POLICE COURT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 67, 24 January 1881, Page 2

POLICE COURT.

MASTERTON FRIDAY. (Before H. S Waudeil, Esq.,RJf.) J, H. Corbett v T, McCarthy.—Rent £32. Mr Skipper for plaintiff. Judgment for £2!) 10s and enstv W, Perry v Hooker und Bennett.—Debt £lO 10a. Judgment for amount and costs. T. McCarthy v J. H. Cnrbett.-Damages £SO. Mr Beanl for plaintiff, Hr Skipper for defendant. Adjourned to next Court day, . , crimis AL. J. Smythe was charged by Sergfc, M'Ardlo with using obscene language in the public stroet, and was fined £2 or fourteen'days' imprisonment. On a second information of a Bimilar- oharactor, the prisoner p? reprimanded and discharged. (To tho Editor Wairauapa Daily,) (Jro Ofe, Jan. 20th-Sjr,-tI should like'to make a fey remarks which, in an agricultural'district such as the Wairarapa, may. I hope, be of some little benefit to yonr readers. I refer to a practice which, if not actually tolerated by farmers generally, is at any rate "winked at"—viz,, the reckless and inexcusable habit of smoking in the harvest field. It has been my misfortune during the past few days to suffer severely from the consequences of this bad habit. Last Sunday opening I was startled by bsing informed that one of my wheat paddocks was in flames. I at onoe, with all available assistance, rushed to the spot, ar.d succeeded, with great diffioultj, in subduing the fire after it had consumed about fine and a half acres of groin in the stoolc, ija'd' any breeze been blowing at the time nothing could' have stopped' tlje"fire, and it is probable that the whole' of 'the Te Ore Ore Plain would have been 'sacrificed. No doubt some careless individual had come out of ouriosity to inspect the reaping and binding machines, which were etandinjcloso by. and in lighting bis pipe had thrown the. match away without knowing-or in nil ptpbabjljty without caring-whether' the light was pfrnerly extinguished or no. Again to-dayi soon after commencing work in the morning, a smoke was seen to arise from a part lnded with wheat, which wai'prow«d» |

ing to the stuck. The alarm was raised and the tiro extinguished, but riot before a portion of the load had been consumod, and the brake very seriously damaged, I- at once called;all tlio hands on the > station together, and ascertained that the dtiver of the dray had been smoking recently. I thon informed them that should it come to my knowledge directly or indirectly that anyone in my employ had been smoking while in. the harvest field I should instantly discharge him; and ondcavor to-insure his proper punishment by the authorities for wilful carelessness and endangering most valuable personal property. I trust that this, warning will have tlio desired effect, not only with my own employes, but with all careless and unthinking individuals. lain, <fcc., T. L. Thompson. [The rulo which Mr Thompson lias now adopted is a very proper one, and every farmer in the district should follow it, and also take care not to engage any hand ■who has been .dismissed from another harvest field for this offence,—Ed. W.D.]