WITHOUT LIGHTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 June 1922, Page 8

WITHOUT LIGHTS.

MANY CONVICTIONS ENTERED* MAGISTRATE’S SE’VERE COMMENT. A heavy list of cases ' concerning breaches of the lighting by-laws were dealt with by Mr. A. M. Mowlem. S.M., at the Inglewood Magistrate’s Court yesterday, as the result of a highly successful skirmish by Constable Longbottom in Rata Street on a'night in May. In entering convictions and imposing I fines as set out below, the magistrate J said he had previously had occasion to : remark that people apparently thought ! the by-laws were made for fun. He wished to draw attention to the serious , aspect of the matter, and he recounted a number of manslaughter charges • which had arisen from breaches of the i lighting laws. The neglect in this disI trict was appalling, and why there were , not more accidents he could not understand. With the help of the police the i court would have to protect the people from themselves. This was the first time he had had to deal with a very ; formidable list of offences. He made it ; clear that the court would assist, as j far as it was able, all-police officers and inspectors in the prevention of the nuisance. If a single constable could 13 ej tect fourteen law-breakers in ofie on one night, what would be the : result if more police were on duty in other places? If any person was brought up in future it would be his own fault if he Was a severe penalty. Fines of £1 with costs 7s were imposed on the following for driving vehicles without lights: Herbert Atkinson, C. Cameron, John Bennett, Charles Sta- ; pieton, George Gibson, Fred Salisbury, iW. F. Olson, John Klenner. Fred Caldrick was fined 30s and costs 7s, and Robert Guildford was fined 10s and ' costs 7s. ♦ , For riding bicycles without lights F<;ed Mundt and Robert Darlow were each fined 10s and costs 7s, and Julia | Potroz was convicted and discharged. Sydney Nash, for riding a motor cycle without lights, was fined £2 with costs 7s, and Joseph Dryden, for driving a car without lights, was fined 10s and costs 7s. For driving a heavy lorry without lights Thomas Kay was fined : £2 10s with'Costs 7s.