Whakatane News

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 357, 19 October 1932, Page 6

Whakatane News

(From Our Own Correspondent) .

MAGISTRATE'S COURT * TRAFFIC AND COUNTRY PROSECUTIONS HEARD

The following cases eame' before Mr. S. L. Paterson, S.M., in the Whakatane Magistrate's Court on • Monday. Roy Trainor, a native of Ruatuki, was charged with assaulting another native. The trouble arose over the shifting of some cattle., Trainor j pleaded guilty and was fined £1 and j costs. The borough inspector, Mr. A.-L. Donaldson, prosecuted Hans Anderson for driving a car at a dangerous speed within the confines of the Whakatane borough on September 29. Anderson did not appear and was fined £2 and costs 14s. Lauri Garter for not having sufficient lights on his motor car was fined 5s and costs 14s. The county inspector, Mr. Marks, prosecuted Jans Otto Neilson for operating a heavy traffic vehiele on September 12 without a license. The ! license f ee had since been paid. Anderson was fined £1 with costs 12s. W. M. Snow on a 'similar charge was fined £1 with costs 10s. H. Williams for driving a bus which wqs not licensed, was convicted and ordered t'b pay costs. An information was laid by the stock inspector that two natives, E. Salmon and H. Paul, had moved horses and dogs from a tick infected area without permission. Counsel for defendants stated that the Maoris had merely gone pig hunting for food and hoped that a serious view would not be taken. The inspector said that both the dogs and horses should have been dipped. Defendants were convicted and fined £2 each and costs. A Re-Hearing Ivan Collett, aged 18, for whom Mr. Harron appeared, was granted a rehearing on a charge of theft of various articles at Te Teko. Last court day Collett was committed to Borstal for a period not exceeding two years, following a conviction for the offence. Counsel stated that inswffieient time had prevented the full facts of the case from being presentd to His Worship at the previous hearing. The boy was a splendid worker and had felt his position keenly. Hjs present employer was quite satisfied and would take care of him. Counsel appealed to the bench to give the boy an opportunity to make good. Mr. Paterson re-considered the case and admitted Collett to probation for two years conditionhlly upon full restitution being made and on condition that he remain with his present employer over the period. Starving Stock Constable Cummings charged D. G. Clark with enclosing cattle in an area where there was insufficient feed and also with allowing a dead beast to beeome a nuisance to the public. Mr. Cummings stated that on information received he had visited a place called "Braemar," 20 miles from Whakatane, and had counted 27 head of cattle which were all in a very low condition. He also found three which were dead. The cattle carried Clark's brand. There was good water and shelter on the property, but no feed at all. When he had pulled down a cabbage tree the cattle ate the green leaves ravenously. One of the dead beasts was close to the road and was very offensive. Constable Johnson corrobated this evidence and in reply to counsel for Clark, admitted that the dead beasts had since been buried. In giving evidence for the defence, Clark stated that he had shifted cattle from his place on the flat during the winter on to the hills owing to lack of feed. Cattle which were reared on the flats had a tendency to return and did not relish hilly country. He had frequently visited the cattle, and any which had calved had been brought home. In his opinion the cattle were not starving but were in poor condition. One of the dead cows was not his. R. V. Rouse, son-in-law of Clarks, said that he had helped to put the cattle back on the hilly country. It was usual to do so during the winter. These cattle were in poor condition, but were by no means starving. They had since been sold, but he did not know at what price. The Magistrate dismissed the information on the first charge and fined Clark £1 and 10s costs for allowing dead beasts to beeome a nuisance to the public.