“BLUEYS” BY POST.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 10563, 17 April 1928, Page 2

“BLUEYS” BY POST.

MILL SERVICE RE EFFECTIVE:' ALLEVIATING DEBTORS. Will the postal delivery of sum-; mouses for civil debts be successful The new system of serving ‘“blueys’" by post on debtors, who leside in places, the mileage to which exceeds 4/- is now in vogue. It was introduced under mi eudnient to the Magistrate's Court Act, thus bringing the procedure into line with that; for the service of summonses on debts for criminal offences, where the person cited lives a distance beyond that covered by the stipulated fees. It is generally found, however, that postal service of criminal summonses' is non-effec-tive on account of the person required declining to take ’ delivery, and the fact of their moving from centre to centre. Accordingly, the Magistrate generally ignores the postal system and makes an order for service by a constable. The question is now raised whether postal delivery of summonses for civil debts will be any more effective than it is in the case of criminal charges. It has not been long enough in operation to express a definite opinion, but already there has been ope complaint from another centre, and. ' within a few weeks, pi ore may be heard of the matter in the local court. From the department’s viewpoint, the system of postal deliverv of summonses where the mileage'to effect personal delivery exceeds 4s is, no doubt, a profitable one, and will certainly alleviate the burden on the debtor, who ultimately has to pay the mileage fees—that is. if he pays anything at all! On every summons sent ..by registered post the liostage amounts to 6kl and, on top of that, the department imposes a fee of 2s for some unknown reason, which is clear profit. The court officials 1 have first to ascertain the address of the debtor from the constable stationed in the ■ district where the person resides, then despatch the summons to the nearest post office. There it will lie until the debtor calls for it. and as it bears the inscription “to lie delivered to the addressee only,” it is not improbable that, once having received such a letter previously—civil debtors being a fairly consistent type of offender—the person will decline to uplift his or, her correspondence. The result is that the summons will bare to be returned to the local court and the same procedure again followed out, and, if this fails, an order for personal service by a constable will have to be obtained. Thus it will be seen that creditors may have to wait for months longer before their claims are dealt with, owing to the protracted period required to effect service of summonses by post. In the case of Maori debtors it is expected the most trouble will be experienced! in service by ppst I owing! to their nomadic Tiahits. The change will materially affect the salaries of bailiff's and country constables, who, under the system of personal service, received .the mileage fees, which are a very substantial perquisite in a country- district, particularly those of a scattered! nature like Poverty Bay. So far as Bailiffs are concerned, the loss of mileage fees may be reimbursed in the form of an increment on salary, but the policeman probably will receive no advantage on these) lines. It is said that the s.vstem is not likely to appeal to debt collecting firms, who buy liabilities and undertake their collection,' because, the lengthy procedure in the service of summonses gives, the debtor... an opportunity to slip out of the district and thus the creditor may never see his money-.