STRAYING CATTLE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2892, 18 August 1909, Page 3

STRAYING CATTLE.

| LOCAL GRAZING LICENSES. AUCKLAND, August 13. Eight lesidents of ths Mount Welling* ton district were charged at the Auckland Polios Court to-day upon charges of having allowed cattle to stray on public roads. Mr Ru-sselT instructed by the Mount Wellington Road Board) stated that the defendants had been granted licenses by the local body for the grazing of their cattle upon the public roads. The Roadi Beard had found it essential to adopt tha licen»=«d grazing system for the purpose of keeping down the grass. Mr Cutten remarked that if the cattle were actualy a nuisance to the public, the defendants were^ liable to finee. Mr Russell : That would ' assuredly be interfering with the functions of a local body. Mr Cutten: That is a matter of opinion. J. S. Dickgon, a resident of the dis-. trict, stated that he had failed to securs the impounding of stray cattle because in the poundkeepsr's opinion the licenses allowed the cattle to be on the roads Mr Cutten held that while the licenses might have" formed a gcod ground of defence in respect to an information under | the Impounding Act, they were not so under the Police Offences Act. He thought' the act which empowered local authorities to issue licenses was never intended to apply to districts like Mount Wellington. Each of the defendants was fined' Is. and 10s costs.