THE MAGISTERIAL CORONER.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 180, 30 July 1913, Page 9

THE MAGISTERIAL CORONER.

jjUJTJHESTS FOR AND AGAINST. ■'■ SHOCLD MAGISTRATES HATE PERQUISITES. \ ■ 4' ■ Vt A-MDSISTERIAL NEGATIVE. "(By Telegraph.— Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. • -"Vlule the Magistrate's Court Amend'jnanvßlll was in committee tonight the discussion worked on to ti.e question of coronial duties, and. incidentally of aagisierial perquisites iv general. . Ihe member for Avon opened the sublet by asking t-iie Minister if it was imposed to allow magistrates who acted as coroners to draw coronial fees in ad<Saonio±Jie £700 or £800 a year they jjja ia salary. In a place like Auckland ]ja said, such fees might bring a magisiasxdi, income up to £900 or £1000. «f, EnaseD also askeii whether magistrates would continue to receive fees as arbitrators. The Hon. Mr. Herdman explained that at 'present anagistra tft* received 10/6 for fjch inquest. The question whether flicse-fees shonld be discontinued had not jcen considered. In Wellington the principal magistrate perfornwd the inties of coroner nearly always. In Anckland the junior magistrate was actjj" as coroner. Jlr. Russell: You have made a change jj, tie"'Auckland coroner 1 think? Hon. Mr. Herdman: (smiling): Yes, we have made a change lately. Tee new system,'went, on the Minister, seemed to he operating quite well: in fact it was aore fitting that a magistrate should pjrform snch duties than nther people. In reference to f pcs obtained by magistrates as arbitrators, the Minister pointed oat- that they had no riffht to act as •arbitrators without ihe consent of the Department. ."I don't personally know of any instance since I came to office, but they iraTe no right to accept any fep for private work without obtaining consent," Eiid 01r. Herdman. Mr. Isitt expressed the opinion that it tronld be benpr to add. say, CSO to a jnsgistrate's salary than to pay 10/6 an iwneet. 'Tt is as objectionable to my mind as it is for a judge -to receive a fee for a commission." remarked the member, who added the opinion that anything in the nature of a perquisite was tapering to the dignity of the position. Mr. Russell: I think it is a great mistake to shoulder on to stipendiary magistrates the "work of coroners duties. It is a well known fact that the "Teat pressure on magistrates affords them tittle or no time for study, and that where reserved decisions have to-begiven, it fe with thp utmost difficulty they can Sad time to read un authorities in ord-.»r •to'give carefully considered decisions. In addition to this they have the work of; electoral and assessment courts, and so tin. They certainly should not have •the added burden of coronial work. It B qntte right to have trained men as coroners, hut a magistrate may be called away in the middle of a murder ease, or tome nther important case, in order to hoM an inquest.

Mr. Btfehar,.-in agreed with Mr. Russell's argument regarding- larger cities, slit exercised the opinion that" the •portion -was very different in country rfnVfncts. - t .' Jlr. Dickson (Parnell) supported the view thai -tbe chief magistrateshould not mi'tegS city like 'Auckland perform the OTronial -work. 'He trusted , taat a. return would be made to the old system "of special coroners in the large cities. slr. Eanan (Invert-argil]! expressed ihe hope that, the salaries to be given 'magistrates would cover all the work they did. There should be no outside fees and perquisites.

Tie Minister in Charge said that he a&ttfartely agreed wrth what member* iad remarked about the payment of any <xtniiieonß fees to magistrates outside tleir salaries. Re asked the house to give him time to consider the whole <]nestion. He promised to look into it. iitpresent he certainly considered it desirable that magistrates, should receive a definite salary for all the magisterial «*ork tier did.