STOCK ON ROADS

Taranaki Daily News, 23 May 1921, Page 6

STOCK ON ROADS

CONVICTIONS AT STRATFORD. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Stratford, May 20. “It is not a fair thing for people to graze cattle on the roads, especially in this district, where the roads are such that everybody can feel well proud of them,” remarked Mr. O. W. Walker, S.M., at the Stratford Magistrate's Court on Friday, in dealing with a charge of allowing 220 head of cattle to graze on the borough and county roads. The defendant was Cresswell M. Hawken, a drover, residing at Hawera. He was charged on the information of W. Rawson, the Stratford borough ranger, with allowing 220 head of cattle to graze on Cordelia and Romeo Streets on May 7, and also on the information of Charles Milner, Stratford county ranger, with allowing the same cattle to graze on the Victoria and Swansea Roads on the da*:e in question. The defendant pleaded guilty. The borough ranger said the cattle were on Cordelia and Romeo Streets for about two hours, and he had seen them wandering round the roads since then. They had been a considerable source of annoyance to the residents. There was a man in cliarge of the cattle, and he told witness that he was holding them for some one to come along and have a look. Mr. Tyrer (for defendant) said the cattle had ‘been placed in the Farmers’ Co.-op. accommodation paddock in Orlando Street the night before, and as there was no feed in the paddock the drover took them out for grazing in the morning rather than let them starve in the paddock. The magistrate said it was only reasonable to assume that when 220 cattle were allowed to graze on the roads, a good deal of damage would be done, fie could not overlook the fact that the grazing had been done deliberately, and would fine the defendant £2 10s and costs. A solicitor’s fee of £1 Is was allowed in the borough case, and 10s Cd in the county case. R. A. Weybourne, for allowing twelve cows to be at large on the Denbigh Road, Midhirst, on April 21, was fined £1 and costs, the magistrate intimating that in future cases he would consider imposing larger fines. Thomas Hornibrook pleaded not guilty to allowing 15 cows to be at large on the Clim'ie Road on April 29. The magistrate imposed a fine of 15s and costs 17s 6d. J. A.. Stanford pleaded guilty to a charge of allowing three calves to be at large on the Douglas North Road, Huiroa, oh April 25. A fine of 15s and costs- 7s Cd was imposed.