MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10431, 23 September 1911, Page 6

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

MASTERTON—FRIDAY.

(Before Mr L. G. Reid, S.M.)

A PUBLICAN FINED

At the S.M. Court thus 1 manning, I before Mr L. G. Reid, S.M'., R. E. j Halford, hotelkteeper, of Carterton, was charged "with having sold liquor in compliance wvtdi an order received from a Masterton resident for liquor intended ito be taken into the Nolicense district of Ma.s tertian, and failing to furnish .to the Clerk of the Magistrate's Court at Masterton a statement in waiting of the nature 'and quantity of 'the. said liquor, and the name! and. address of the person ordering the same, and of the person to whom it was seint." There wlas another charge arising out of the same sale. Mr G. H. Guillen appeared for defendant, and Sergeant Miller condulcted the prosecution. Mir Gullien stated that th© orders had been sent to the Clerk of the Court, foulfe that the initial of the person for whom the liquor was intended was omitted. The notice had not 'b en. forwarded till two days after.

Oin the first charge accused was fined. 20s and costs lis, and on the second 20s without costs-

MAINTENANCE ORDER

.'A man named Ovaries Bentley was charged 'with having failed to comply ■with an order of the Court for the maintenance of his child.

Sergeant Mallei', who conducted the prosecution, stated that the arrears now amounted to £lO. "Apparently, Your Worsihip, accused ! ha's mad© up Shis mind not to pay," said the Sergeant. Defendant: "I do not consider I •should pay when I am not. the father of the child." Mr Kieid:. "Your course is to prove that you are not the father. You have been adjudged by the Court to <be the> father, and you> must comply •with that order." / Defendant: "Oil, it wil v be easy to prove." Mr Beid: "Well, you should gather your proofs together and apply for a variation of itdi-e order. You must understand that you cannot defy the Court. You must either pay or go to gaol." Sergeant Miller: "When the order was made by the Court defendant admitted ih,e was the father of the child." Defendant: "I am going to get that order varied." Sergeant Miller: ' 'He has had plenty of time, your Worship', to get the order varied. He seems to be treating the whole matter with oonteir.pt." Mr Reid, to defendant: "You have not given any satisfactory reason at •al: why you should not pay the ar-

rears. You must either 1 comply ■with th!e terms of (the order or go to prison. I will .therefore make an ordter for you to pay the arrears at thle rate of 2s 6d per week, the first payment .to be made on September 30th; in default you wi3fli be sentenced to one month's imprisonment. Meanwhile you can take what steps you. care to in regard to getting the order varied." .

BREACHES OF THE SHOPS ACT.

Several Chinese wfere charged before Mr L. G. Head, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court this morning with having committed breaches of the Shops and Office,® Act. Yee Cttmng was charged with having, at Masterton, on August 17th, flailed to close (hiis sUtop .after tlile hour of one o'clock in t'hie afternoon, it ibe'ing the statutory half-ihioliday.

iMr G. H. Cull'en appeared for accused, and pfeaded guilty. The offence, that of selling cigarettes, had been, Hue said, committed by Yee Qiong's wife. Defendant Ivad repeatedly warned his wife- agaimst selling cigarettes, and those on the premises were not kept for sale, but for defendant's owtfi use.

Mir Georgeison, who conducted the prosecution, said that he had heard a 'lot of complaints about, Chinese selling cigarettes on the statutory iiaJif-holiday. Defendant had 'been fined ion a pervious occasion for a similar offence.

Mr Culleoi. said that the circumstances were different on that occasion. It was a test cas&, and the offence had been committed intentionally.

Mir Georgeson said he would like to point out that according to the Act fruiterers who kept cigarettes for sale must close on the statutory fcialf "holiday.

Mr Rtedd. said that as accused was a foreigner there might 'be isome excuse for him not understanding the iaw.

•Mir Gullen said rtliere were European® selling cigarettes, on the statutory -alf holiday, but they were too cunning to ibe caught. (Mil- Reid imposed a fine of 5s and 7« 'costs. iWong Way Kee was charged with a similar offence. {Mir Georgeson. .stated that defendant ikiopt groceries in his shop. The letter had partitioned off the grocery portion of the shop, but this was not sufficient. There intiist be two doors. Mr Reid fined defendant 10s and costs 7s. A charge of having kept has shop open on the afternoon, of August 24 was preferred against Quong CShong. Mir' Georgeson explained that defendant was a fruiterer wlio also kept cigarettes for sale. A fine of 5s and 7s costs was inflicted. Another Chinese named Lee was fined a like amount on a similar charge.

PHOTOGRAPHER FINED'

• David Wilton was -charged with having kept Quis shop open on a Sunday fior. -the purpose of transacting business. Sergeant Miller conducted the prosecution. Constable Bird stated that on Sunday -morning, September 17th, lie noticed defendant's shop door open, and a number of men (Standing outside. The .latte~ entered the shop, and subsequently came out. [Defendant informed Shim that he had taken a photograph. tDefaadant stated that he h'ad arranged on the previous Saturday to take the lioto of the men on the Sunday, as tttiey could not- attend on> any other day. The door had only been open \\lhile the men .werte entering and leaving the building. Mr Reid .stated that the offence had been the keeping of the door open. It wi&s not a case for a heavy fine, but li® desired • t'o act as *% warning to others. He would impose a fine of 2s 6d and .cosits. 7s.