MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 October 1942, Page 3

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

SITTING IN MASTERTON WARRANTS OF FITNESS. MUST BE CARRIED ON MOTOR VEHICLES. The fortnightly sitting of the Masterton Magistrate’s Court was held this morning, Mr H. P. Lawry, S.M., being on the bench. For having no warrant of fitness in respect to his motoi’ vehicle, Donald Clark Stuart was fined 10s and costs. Mr H. H. Daniell appeared for defendant. On a similar charge (laid by Inspector W. G. Milne), Walter Sydney Bussell (Auckland), represented by Mr R. McKenzie, pleaded not guilty. Defendant was fined 5s and costs. Mr McKenzie explained that Bussell, when he had left his car at an Auckland garage for repairs, had asked that the certificate of fitness should be placed in a car pocket. He had thought that had been done until he had been asked by the inspector at Solway for his warrant. He had produced warrants that had expired and had spent £42 in repairs to the car. Mr McKenzie admitted a technical offence and stated that Bussell had explained the circumstances to the Transport Department who, however, had decided to prosecute. It was entirely through no fault of defendant that he was without the warrant. Mr McKenzie said he wished to take tfee opportunity to point out that at present, owing to the limited quantity of petrol available, it did not seem fair that a new certificate of fitness should be procured every six months. Mr Lawry said representations had been made by motorists to the Government suggesting that the period for the warrants should be twelve months but it was beyond his sphere to make any observation on that. He knew it was possible for a vehicle to get out of order in l©ss than six months.

Mr McKenzie asked that the charge should be dismissed as trivial.

The Magistrate said it was not sufficient to have a warrant somewhere in New Zealand; it must be carried on the vehicle at the time of travelling. It would be just as well for the public to realise that warrants must be carried in vehicles. In the case of drivers’ licences, as an act of grace, drivers were given an opportunity to produce their drivers’ licences if they did not have one, though actually it was an offence not to carry one if driving a vehicle. For allowing a horse to wander in the borough, W. Wong was fined £1 and 10s costs, with witness’s expenses 7s 6d and solicitor’s fees 10s 6d. Mr H. Mackenzie Douglas, Borough Solicitor, said many complaints had been received about horses wandering on the Akura Road.