MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 August 1922, Page 1

MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

THURSDAY AUG 31st. (Before W. Meldrum Esq., g.M.) LICENSING ACT. Iho police charged four country rcsidonts with being on licensed ' prennses (Royal Mai] Hotel. Woodstock) during prohibited hours (Sunday ‘Mth 1 inst). One (a. first offender),' “was convicted and ordered to pay costs, <s; a second offender was fined £1 and costs is and the two others were fined 40s and costs 7s each.

The police charged two local j-e.si-deuts with .being on licensed premises (Central Hotel) during prohibited hours, who pleaded not guilty to being unlawfully present, stating they had been invited to be present.” After hearing defendants both were convicted. One was ordered to pay costs 7s and the other was fined -20 s and costs 7s. Two local residents who did not appear were charged with being on licensed premises during prohibited hours (Occidental Hotel). Convicted, one to pay costs 7s, and the other was lined 20s and costs 7s.

Another resident (lor whom MiWells appeared) was similarly charged (Commercial Hotel). After' hearing evidence defendant was convicted and ordesed to pnv costs 7s. WITHOUT LIGHTS. The police charged J. S. Langford with driving a motor car after sunset without a rear light. Fined 5s and costs 7s.

Edward and Patrick Brown were charged with riding a bicycle on the footpath. Fined 5s and e-osts 7s each. J. Cameron wa s charged with driving a lorry without a light- Fined 5s and costs 7s.

M. Houston was charged with not having a rear light to his motor ear. Fined 5s and costs 7s. Arthur Grennoy charged with cycling at night without a liglii, was lined 5s and costs 7s. OPOSSUM SKINS.

The police charged Charles 10. Appleton (Mr Joyce) with :i 'breach of opossum regulations, by selling skins not through a broker, and he pleaded not guilty. Detective Ward appeared for the police. William Carter deposed lie was authorised officer for collecting opossum skins and stamping same for Westland. Knew defendant, who held a license to take opossums. Saw Mr Candy who wanted to buy skins and told him he must buy them through a broken 1 . Later saw Appleton to stamp skins obtained during the season and told Appleton that Candy, wanted to buy some, but that they must ho sold through a broker. Later Candy bought 10 of last season’s skins, and forty Ithis stetson's *kins and three given in. Candy paid by cheque the amount being £25. He took away the skins, there being no broker present. There was no broker in Westland. To Mr Joyce.—Witness was present during the whole transaction. Ho was there as u witness for the Crown to see the* transaction was properly canned out. Tlie skins were this year's skins, because they were Irtish. He stamped this year’s sl<ius. To the police.—The forty skins were produced for stamping by Appleton as this year’s catch. H. W. Candy deposed he went with Carter to Appleton’s house with the purpose of inspecting the skins and of buying them. Bought.so skins. There was no broker present. To Mr Joyce—Carter told him Appleton had to put the skins through a

broker. He understood that they were being put through a broker in Dunedin.

This was the case for the police, Mr Joyce said the authorised officei of the law introduced the purchaser to the seller and was present during the whole transaction, and it any breach ol the law occurred it was a purely technical one. II is Worship said there was no doubt a technical offence. Up to a certain extent lie was quite within the law. The skins should not have been sold except bv a broker. The sale took place in the presence of the officer, and that was where the offence took place. Ft did not appear to have been an attempt to evade the Act. He held it was only a technical offence. Defendant would he convicted and lined £1

and costs 11s. CLAIM FOB POSSESSION 1 . P. Lynch (Mr Wells) v. A. Cutbuslr, claim for possession of tenement, owing to failure to pay rent, notice to quit having been given, and CIO rent. Defendant counterclaimed for £9 repairs His Worship said he could not allow the. counterclaim for repairs. On the legality of the notice to quit, an adjournment was granted plaintiff for two week's. JUDGMENT SUMMONS. A. Cowie, (Mr Wells) v. N. Kani-i bach, judgment summons £2O. No or-j der made.