Page 4 Advertisements Column 1

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1024, 13 January 1911, Page 4

With the new year, a new charge-sheet has made its appearance at the Christchurch courts. AY hoover drew it'up must have laboured under the impression that charges of drunkenness were not only very numerous, but also very important ' (says the "Press"). Tho new sheet differs from tho old one, in that parts of tho charge are printed, whereas on tho'old form all the charge had to be written. There aro many things on the new sheet which rarely, if ever, appeared before. By a glance at the charge-sheet one may now learn where accused w.as bom, his nge, and religion, also the number of previous convictions. Tho, great drawback about the new form is that if thero is more than ono charge against a man, more than 0110 chargesheet must be used. Previously the clerk of tho court had all the charges against any one man bunched together on , tho sheet, but 0110 now has to look on several

sheets to see if any further charges are made. As for the details, they appear to bo rather superfluous. If a man is charged with being drunk, what does it matter what Church he belongs to? It may Rive more work to tho officials, tabu-1 lating all the details, but judging from a recent day's proceedings Hirst 'offenders for drunkenness will be lined lis., and costs, or in default «S hours,'religious persuasion' to tho contrary notwithstanding. • It should bo an offence, says Sir John Cockburn, for a grocer to blow open a bag in-which eatables'wci'c'To,;.bo'placed, or to •moisten"''his' fingers in''■separating papers for that purpose.