DISTRICT COURTS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 107, 7 May 1909, Page 8

DISTRICT COURTS.

REASONS FOR ABOLITION. A MINISTERIAL EXPLANATION, "What is the position in regard to the 'District Courts?" was a question put to the 'Minister for Justice (Hon. Dr. Findlay) by a Post reporter to-day. "The District Courts Aot," replied the Minister, "gives power to abolish District Court districts, and upon the abolition of a district all proceedings pending in the court of that district may be continued in any court the judge of which has jurisdiction in any area comprised m the district so abolished. "The purpose of the Government, as stated by the Prime .Minister-, is not to reduce in any way the judicial facilities of tho districts affected by the abolition, of the District Court districts, but to increase the facilities and improve their efficiency. The only objections to the course taken that have reached us from any part of New Zealand are from the West Coast of the South Island. No doubt those objections have proceeded upon a misapprehension as to what the Government intends to do. In. place of the District Court sittings, the Government intends to arrange for sittings of the (Supreme Court in Westport, Greymouth, and Hokitika. as often as the work to be done requires. "Under the new arra-agement, which I, as Minister for Justice, will no doubt be able to make with tttie judges, the Supreme Court sittings will take place, in different parts of the-W^st Coast four,, or perhaps five, times a. yea*. At thesesittings the court will do* all the present Supreme Court work, which is often considerable, and will also do t)he small amount of District Court work which isnow done by an independent District Court sitting at the towns I have mentioned. , "I have said that the only locality from which any objection has been made to the abolition of the District <£!ourt conies is the West Coast. I have no doubt at all that when the people of the West Coast realise the improved facilities we substitute for the present system, they will cordially endorse the action of the Government. At any rate, the amount of District Court work done on the West Coast is entirely inadequate to justify the existence of a separate independent tribunal, in addition to the Magistrate's Courts and the Supreme Court, which now sits at regular' intervals in Westport, Greymouth, and 'Holcitika. "I have had a return prepared, showing the work of the District Court on the West Coast, exclusive of bankruptcy work, which is small and almost entirely formal, not requiring the offices of a judge except in applications for discharge, and, more rarely, for public examinations. In 1907 the total number of civil cases heard throughout the whole of the year at all the sittings of the District Court on the West Coast was six, and there were six criminal cases ,• making a total of twelve cases for the twelve months. For 1908 there were 15 cases — twelve civil and three criminal. The following figures will supply the details :—: — ■ "Westport — 1907 : One civil case, six criminal cases; 1908, six criminal cases. Greymouth— l9o7, five criminal; 1908, two civil and three criminal. Reefton — 1907, no cases of any kind; 1908, two civil cases. Hokitika — 1907, no cases; 1908, two civil cases. Kumara — 1907, no cases ; 1908, two civil cases. "As to the cost, it must be remembered that a judge of the District Court has to go to the West Coast, specially, four times a year. I need not say anything as to the expense that that involves — an expense the continuation of which is less justified when it is remembered that a Supreme Court JuJge now holds sittings on the West Coast twice a year, and that magistrates sit regularly and frequently at the towns I have mentioned. Apart from the considerations to which I have alluded, every lawyer is aware that the District Court proceedure is antiquated, and clumsy. It was created at a time when legal complexity was the chief characteristic of our judicial system. In its day the District Court has done good work, but every one. who has looked at the work of the District Court impartially during the past ten or fifteen years has been increasingly impressed with the' necessity of abolishing the courts altogether. I have figures collected to show the total work done by the District Courts for the whole of the Dominion, and these, apart from any other reasons, completely justify the course the Government is taking.' "It is interesting to note," said the Minister, in conclusion, "that the newspapers at Gore and other districts affected (apart from the West Coast) recognise to the fullest extent the expediency of the change. It is understood that District Judge Haselden, who has been District Court Judge for several years, will be offered a magistracy.

Mr. W. 6. Foster, managing director of the Wellington Meat Export Company, who left for England yester- ! day, has withdrawn his resignation of the presidency of the New Zealand Employers' Federation. While in England Mr. Foster will be the accredited New Zealand repi-esentative of the association to similar organisations in the United Kingdom. The Rev. W. J. Mayers will deliver his first address on the Barnardo work in the Town Hall on Sunday evening at 8.30. The boys of the Home will lead the singing on their nandbells and cornet. Similar services in the Dominion have been attended by great crowds, and have aroused much interest. It is reported that by amicable ar- | rangement, peace is to be restored among i the Dominion Scouts. Captain Gardiner has resigned the position of commanding officer, and has requested the Officer Commanding the District to cancel all papers bearing on his appointment. He has also recommended his superior officer to authorise Captain Dalrymple to take command of the corps. Captain Gardiner will return to his original position of secretary, pending a meeting of the men, to whom this arrangement will be submitted for confirmation. Auctioneers are meeting at the Underwriters' Association rooms this afternoon to ronsider legislation affecting their profession. Certain propositions were submitted to the AttorneyGeneral before last session, but nothing has since been done in the matter. The meeting this afternoon is discussing the whole situation, with the object of again bringing the matter of legislation, as affecting auctioneers, under the notice of the Government, with a view to alterations along lines which members of the profession suggest. The erection of Gable and Co.'s new foundry at Kaiwarra, close to the railway station, will be carried out as rapidly as circumstance will permit. The building will be a steel-frame structure, and will be of a substantial type. The firm is manufacturing the girders, pillars, etc., itself. The lease of the railway reserva on Waterloo-qnay, on which the present foundry is erected, will not expire for some months, and Messrs. Cable and Co. expect to be in ■ occupation of their new premises some time before then.