TRANSPORT OFFENCES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 73, 18 December 1937, Page 5

TRANSPORT OFFENCES

Our Own Correspondent.)

Carriers Who Exceeded Terms of Licences FIRST CASES IN N.Z.

(From

WAIPUKUEATT, Last Night. "This is the first proseeution of its kind in Hawke's Bay, and I believe it is also the first in New Zealand," said Traffic-Inspector W. E. Yates in the Waipukurau Magistrate's Court to-day when three Waipukurau carriers were charged with exceeding the terms of their goods licences. Clive Cassidy was stated to have carted 22 bales of wool from Tautane, near Herbertville, to Port Ahuriri, this being outside the area defined on his licence. It was an area liee#nce and did not allow trips to be made along a route which for more than 30 miles was servgd by the railway. W. M. Mouat was similarly charged with carting sheep from Takapau to Stortford Lodge, Hastings, and H, Guilliard with carting wool from Wallingford to Port Ahuriri. Eemarking that there might have been some misunderstanding, the Hagistrate, Mr J. Miller, took a lenient view and imposed fines of 15/with costs 10/- in each case, although each was liable to a fine of £10. "The Transport Department has instructed me to bring these prosecutions to warn operators throughout the district, who have undoubtedly been under some misapprehension, ' ' said Inspector Y ates. "Are these isolated casesf" asked the Magistrate. "They have been doing it to a certain extent, ' ' replied the inspector. "There was nothing to stop them until Oetober, 1936, when the present law became operative." Guilliard maiutained that he had not broken the law according to the papers issued to hini by the Traniport Liceusing Authority. "There may have been some misunderstanding," remarked the Magistrato in imposing fines in each case as stated.