FARMERS’ OFFENCE

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21196, 20 August 1940, Page 8

FARMERS’ OFFENCE

THEFT OF MANURE STOLEN BY SHAREMTLKER USED ON NEIGHBOUR’S FARM (Special to Times) TE AROHA, Monday. 'Charged with the theft of four tons of manure valued at £l7 10s, the property of Mr R. j. Whittle, or New Plymouth, two men, Trevor Heath and Edward Norman. or Waltoa, appeared before .Mr W. •JI. Freeman, S.M., In the To Aroha Magistrate's Court. Booth 1 Mr F. K. Burns* Pleaded guilty nnd Norman (Mr 0. J. Fov * pleaded not guilty and elected to be tried by jury. He ‘was committed to the Supreme court at Hamilton for trial, J. Thompson, or Hamilton, prosecuted. The Jlr-t. witness called Tor the police was Douglas Stuart McNeil, an employee of W. s. froosman and Company, Ltd., who staled lie delivered in two loads six tons i.r manure to Mr Whittle’s farm at Waltoa in April of this year, according to instructions received. Riehard John Whittle, or New Plymouth. in evidence, said he owned a farm of acres at Waitoa. Roo-tih had been his s harem Ulcer. He had ordered a quan - lily or manure In the spring- of 1*939 and later, when Booth informed him that this supply had been used on the rarm, lie ordered a further six tons. That was in April <*r Ihis year. mi June :’,fi witness visited his rarm In company with Alex. Johnson, or Waltoa. 1 .-•nd together they iusipo.rted the paddocks, j It was qui;e evident that there had been * no manure used. He. ihen had a look 1 in the manure shed and found only two ; tons. There was a number or empty : bags hanging in the shed. lie al=o found I the topdresser gauge had been set at 3* cwt to I lie acre. Booth had lert the j farm and was working on a plane in Te Kawana Road. Witness visited Booth and, when asked what paddocks he had I topdressed, Booth said he had done three at the rate or 4 A cwt to the acre. When witness pointed out that the gauge was set at 3 A cwt, Booth said his children ' may have been playing with It, but In witness’ opinion the children were too \ 3'oung. Cart Tracks Through Paddocks ! Whittle stated that lie made another * inspection of the farm with Johnson, and found cart tracks leading from the manure shed through three paddocks to the * boundary and into the property owned by j Norman. Following a telephone message from : Booth, a meeting was arranged for July 25 at Walhou. Booth then stated the manure had not been used on the land and asked witness to take six ton 3 in its Place. Witness replied fhat the case was out of ids hands as lie had reported it to the police. Asked whether there was any Rush or growth in Norman’s paddocks, Mr Whittle ; said there was and it could be seen that ; the land had been heavily topdressed, I probably five cwt to the acre. To Mr ; Foy, witness said that in his experience j such growth could result only from the type of manure ho used. AJex Johnson, farmer, of Waitoa, said he accompanied Whittle on an inspection j of the latter’s farm and had seen the tracks leading to and through Norman’s boundary fence. Norman's paddocks had ; been heavily topdressed, and in his opinion I such a flush of growth would result only I from the type or manure used by Whittle. : F. R. Henry, plain-clothes constable stationed at Hamilton, said he Interviewed Booth at ills home on July -2-6 and obtained a statement. Eater witness saw Norman sitting in Booth’s car at the Walhou saleyards. Witness went over to Norman and told him he had had a complaint from Whittle concerning the disappearance of some manure. He read Booth’s statement to Norman, and when he reached the part stating that .Norman came over and collected some manure, Norman Inter- j rupted to say it was some 10 bags Booth ‘ had owed him. At this stage Booth had come over to the car and Norman asked him if he had signed the statement, and when Booth sairl he had. Norman said it was a lie. Booth replied, “Well, Ted, you know- it Is the truth. It has been done and it has to be ilxed up.” 'Mr Foy submitted that the police had not produced sufficient evidence to send Norman on to the Supreme Court, but the magistrate hold that there was ample evidence and committed Norman for trial. For Booth, Mr Burns said he had gained nothing in the affair. He was just the i weaker of the two. He was a married l man with two children, and his present 1 employer had agreed to forget the whole aifair and give him a Tresh start. Booth was convicted and lined £5.