MAGISTRATE'S COURT RETURNS

Evening Post, Volume LXXX, Issue 84, 6 October 1910, Page 7

MAGISTRATE'S COURT RETURNS

CIVIL BUSINESS. An interesting barometer of private credit is a return of civil business done in the Magistrate's Court at Wellington during the quarter ended 30th September, which shows that the aggregate amount sued for , on all processes was £19,087 16s Bd, and the aggregate amount recovered £6042 5s lid. For the quarter ended 30th June the figures were £20,082 2s and £10,896 18s lid respectively. Other .noteworthy figures in the return are as follow (the figures fo-r the previous quarter being in parentheses) • Total number of sittings 142 (146) ; number of civil cases dealt with, 448 • (701) ; number of orders made 73 (70) ; plaints | entered, 1283 (1604) , distress warrants . issued, 186 (182) judgment summonses issued, 199 (175) ; orders made on judgment summonses, 45 (33) ; warrants of committal issued, 11 (9) ; writs of arrest, 7 (9) ; summonses and other processes served by the -bailiff and assistants within two miles, 86 (6b) ; distress warrants executed by the> bailiff and assistants over two miles 37 (35) ; warrants of committal executed by the bailiff 11 (10) ; amount of civil fees paid in stamps, £999 13s (£987 10s) ; amount of licensing fees paid in stamps, £12 (£7l 6s). OLD AGE PENSIONS "During the qparter, 45 new claims for old age pensions were granted: — 2b at £26 "per annum; 1 at £25; 2 at £23: 1 at" £22; 2 at £21; 4 at £20; 1 at £19; 3 at £18; 2 at £10; 2 a^ £8; 1 at £7 ; and 1 at £5. Twelve claims were rejected for various reasons, and fourteen were adjourned sine die for various reasons. The number of pensions renewed for various amounts was 221 ; one application for renewal was refused on the ground of excess of income, and one pensioner had one instalment cancelled for drunkenness. CRIMINAL BUSINESS. The number of persons taken into custody, summoned or apprehended was: — 1132 (1259) male and 169 (186) female; discharged for want of prosecution or want of evidence, 60 (85) male, and 14 (8) female*; dismissed on the merits, 51 (39) male, and 11 (4) female ; committed for trial or sentence, 19 (25) male, and 5 (2) female; summarily convicted, 1002 (1110) male, and 139 (172) female; persons fined 468 (508) male, and 28 (36) female ; imprisoned in lieu of fine, 156 (152) male, and 37 (20) female; peremptorily imprisoned, 86 (90) male, and 12 (25) female; orders made, 143 (117) male, and 35 (62) female; convicted and discharged with caution, 148 (234) male, and 27 (29) female. The amount of criminal fees paid in stamps was £80 16s (£l2l Is) ; fines paid m stamps totalled £392 13s 6d (£658 18s), being a total for the quarter of £473 9s 9d (£779 19s).