LORRY DRIVERS FINED

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 25, 22 September 1931, Page 3

LORRY DRIVERS FINED

MAGISTRATE SAYS NOT PLAYING THE- " GAME SOME HEAVY PENALTIES A ■ number of cases of breaches of the heavy traffic regulations were heard before Mr S. L. Paterson, S.M., in the Rotorua Magistrate's Court yesterday when several lorry drivers, charged by the borough traffic authorities, were fined for overloading, or failing to provide themselves with licenses in accordance with the loads carried. "How is it that you fellows cannot play the game with these loads?" Mr Paterson enquired of one defendant. "I do not want to keep imposing heavy fines on you, but if you keep on I will simply have. to in flint fines that will put you off the road. I hate inflicting heavy fines in these hard times but I will have to do it." Albert Rowe of Tirau pleaded guilty to a charge of carrying a load in excess of the maximum 4S tons on the Rotorua-Taupo Road on August 6, but pleaded not guilty to a further charge of overloading on August 7. Warning Given Mr E. Roe, who appeared for the traffic authorities, said that on August 5 the inspector warned Rowe that he was overloading, but in spite of this warnnig, on the following day, defendant was again eaught with a load which exceeded the maximum under the regulations. This was corroborated by the borough and eounty traffic inspector , Mr D„ M. Ford, who said that on August 6 he encountered Rowe on the Rotorua-Taupo Road with a load of 110 posts which weighed 5ton 9cwt. Then, the following day, about two o'clock in the morning, when witness was interviewing another lorry driver on the same road, defendant again drove past with a heavy load. He was stopped, and witness said he counted approximately 127 posts which on the previous weighing, would approximate 6 tons. Date Immaterial Rowe's defence was that he was not on the road at the time mentioned by the inspector and in support of this statement, he called Christopher Henry Parkinson, another lorry driver, who stated in evidence that he was speaking to the inspector between 8 and 9 p.m. on the night that Rowe was pulled up. This witness agreed that there would be approximately 120 posts on defendant's lorry. The Magistrate said that the date was immaterial and fined Rowe £10 with 12/- costs on this charge. On the charge which was admitted defendant was fined £5 with 12/- costs. On two further charges of carrying loads greater than that permitted by his license, Rowe was fined 10/- on each count with 12/- costs in each case. Witness Fined The witness in this case, Christopher Parkinson, was then charged under the same regulations with exceeding the 4i ton maximum on the Rotorua-Taupo Road. Mr Roe said that Parkinson, when stopped by the inspector, was carrying a load of 4 tons 16 cwt. His license entitled him to carry only four tons. The inspector remarked that this was another case of drivers with over-loaded vehicles coming through at night. The Magistrate: Yes, that is why I say these fellows are not playing the game. Here w-e are spending large sums of money on the roads and they are using them without paying their proper proportion of license fee. Defendant said that he had since purchased a license for heavier carrying and the Magistrate said that he would take this into account in inflicting a fine of 10/- with 17/- costs on a charge of not holding* the. proper grade of license. On the charge of overloading, Parkinson was fined £2 10/- with- 17/- costs,