COURTHOUSE FOR PETONE

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 156, 26 March 1908, Page 4

COURTHOUSE FOR PETONE

. 1 PLANS : IN- PREPARATION".

.- 7 A-doputatioiv fronvJ.'etonc waited on tlio Minister for *J iistico' (tfllG, Hon. J. M Gowan) 7 ye^tttayrtelati vo/-to r; fcho nccrl of . improved court houses and .police coll acoomfliooatioiy at Petonoi" " The' deputation was introduced ])Y Mr T and comprised 'members of thb/PetbW Borough Council, fcho •jjjitt Count* '.Council,, lpeal residonts, soliditors, and. a" justice of Jtjhe. peaco. . i • -.- , Mr Wilfoid said thati.the population of Pctone. was' now: approximately 6200,' and, ''includirig'i'aita '.and'the Lower Hutt, about <10 000,' vet tlito court house and polico.cell accoirmodatioii .woulditnot bear comparison with. that v in very much-smaller, centres. . A sum' - of-' money diad beeii voted last session ,'foritlle requirements sfotiw Minister s. Department, and; he suggested a report should be obtained as; to what.Lwas necessary in this 'case" "A't'p'rpsont court wrfrk had to bo transacted" in '■ tbo Oddfellows' Hall, which was altogether 'incbnv6nife'nt'. f '■ 0119 .instance -of this -..wasb, tjiatj vHipn .witnesses were ordered out of' court tliey, had; to go outside into, perhaps, tho rain." "Ibcy wanted an,.up-to-date court house/ adcriuato cell accommodatio'i (in placd of ,thc present single cell), and ' a safe; to .j:ccprd.s;..in.. t At •present all 1 court'/papers'were kept .in the 'sergeant's privatd-house, and. in. the case of fire..tliey-would probably. be destroyed. .■ ! Councillor 'on the lmport-'ari'ce-bf Having evpry; ; cajp. taken to preserve, court, records debt', actions. A safo-.was absohitely'npcossary.-'-- ". is really painful to,sit there sometimes ;a'n'd > oii.61 r ofithe country,'.' - was •<thSi exjiressi'Sn Mi-*. Jki Mothos," J.P., in 1 regard ftp" I the'-,QtldiVJ/ops' Hall, as.-a mako : : shift''court. , - : VHe also, described'the nightly peregrinations' of .the', scrgeiint-in-chargo to ' 'for, prisoners," 'so-: that" other's arrested could bo put into the single cell. •-'The-.--Mimst!eri--in--replyinp:, said - that the plans for a new polico station were already , ; |;T,tho bands'}tfC Printer. •fp^er^roMbJj^wMl^o-called in a very ''•snort' time. ■'• Instructions* had alsp been given 'for -plans'to bp'prepared for a court'house, 'SidxtliSMihister"lfitefidci^tij> make a special request tMTy -r .as . soon as itiossi'ole. faot^jiistniptions' had been issitca'somo- iiiiieiagOj'Th\t r tho Public Works officers'had been very.busy lately.- Ho recognised 'thivt , '''thcr '-conveniences' asked for were necessary, .aso.this: portion of tho city 'had growniveP}'. r.aßjdlydi< "As to -a safe, he j^ould, institutejn,quir l ie^. l '