WASTING PUBLIC MONEY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 210, 4 September 1911, Page 5

WASTING PUBLIC MONEY.

A HOLIDAY FOR THE POLICE* MAN. PLAIN TALK FROM THE BENCH. (By Telecraph.—Own Correspondent.) HAMILTON, this day. The Supreme Court opened to-day before .Mr Justice Edwards. In his charge to the Grand Jury, his Honor said there were six criminal charges, but they would have no difficulty in arriving at -conclusions in the cases against Koinulci, charged with sheep stealing at Morrinsville, and James Fawcett Afarwell, 2.5 charges of theft at Haiuiltea. Referring to a charge of indecency against David Topsell, and Tango Tango Tupara, his Honor said the case should have been tried at Rotorua, and accused dealt with summanily. The magistrates should have insisted on dealing with the matter, though the police were aaxious to have it sent to the Supreme Court. The only suggestion was that the policeman was desirous of having a holiday, and came here with that intention. Perhaps he would have preferred Auckland, and could have enjoyed the pleasure of the metropolis. It wis monstrous that public money of an already heavily taxed community should 'be unnecessarily spent in this way. Referring to perjury cases against R. A. Alexander and John Higginson (both of Whataiwhata), his Honor dealt with the evidence at length, and commented strongly on the fact that it was a private prosecution, and that a peculiar method had fceen adopted in working up the case; one of the principal witnesses bad to be paid £5 by the prosecutor if the case wae sent for triaL The cases will occupy four or five days. After carefully studying the evidence, his Honor was of opinion that there was no reasonably possibility of the jury convicting accused. The young men should never have been committed for trial, and to proceed with the prosecution was a gross waste of public money. The jury returned no bill in the ißotorua case referred to.