TEN SHILLINGS, PLEASE!

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 513, 16 November 1928, Page 16

TEN SHILLINGS, PLEASE!

POLICE AS MAGISTRATES POWER TO FINE MOTORISTS That the police have power, where motorists admit f minor offences, to fine them on the spot and thus do away with Court proceedings, was advocated at a meeting of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce yesterday. In outlining the scheme, Mr. C. F. Bennett said an enormous amount of time and money was wasted in issuing and delivering summonses, and the Courts were sometimes crowded with constables who were called along to prove trivial cases. Some more expeditious method should be introduced that would deal with these cases instantly, and at the same time ensure that motorists would not be mulcted in Court Z& r the costs of the case. He suggested that the Chamber of Commerce, as representing business Sien, should take some action, and that steps should be taken to introduce the Continental system, whereby police and traffic inspectors could inflict fines as soon as the offences were committed. A schedule of fines could be drawn up to deal with all cases. Mr. A. G. Lunn said the idea was worthy of consideration. ‘‘Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., has indicated time and again that too many trivial cases were coming before the Court,” he said. It was decided to refer the question to the executive to consult with magistrates and the Auckland Automobile Association, inquire into the position, and report back to the council.