‘Busting’ By-Laws

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 828, 23 November 1929, Page 18

‘Busting’ By-Laws

N.S.W. Judge Makes Merry From the Bench he clues it u „ atn . ril ret his throat.’" Charles Recce, J.ll'.ir. orator, o' reu, did not even blink when he heard the threat. It come from—Judm Ed wards 1 I)omain (says the Sydney --“Telegraph Pictorial”!. His Honour read the new by-laws. There were penalties for jumping over seats, lying under seats, taking goats or fowls on the lawns. “Nor,” said Mr. Sproule (for Reeve) “can you exercise elephants on the sward.” ■ -- “Charged with I 1 busting the bylaws,” said his Honour, when Mr. Sproule submitted that Reeve had been convicted under a repealed by-law. Reeve said that he had been before the Bench on six t ev~ •• i charges, and the magistrate had ne stung you for two tenners, and a shilling, and . . .” interrupted Judge Edwards. “Not the same day, your Honour.” “Oh! Go on! You be biowed!” said his Honour. Reeve said that the first he had heard about the charges was when he had read about being fined £2O. “Kick Him to Death" “He acted in defiance of the law. But tha' doesn’t mean you have to put the boot into a man and kick him to death,” said Judge Edwards. The fine was reduced to one shilling in each case. Then came the gem: “If he does it again, I’ll cut his throat,” his Honour remarked, jocularly. But, tarry awhile—Reeve had been fined £5 for unseemly words in the Domain. He appealed against that, too. One, Meatlieringham, said Mr. Sproule, kept interrupting the oratory of Mr. Reeve. So Reeve said: “Go away, you .” His Honour read the rest. “Does he often perform like this?” lie asked, and said something about going to hear Reeve some Sunday. "Meatlieringham comes up and calls him a Bolshie,” said Mr. Sproule. “Is he? What’s a Bolshie?” asked the judge, and then “I’m amused, but don’t think I'm not a dangerous man in a matter like this!” His Honour, later:—“I increase the fine to £lO. It is one of the worst exhibitions of language I’ve ever heard!”