A FOOLISH ACT

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 574, 4 July 1933, Page 5

A FOOLISH ACT

(Press Assn.

QUARRYMAN USES SODIUM CHLORATE FOR BLASTING ' PURPOSES PROSECUTION FOLLOWS

— By Telegraph — Copyright).

Hamilton, To-day. i A quarryman named Robert James Watson was before the court to-day . charged with nianufacturing sodium chlorate for use as an explosive and pleaded guilty. Mr. R. Girling Butcher, chief inspector of explosives, told the court that defendant was employed in a , limestone quarry at Te Pahu. On . March 30, being unable to obtain more gelignite for blasting, he mixed sodium chlorate and sugar in equal quantities. He had nearly completed loading the charge when it exploded, and as a result he lost two fingers of his left hand and injured his arm. The Department considered defendant had been punished enough and did not press for a heavy penalty. i "Farmers have been told that sodium chlorate is cheap and effective for use as an explosive in log-splitting, stumping, etc." said Mr. Girling Butcher. "It is highly dangerous and we have had many cases of the igniting of clothing." Defendant pleaded ignorance, and ■ said he had no intention of using any ■ form of explosive again. Mr. S. L. Paterson, S.M., agreed that defendant had been punished sufficiently. He referred to the "recent,. case at Morrinsville, in which a man lost his life thro'ugh his clothes igniting from sodium chlorate. It was an extremely treacherous and hazard- . ous material. Defendant was convicted and fined 10/- costs.