative on tli9 Pacific Cable Board. Sir Timothy, who has been almost continuously absent from Australia since 1905, when ho was appointed Agent-General, relinquished the latter appointment in 1917, but remained in England for'the purpose of seeing through the press his monumental work "Labour and Industry in Australia," which was published in February last in four volumes by (ho Oxford University Press at the price of 73s 6d. This work, which represents the labour of about nine years, is practically a history of Australia from the early years of last century to the foundation of the Commonwealth. It deals exhaustively, with methods' of colonisation, land settlement, public works, economic progress, immigration, social and industrial legislation, and political history generally. Messrs, E. Johnston and Co. will sell lurnitnrQ in thoir rooms on Lawbton-nuay ou Wednesday at 1 p.m.