MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 168, 22 December 1914, Page 3

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

YESTERDAY'S SITTINGS. Tin; Magistrate's Court sat yesterdaj morning. Mr. A. Crooke, S.M., being or the Bencli. The adjourned case of the Truant Officer (Mr. A. Hooker) against F. Tannei was withdrawn. Oliver William Solo and Ernest Joseph t Sole were charged with unlawfully making use of a certain vehicle (used in the carriage of food) for the transport of certain matter, namely, oyster shells, whereby the wholesomeness, cleanliness, and freedom from contamination of any food carried in a vehicle might be endangered, contrary to the regulations made under the authority of "The Sale of Food and Drugs Act, 1908." Mr D. Hutehcn prosecuted on behalf of the Borough, while Mr C. 11. Weston appeared for Sole Bros. Defendant pleaded guilty. Counsel said there wee 1 various extenuating features. Mr. P. P. Corkill gave evidence that he witnessed the removal of some refuse from the Golden Grid, and being inter- , ested through a conversation ho had had , with the owner about the subject, he had stood on the pavement and wit- : nessed the tcmoval. He gave evidence that there was no offensive odour arising from the refuse, which consisted of oyster shells. In reply to the Magistrate, he stated that he had not entered on the premises, but had stood on the pavement throughout. •Albert Victor Broscoe, in charge of Sole Bros.' boiling-down works at Wai- j wakaiho, was then called. In reply to Mr. Weston, ho said the oyster shells were brought down to him in bags. He did not know how many bags there were. Some of the shell was packed in ordinary bags, and some in flour bags. The flour bags were obtained from Mr. Lealand, the baker. He was of opinion that the bags could not have been used for any other purpose than for holding flour. The other bags wore new bags. He should say that the sack Mr. Weston held in his hand was a good sample of the type of bag used. The cart was perfectly dry when the oyster shells were brought down. The oyster shells were boiled by him to remove any substance that might be adhering to them, and were then crushed to fragments and sent up to Mr. Sole's grounds at "Aotea," for use on the paths. Thomas James, in charge of the abattoir, said that any vehicle carting meat from the abattoir was kept clean He saw to that. Hot water, soda, and scrubbing brushes were supplied for the purpose of properly cleansing carts. He inspected the carts from time to time to see that they were clean, and in (It order for the cartage of meat. Sole Bros.' cart was as clean as the others. All the carts were satisfactorily cleaned, and were on about the same level. He knew Sole's cart had a grating, which was a special precaution against uncleanliness. It kept the meat off the bottom of the cart, and off anything which might have evaded the cleansing efforts. Sole Bios, had a special offal waggon apart from the meat waggon. Oliver William Sole declared that he had had no knowledge of the medical inspection of the premises, and the result thereof, until he had read it in the paper. He had had no knowledge of the by-law, and the Borough Council had certainly taken no measures in enforcing it up to the present proceedings. The Magistrate imposed a fine of £2, with costs at 17s fid. ■Mr. B. Tippins, Borough Inspector, prosecuted H. T. Joll on a similar count. Mr. Hutehcn prosecuted on behalf of the Borough, and Mr. Nieholson appeared for Mr. Joll.

Mr Nicholson stated that nil the fat from the carcase, organs, ami parts of slaughtered beasts to which there was any fat adhering was rendered into tallow. This was an important part of the trade, and he did not see how ihc fresh waste of the carcases of animals, when conveyed promptly to the boilingdown works, was an unclean method of treatment. Mr .Toll had always been in the habit of using a special offal cart for the purpose until it had broken down about a fortnight before proceedings were brought . Since then lie had mod a special offal cart. In the interval he had been compelled to use a meat waggon for the purpose. The waggon was always thoroughly scoured out, after use, with hot water and soda, an 1 was thoroughly scrubbed. Benjamin Tippins, Borough Inspector, stated that Mr. Joll had had no special offal waggon formerly, and had procured one only after proceedings were commenced. Questioned as to his source of information, he stated that he had been so told by Pyecroft, Mr. Joll's man, when he had inspected the waggon, and told Tyecroft what a filthy condition it was iii. The cart was in very bad order indeed, and would take some cleansing to put it in decent order to carry meat in again. He had seen defendant next day carrying meat in the cart. Dr. Walker attested that what might be clean to a layman might not be so considered from a medical standpoint. In sanitary science it was always stated I that prevention was better than cure, and he considered that the regulations in the matter of the public's food supplies ought to be most stringent.

fn reply to Mr. Nicholson, the doctor said the "cart might have been thoroughly cleansed, but whether it was possible to do so with the means employed d( jiinded on whether it was an old cart 01 a new eart. If an old cart it might hav« cracks in it, where some corrupt nntter could find lodgment. Mr T. .1. hVnkes staled that -101 l had had a special offal cart, and was using one now.

The Magistrate? fined defendant £5, subsequently reducing it to £3, in view of the. costs', which totalled £2 7s.

The Borough Inspector charged William Paul, the driver of Jones' Moturoa' 'bus, with leaving his horses unattended outside the Breakwater Hotel.

Mr Paul Rave evidence that he had a parcel to deliver at the Breakwater Hotel, and had left the horses and gone some 15 feet in the direction of the doorway, when the horses, one being a young

ono,'had been startled by the train coming' round the curve, and had bolted. There were three howes, and the young one had caused all the trouble. He had immediately seized the horse, by the bead, and held it for a moment, but it had brought down its foot heavily on his foot, knocking him over. They had then careered off with the 'bus. In response to n question from the Magistrate, Paul said he had not entered the~hotel, but was just approaching the doorwnv preparatory to doing so. The Magistrate imposed a line ot His, and 7s costs.