Magistrate’s Court.

Huntly Press and District Gazette, Volume 4, 17 December 1915, Page 2

Magistrate’s Court.

At the Magistrate’s Court on Friday last, a fairly long list of cases was set down for hearing. BREACHES OF MINING REGULATIONS.

T. Douglas pleaded guilty to having a match in his possession in a place where safety lamps were in use.

He said that he had no knowledge that the match was in his pocket.

Mr Bishop, who was present on behalf of the Taupiri Coal Mines Ltd., said that he was sure that all the defendants were present as the result of their own carelessness in not making sure before they went down into the mine, that all matches etc., had been left behind. At the same time, he said that the safety of the men and the mine depended on every risk being eliminated as far a possible, and so it was necessary in the men’s own interests that the prosecutions should be made.

The Magistrate commented on the carelessness shown by the men, and said that it was his duty to inflict such penalties as would make them more careful He promised, as time went on, to make the fines more severe. The defendant was fined £3 and costs 7/-. J. Jannsen. a Belgian, pleaded guilty to having in his possession part of a tobacco pipe. His knowledge of English, did not appear to be very good, and sime difficulty was experienced in getting his version of the facts.

It appeared, however, that he had picked up the bowl of a pipe the night before, and had taken it to the mine intending to restore it to its owner. As the defendant appeared to have a very deficient knowledge of the regulations, and being a foreigner, the defendant was convicted and ordered to pay costs. A. J. T. Carlyon pleaded that a lapse of memory was responsible for his going into the mine with a box of matches in his possession, and, as it was not his first conviction, he was fined £4 and costs 7/.

D. Thompson for being found in the mine with matches and a cigarette in his possession was fined £3 and costs 7/.

J. Hardwick’s defence to being unlawfully in old workings not proving satisfactory, he was fined £3 and costs 7/ but being a married man, was given time in which to pay. BREACH OF PROHIBITION ORDER. J. Downey failed to appear to answer a charge of obtaining liquor during the currency of a prohibition order, and was fined £1 and costs 7/, or in default 14 days imprisonment.

7 BREACHES OF DEFENCE ACT. 1 Weteri Paki was charged with t failirg to attend parade when called on. 5 Keritoki appeared v ith a copy of the Treaty of Waitangi and • tried to prove, that Sec. 3of that 1 document exempted all Maoris 1 from liability to service. As > Keritoki had no standing, and ! the section referred to had no i connection with the Defence Act they were ruled out of court, and ■ the defendant was fined 40/ and : costs. Tonga Mahuta applied for an : adjournment of his case, and this was granted for a month. The Magistrate commented strongly on the disinclination of the Maoris to do their duty under the Defence Act, and said that* if fines failed to bring them to a sense of their responsibilities, he would commit them to the training camp. W. Callaghan pleaded not guilty to using threatening behaviour. Evidence, similar to that given in the assault charges tried a month ago was tendered by four witnesses, and the defendants evidence proving weak he was convicted, fined £5 and costs, and ordered to find sureties for his good behaivour for the next six months. David Halford was charged with killing a spoonbill duck during the close season. He pleaded guilty, but said that he had mistaken the duck fora shag Evidence was given that their was no similarity between the spoonbill and the shag and that defendant departed in a suspiciously hurried way when two men went to see what the shooting was about. As defendant had not been long out from England, and as he presumably had little knowledge of native birds, the Magistrate let him off with a fine of 20s and costs. Tau Mohi, pleaded guilty of receiving bottles of beer for consumption off licensed premises. The Police pointed out that this was a very common offence but one bard to sheet home. Tau Mohi was fined £5 and costs 10s.