The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning. Saturday, November 3, 1888. A NOMADIC “RESIDENT” MAGISTRATE.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 217, 3 November 1888, Page 2

The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning.

Saturday, November 3, 1888. A NOMADIC “RESIDENT” MAGISTRATE.

Be just and fear not; Let all the ends thou aiin’st at bo thy country s, Thy God's, and truth’s.

It ia a common saying that we are always prepared to shed the last drop of our brother’s blood in a good cause, and in the case of retrenchment there is a good deal of truth in the statement that one district is ever ready to sacrifice its neighboring district in the urgent necessity for retrenchment, but cares not to submit to a like ordeal on its own account. Admitting all this, it is not essential that we should blind ourselves to tbs fact that at times there ia a certain class of reconstruction attempted, under the guiss of retrenchment, that is really nothing mors nor less than an abortive effort which can only result in confusion and bungling. We learn from Wellington that Captain Preece, the Wairoa Resident Magistrate, has had his district altered, and Mr Booth, of Gisborne, will now be called upon to make monthly visits to the Wairoa. We suppose this means that the Land Court business will be taken out of Mr Booth’s hands, because otherwise it would, we believe, be impossible for him to do any part of his work satisfactorily. As it is that gentleman promises to become very much like a travelling agent for a second rata sowing machine company—roaming trom place to place, exposing himself to the elements in a way that would test a robust stockman, doing his best no t 0 carry out the arduous duties of h>» . office, but a best which cannot under such circumstances do justice to himself and may have a serious effect on the work to be perf orna ed. One day we will find Mr Booth aw»y up the Coast at Awanui, and directly h a has time to get from this rough travel we suppose he will have to be off again to the Wairoa, with the result that Gisborne busmess will be shamefully neglected. It may be said that the work can be left to Justices of the Peace, but they have only jurisdiction to a certain amount, and in any case it is not fair to those gentlemen (nor fair to the parties concerned) that they should be continually adj u 1 icating in matters in which there are protracted arguments from counsel, and in Gisborne most cases are threshed out in this way. With all respect for the Justices we do not consider they are competent unless versed in the law to take the responsibility which will be thrown upon them if this new arrangement is carried out. We hope that this arrangement will be enquired into, and if necess iry a public protest made against the extraordinary proposal.