Lights, Weeds, Drills.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 76, 20 March 1914, Page 5

Lights, Weeds, Drills.

FILL THE COURT SITTING.

STIFFISH FINES INFLICTED. | Outside a very .short uncontested civil list, the time of the Court this morning was wholly devoted toccauses set on foot ?Sy the Borough Inspector, the inspector of Noxious Weeds, and Sergt.-Majors McGlade (infantry) and Dunham (mounted infantry). In most of the cases the-argument was fairly extended. .

BOROUGH BY-LAW BREACHES.

A Hawera Resident.

George Butler, a resident of Hawera, did not appear to answer a charge of driving without lights on ■February 26tn.

The Inspector said defendant had one light. , He said he had. driven through Hawera and Eltham with only one light without being challenged.

A fine of 10s, with 7s-. costs, was imposed.

An Offending Cyclist.

E. Kindberg also failed to appear on a charge of riding a bicycle without lights on March lOthiat 11 p : m. Fined 20s, 7s costs.". No Lights at all.

L. Webster was charged with driving a gig without lights on March lith. Defendant did not appear. The' Inspector said defendant had no lights at all. Fined 20s, costs 7s. The Softer Sex.

Olive appeared on a charge of riding a bicycle without a light. Defendant said she nad a lamp, but it would not burn. The S.M. said defendant should have wheeled her bicycle in and brought lamp to be repaired.

Convicted without fine. The Horticultural Show.

W. S.-Cato pleaded guilty to" ■irig a trap without lights \on March 4th." '■ '" ,'. . f The .Inspector said defendant had only one light.

Defendant saia he left home with two, light?, but one gradually went out. He puileuTip at his shbp, but found it ; impossible to get the socket otit. ;He was taking aiload of exhibits round to the Horticultural Show.

The S.M. said a fine of os without costs would meet the case. He only desired to inflict heavy penalties in The case of wilful breaches.

BLACKBERRY AND RAGWORT.

A .Contract's delay.

John Forbes pleaded guilty (through Mr R. Spence) to failing to' clear ' ragwort on a section at Huiroa. Mr Spence explained that defendant was a farmer residing at Normanby.

He made arrangements to have the weed cleared- before he received no- { tice from the Inspectoi. The Inspector said the section was a dangerous one as regards weeds. Defendant- had" to admit that the weed had not been cut at the proper sea- , - on of the yearj- ' V The Inspector that for three years he had had to serve notice on Mr Forbes, whose section was surrbunded by a number of valuable freehold properties. The S.M. said he had hoped that

previous fines had made s"ome improvement The : trouble with low fines was that owners of sections might findit cheaper to pay the fines than to put a man on to clear the - weeds. *

Counsel said defendant had arrarig. ed to hive the weed cut by contract, but the contractor was iat#*jn starting,- thus allowing the weed to flower. The S.M. imposed a fine of £3, with

costs 7s, and said that in future \ breaches the fine would be Increased. Blackberry at Ngaerc. Robert Coutt, Ngaere, did not appear on a charge of failing to clear blackberry. The'lnspector stated that defendant had. been served with a number of notices. ~~ . The S.M. said defendant apparently did not intend to clear the weed unless compelled to. Defendant was .fined £5 and costs 7s. y California?* Thistle. H. Langman, Croydon Road, did: noi appear on a" charge of failing to destroy Californian thistle. . The Inspector gave evidence that he had gone over the property and *ound that very little work had been • done. : The S.M., in imposing a fine of £5, with costs 7s. said that if the Inspector was called upon tto visit farms three or four times it was necessary to impose "a heavy fine. The ex- . pense of sending the Inspector into the countiy must be great, and 1 unless there was a substantial fine the Department might be a heavy loser. "A Clean Farm." Alfred Barlow, Norfolk Road, was * charged with failing to -destroy ragwort and blackberrj. Defendant said he bad a lease. The owner had gone over the land and cut the weeds, but-afterwards he received a notice. The Inspector said there was a patch of blackberry near the house. The Inspector remarked to the S.M. that the custom of cutting ragwort when in flower and leaving it on the ground to mature into seed was getting far to common, and landJk owners who leave their ragwort until H the flowering stage should see that it is destroyed, otherwise- there is enough nourishment left in the plant to ripen the seed. Defendant protested that the farm I was as clean as any in the district.

The S.M. said he could'hardly make any difference in the present case, .and a fine of £s\ was imposed. TERRITORIAL BREACHES. FOr Lack of Trousers. Morris Bowler, represented by Mr Macalister, pleaded guilty to failing to attend drill of H. Co. on March 4th. Counsel stated that "the paratro was missed as a result of defendant's uniform trousers not being available for use. A new uniform had been issued, and Bowler, found that his trousers did not fit him,.'and so he took 'them to a tailor to be altered. The trousers were altered, and were left in a garage which was locked ..when he wanted to put his trousers on to proceed to drill. He met the company officer, who said he could not parade without his uniform. Sergt.-Major McGlade said that defendant was before the Court in December last, the trouble on that occasion being in reference to his uniform. .During/the past year 'defendant had accounted for 15 out of 26 drills. Counsel said the uniform was not in a fit state to wear. He believed that quite a number of them were misfits. . i. \

The SergE.-Major'said that if the authorities had been informed of the bad fitting they would have arranged to remedy the trouble. On, the last occasion defendant was fined £l.

A fine of £2, with costs 7s, in default seven days' military detention, was imposed. Counsel asked for time to pay the fine. '

The S.M. said he could not "grant the request. Defendant,'by failing to attend the Court, had shown the Court as little courtesy as he had to the Defence Department. Exemption to be Applied for.

W. W. Vickers pleaded guilty to a charge of failing "to. attend drill of D Squadron, Second Mounted Rifles, on February 26th. Sergt.-Major Dunham said defendant had been twice previously convicted. Defendant had been exempted in August as he was working \at the back of Whangamompna. He returned later and had attended no parades in January. Defendant said he returned from Whangarnomoha about Christmas. He made his money by cattle-dealing and droving, and was frequently absent from home.

The S.M. said defendant should apply for an order of exemption. Defendant said he had made an application, which had been refused. Captain Henty had written in reply refusing the order. The S.M. said the application had not come before the Court; and he asked "the Sergt.-Major to inquire as to what had been done. His Worship advised defendant in all cases to make explanations for absence from drills at the time. There was a good deal of fault on defendant's part. A fine of 20s, with costs 7s, was imposed, the S.M. remarking that defendant had hardly done as much as he might in the direction of informing his officers of inability to attend.

On the S.M.'s advice defendant agreed to put in a fresh application for exemption, the previous application to be produced at the hearing.

A Belated Excuse. Charles B. R. Neal pleaded guilty to failing to attend Senior Cadet parade on March sth.

Defendant said he was working at Lowgarth, fifteen miles from Midhirst. The S.M.: Did you report so to the company officer.

Defendant: No; I made a mistake there.

Find 10s, with costs 7s