MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Hokitika Guardian, 6 December 1932, Page 7

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

GREY MOUTH, December 6.

At the Magistrate’s Court yesterday the business dealt with by Air Melcfcrum, S.M. included :

MINING ACT BREACHES

Several informations were laid under the 'Coal Mines Act, by Inspector C. J. Strongman.

John Nuttall, deputy, • Blackball mine, wu* charged that, on November -1 being a person authorised in writing by the manager to fire shots electrically did fire same without seeing as required by Regulation 228 (4) under the Coal Minos Act 1925, that all persons in the vicinity Iliad taken proper shelter. Defendant did not appear.

Inspector Strongman stated that, on December 4, he received a telephone message from the mine, that two men had been injured through the firing of <a shot. There was nothing previously against defendant. The matter seemed to have been a simple accident. Defendant apparently mistook the cable, two being in use at the time.

Nut-tall was fined £l, with 10s costs

Thomas Freemtan was charged that, on November 14, at the Ten-Mile, being .a person employed! as a coal hewer in the Briandale mine where props and bars are used to support the roof at the working face, being the roof under which the w&rk of getting coal and filling tubs was carried on, did flail systematically and adequately to support the roof of his working face, at such regular intervals and in such manner as specified.' by notice in the Briandale mine.

William Hughes was charged with a similar in a different working place. Defendants failed to appear in Court.

Inspector Strongman stated that the prosecutions were taken with a view to minimising the number of serious accidents that had occurred lately, due to defective timbering. Defendants were each fined £l, with 10s costs.

Martin Creagli Was charged with a similar offence 1 , in the Dobs'ou mine, on October 18. He also failed to appear. Inspector Strongman said that the timber was not- set wjthin 13 feet of the face, although the regulations called for a minimum of six feet. Defendant was fined £l, with 10s costs.

KTJMARI JUNCTION CASE. That ill-feeling exists between two residents in the Kiimara Junction licality Joseph Ferguson and John Thomas Peering, was shown during the hearing of a case in which Ferguson was charged that, at Ivumara, on November 17_ he permitted eight cows to wander on the Beach Road. Ferguson wais also charged with rescuing the cows, after they had been seized for impounding purposes. Mr \V. P. McCarthy appeared for defendant, and pleaded not guilty. Senior-Sergeant Roach stated that about 4 p.jn, ort November 17 , Perring saw eight cows wandering on the road, and recognised them as the property of Ferguson. Perring also noticed that his bull had broken out of his paddock, (and got amongst Ferguson’s COWS. With the assistance of two young men rerring separated the bull from the cowis, and then drove the latter to the public pound! at Kumara. He had 'actually got one or two of the cows in the pound, when defendant came along, used abusive and threatening language j and rescued the cows and took them ia>way, Afte r hearing lengthy evidence the S.M. reserved his decision, until next Monday.