THE AUCKLAND COURTHOUSE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 85, 9 April 1906, Page 5

THE AUCKLAND COURTHOUSE.

NEW BUILDING WANTED. A deputation from, the Auckland Law Society, consisting of Messrs. F. Earl (president), S. Hesketh, and F. S. Baume, MJLR., waited upon the Hon. A. Pitt, Attorney-General, to-day, with reference to the provision of a new courthouse for Auckland.

Mr. Baume, who introduced the deputation, impressed on the Minister the absolute necessity for erecting a newbuilding. He referred to the small room for prisoners and .the general overcrowding of the Court. Mr. Earl said that the state of the building spoke more eloquently than he could for the necessity of erecting a new Court. The building "was originally a church, and over 25 years ago it was made into a eourthonse as a makeshift, and as a makeshift it had since remained. The building bore no semblance to a courthouse. It was a mere rabbit warren, and was highly insanitary, while the offices were worse. It was difficult to find the clerk of the Court, witness and waiting rooms were wanting, and altogether the building was unsuitable. There was no courthouse in New Zealand so unsuited for the purpose. The Thames had a better building than had Auckland. There was a sum of £ 1000 i on the Estimates for a courthouse at Auckland, but he did not know whether that referred to the Magistrates Court or to the alterations to the Supreme Court. £1000 was instdficient for the work in view. The law Society was asked to recommend a site; that would not be a great difficulty if the Government would provide the money. A* proposal had been made by Mr. Kettle that the strip of land belonging to the Park to the northwards of Bowen Avenue, but there -was opposition to this owing to it being part of a reserve. The only alternative was to buy a site One site had been offered near the present building. Court business was now carried on in a building which wa3 causing annoyance to everyone concerned—-in fact, the present arrangement was a- standing disgrace, and it was time that something * wa3 done

Mr. Hesketh said that he believed that the conditions were a Ettle better 20 years ago; since then they had gone from bad to worse, t The building wa3 badly ventilated. and ; there was every reason for urging the. necessity of getting a new courthouse.

In answer to the Minister, Mr. Baume stated that the matter had been brought under the attention of the Minister for Justice on several occasions.

In replying, the Minister stated that ( he had inspected the building that } 5 morning with Mr. C. C. Kettle. S-M., and < he was bound to say that the court- \ house was not in a creditable position, , and not at all in keeping with the im- , portance of a city like Auckland. If - they applied the term that it wap a disgrace be would hesitae to say that it , was misapplied. It did not belong to his . department, but he would not hesitate to speak in strong terms to the Minister , for Justice and to the Cabinet. The , question of site might stand in the way, j but not for long. Land would not be ; much cheaper in Auckland. He would • make very strong representations to the ] department indeed. He might claim indirectly to have had something to do , with obtaining the new police barracks , and station, these having been erected! as a result of the report of the Police - Commission, of which he was a member. , The present courthouse must be very , insanitary and inconvenient, and there • was no proper accommodation. He had ' j much pleasure in stating that he would !do his best to remedy the state of things now existing. j Mr. Earl pointed out that when both ! courts were engaged, there was no room lin which an inquiry could be held.