MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 May 1916, Page 3

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

STORAGE OF EXPLOSIVES. KIPPERT BROS. FINED. A sitting of the Magistrate's Court was held yesterday, Mr. A. Crooke, S.M., presiding. The borough sanitary inspector (Mr. R.Day) proceeded against Nippert, Edward Nippert, Herbert Nipper, and Henry Nippert—of the firm of Nippert Bros. —charging them with unlawfully storing carbide of calcium in their shop in Devon Street, not having a license to do so. Mr. J. H. Quilliam appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. A. H. Johnstone represented the defendants, for whom he pleaded guilty. Mr. Johnstone said the firm of Nippert Bros' carried on business in Devon Street until they were recently burnt out, and thay stored a quantity of carbide of calcium —some of the stock being for sale, while some was used by the members of the firm for a motor cycle. The carbide of calcium was in the shop on the night of the fire, and it was through the fire that the presence of the explosive was discovered. The firm was not aware it was breaking the by-law, for the by-law had only'been in force for about twelve months, and this was the first proaocution. Mr. Quilliam said the breach was a somewhat serious one. The calcium carbide was in the shop when the fire took place, and the gas which the flames produced intensified the conflagration. Not only had the defendants not a license to keep the material, but they could not have obtained one for the quantity they stored. The Magistrate: Should they not have known that they should not stock a dangerous explosive like this? Mr. Johnstone admitted the fa'< the firm did not have a license, but he submitted that only one of the defendants should be fined. The Magistrate convicted one of the defendants, Louis Nippert, and inflicted a penalty of £2 and costs £1 i <•>. The informations against the other defendants were withdrawn.

ON LICENSED PREMISES. On a recent Sunday evening, SeniorSergt. Bowden and a constable visited the Terminus Hotel and found there Charles Suffield, who was asked to explain his presence on licensed premises on a Sunday. He told the Magistrate that he had been for a walk and called in to see the proprietor, and was talking to a boarder when the police arrived. The Magistrate was satisfied defendant was breaking the law and he imposed a fine of 10s and costs 7s. A returned soldier was also found in the hotel, and Mr. Johnstone (who appeared for the defendant) said that the man had simply gone into the hotel to use the telephone, and he contended there was no suggestion of the sale of liquor. The defendant bore this out in evidence, and the Magistrate dismissed the information.

BY-LAW CASE 3. Two by-law cases were brought by the police. Claude Stanley Russell was fined 10s and costs 7s for riding a motor cycle without a light in Devon Street, and Norman West was fined £1 and costs 7s for negligently driving a motor car round the corner of Brougham Street and Devon Street. The borough inspector (Mr. B. Tippins), prosecuted Claude Hoskin on a charge of leaving his express in Devon Street so that it encroached on the tram rails and blocked the passage nf trams. The defendant denied the charge, but he ,was convicted and fined 5s and costs TRUANCY, For failing to send his child to school P. Keenan was nn*.> 2s and 7s 'costs, and for a similar offence B. Gillbanks was fined 4e and 7s costs.