MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 May 1919, Page 6

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

'YESTERDAY'S SITTINGS. ' (Before Messrs C. E. Bellringer and"H. R. Cattley, J.'yP.) The following cases were dealt with at the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning:— DAZZLING MOTOR LIGHTS. Under the Lights on Vehicles Act. Gus Beu was charged, on the information of.' the police, with driving a motor car along the South Road, near Omata, with lights of such dazzling brilliance as to interfere with the vis/ion of a driver coming in the opposite direction. SubInspector Hutton prosecuted. Constable Wroblenski detailed tliei circumstances of the occurrence, whw took place in the vicinity of the Omata: Hall. Witness, who was riding horseback first law the lights if the car, which were exceedingly bright, about: 500 yards away. As they approached it became impossible for him to see where he was going. When theicafwas. about 100 yards off the lights were dim-. med and witness pulled hiu horse across the centre of the road, and the car slowed down. Witness called out to the driver, who admitted- his lights were ai bit strong. Mr Fitzherbert, who appeared' for accused, submitted there was no case for accused to answer, as the Act provided especially that the lights must be such as not to interfere with the vision of' the driver of a vehicle, and' at* there was no proof that the vision of a driver of vehicle had teen interfered with, there could be no case to answer. The ruter of a horse was not in the same post&m as the driver of a vehicle, ami he eswld' easily pull his horse on to the side of; the road. It had been s/hown that accused had dimmed his lights when reasonably near to the horseman, and he knew, personally, that it was his custom to dim his lights on other vdiicles.

The bench dated that they had no, option but to dismiss the information. The Justices were of opinion, however, that such lights were a. menace on the roads, and people who carried brilliant lights did not seem to understand that the law required them to dim, oa-ap-proaching; other vehicle®. MOTOR ET-liAWS. Reginald Edgecombe pleaded guilty to charges! of turning a corner too sharply while riding a motor cycle, and also with travelling at an excessive speed. Fines |of 5s tad 10s were imposed in the respective cases, with costa 9s and 7s. TRUANCY MATTERS. Ernest George was charged with failling to send his child, John George, to the Catholic Convent School. The truant inspector (Mr Pascoe) stated that there were five other informations ugaimt accused, who on the last occasion he had been summoned had been fined the maximum amount. He appeared to taKe no notice of the law. Ee pleaded the scarcity of labor and apparently found it cheaper to pay court fines and costs than to employ labor to do the work his boy did. The bench remarked that accused appeared to be flouting the law, and therefore imposed the maximum penalty in each case, amounting to £3 (costs £2 2f). STRAYING CATTLE. James O'Malley, for allowing horses to stray on the Mountain road, was fined 10s (costs £1 18s lOd); S. J. Crozier, for allowing cattle to stray on the Ngamotu road, was fined »s (cos.ts 17s (id); and F. C. Anstis for allowing cattle to stray on the South Road was fined 5s (costs £1 5s Bd). All the informations were laid by the Taranaki County Inspector (Mr R. Branch) for whom Mr Ronald H. Quilliam appeared. NOXIOUS WEEDS. On the information of the noxious.' yeeds inspector (Mr P. Barry), Stephen Avann was charged with failing to clear blackberry and gorse from his sections on Brooklands road. Accused pleaded not guilty, and stated he had employed men to do the work, but they had left without his knowledge. He had a man working there at present. The inspector said accused had been neglecting the work for a long time, and now that the war was over, and men were coming home it was very easy to get assistance if required. A fine of 10s (costs 7s) was imposed. APARIES ACT.

E A'. Jacob.ven, inspector under the above Act, proceeded against Frank Baker, Frankley Road, for failing to transfer his bees from box hives to the proper frame hives. The inspector Btated that it was impossible for the bees to be properly inspected in the- box hives, and consequently disease could not be detected. The industry was a very good rural one for Taranaki and was developing, and it was essential that it should be protected. He hoped a substantial penalty would be imposed, as a ..warning to others. A fine-o£ £2 (costs 7s) was inflicted.