THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1874

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1736, 26 February 1874, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1874

We do not know if the Superintendent has already made any recommendation to the Council upon the subject, but we would point out the desirabily of passing a resolution requesting the General Government to pay the salary of the Resident Magistrates and their officers in the Province. As matters now stand, the General Government derives a very large revenue from the Resident Magistrates' Courts in Westland, but out of it they only pay the salary of the Resident Magistrate at Hokitika, the Provincial authorities having to pay all the expenses of the Resident Magistrate and his officers at Greymouth, and of the Resident Magistrate at Okarito. Some two or three years ago the member for the Grey Valley obtained a return of the revenue derived from the several Resident Magistrates Courts in the Colony, and it was founi that the receipts at Greymouth alone exceeded those of the whole of the Magistrates Courts in the Provinces of Marlborough, Hawke's Bay, and Taranaki put together, and yet the General Government pays the salaries of all the Magistrates in those Provinces, and does not contribute a farthing towards the cost of the Greymouth Court. We think that if the Council take this subject up, and should make strong representations to the Government, pointing out the injustice of the existing plan, the Government would give way, and thus save about ,£IOOO a year to the Province. We hope some member will take this question up.