AN INTERESTING CASE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3454, 20 February 1912, Page 3

AN INTERESTING CASE.

gas ENGINES AND- CERTIFICATES

The question as to whether it is necessary to obtain a certificate irif order to drive a gas engine was decided by Mr W. A. Barton.,- S.M., m the Magistrate’s Conrt yesterday, when. Chas. Taylor was charged with having used a gas engine without having a certificate. Sergt '"Hutton conducted the prosecution and Mr T. Alston Coleman appeared for the defendant. Sergeant Hutton said that the ponce ] ia d found that the defendant was working' a gas engine without a. certificate last November, and the latter then appeared to think that a. certifi-cate-.was unnecessary. , For the defence Mr Coleman stated that there was no doubt that a constable had attended the factory, and had told the defendant that, he would be required to obtain a. certificate. The defendant believed that the fact that the engine was 'worked purely by gas made a certificate unnecessary. His Worship: Has this machinery been inspected? Mr Coleman: No. It seems that there is no one here authorised to inspect it. His Worship: According to the Act no one should use machinery until a certificate has been obtained. Mr Coleman: In that case more than half the factories in the town would be closed down. His Worship: That- may bo, but a dozen wrongs do not make a. right. Mr Coleman went on to say that the defendant had learned that" a certificate had been waiting for him at tne. Post Office, but, on his failing to call for it, it had been returned to Wellington. The defendant then wrote to Wellington, forwarding the requisite sum of lOs for his certificate, lie had since done everything possible to make amends. His Worship remarked that the maximum penalty in such cases was £IOO. and went on to say that it was cleju* that a breach of the Act had been committed. The fault lay with the defendant in not having communicated with the Inspector of Machinery when he was first spoken to by the police. He would, however, inflict only a small penalty. The defendant would be need £l\vith 7s costs.