MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 August 1919, Page 7

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

YESTERDAY'S SITTING (Before Mr W. R. McKean, S.M-) The following oases were dealt witli at the New Plymouth Magistrate's Court yesterday by Mr W. R. McKean. S.M,:— HELPLESS DRUNKENNESS. T. M. Mills pleaded guilty to a charge of being found in a state of helpless drunkenness on the Main South Road, at Oakura, on August 2nd. Sub-Inspector Hutton stated accused iiad been convicted for a similar offence within the past six months. Expenses amounting to £1 13s had been incurred. Defendant was lined £3 and ordered to pay costs, in default 7 days' imprisonment BREACH OF STAMP ACT. Eustatia Griffiths: was charged with on the 16th July issuing a receipt for the sum of £3 7s fld without stamping the same. Defendant pleaded guilty and explained that the matter was quite an oversight, He had been in business for many years, and produced his receipt book showing his method of cancelling Stamped receipts. He had no desire to evade the requirements of the Act. Sub-Inspector Hutton stated the receipt bad been lost and when found was placed in the hands of the police. It was no defence that the matter was an act of inadvertence.

The Magistrate pointed out that dc- | fend&nt was liable to a line of £lO, but he accepted the explanation and imposed a line of 10s (costs 7s). SEPARATION ORDER. On the application of Mary Larkin, for whom Mr A. C. Lawry appeared, a separation order was granted against her husband, John Joseph Larkin, on the grounds that he was an habitual drunkard and persistently failed to maintain Ms wife : An order was also, made for maintenance at the rate of £1 per week. MAINTENANCE ORDERS. : Wn». Lints was ordered to pay the sum of 10s per week towards the maintenance of a .child of his in the Nelson Industrial School, the payment to date from tho date of the child's commitment to the' Home on March 22nd last. On the application of the police the order against C. R. Coleman for the payment of 7s 6d per week towards the support of his illegitimate child, now in St. Mary's Home, Auckland, was increased to 10s per week. Defendant, a single man, working for his father as a builder's laborer, admitted bis ability to pay the extra amount, aud an order 'Was made acocrdingly. TRUANCY CASE. Ernest, George, who had been several times previously convicted for failing to send his son, John George, to school, and with failing to have his name on the register of any school, was farther charged that the boy's name was not on the register of any school. Mr Johnstone "appeared for defendant an.l explained that the child had.returned to New Plymouth and was now going to school. The mother was. prepared tiJ see, as far as in her powrr, that the boy attended school regularly. 'Defendant was convicted and lined the sum of 7s. . .. BY-LAW CASES. On the information the Boroush Inspector (Mr C. E. King) Bernard Martin was charged with driving an express in Gover street, between sunset and sunrise, without having lights thereon. It was pointed out that defendant had been previously convicted, some 15 months "ago, and since that time had also been warned. A fine of 10a (costs *8) was imposed. For a similar offence in respect to driving ft gig along Carrington Road, James Mudford was fined 10s (costs 7s). James MeKenna, for driving a motor car round the corner of Gover and Devon streets at an excessive speed, was lined 10s (costs £1 3s).