HON, DR. R. M'NAB

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VI, Issue 166, 27 June 1916, Page 2

HON, DR. R. M'NAB

DEPUTATIONISED BY LAXV SOCIETY.

A NEXV LIBRARY XVANTED

Yesterday afternoon the Hon. Dr. Robert McNab, Minister of Justice, was deputationised by the. members of the Hawke’s Bay Law Society, who asked him to provide better accommodation for the latw library, and, when the position of affairs warranted it, to arrange for the erection of a suitable building in which to house the Supreme and Lower Courts.

Mr. E. H. .XVilliams, President of the Law Society, said the Minister would at once recognise that the library (in which the Minister met the deputation) was not now suitable for holding all the books, and that there was no room for new ones. The lawyers had, he said, long felt that the time hod come when new court buildings should be erected, but they did not desire to ask for that at the present time. He understood that a sum of money had been placed on the Estimates for a library building in brick or stone, which «as to form part of a perman*Bt> structure or the court buildings. me societv considered that the money placed on the estimates should be expended, and that the library building should be erected. The Minister: XVhat is the estimated cost?

Air. Williams : I am not sure.

The Minister: Is there no smaller scheme that would enable you to make room to avoid the crush of space'? Mr. Currie: Some £7OO was put on the estimatesThe Alinister, in reply, said they knew, of course, that there was, at the present time, a great difficult}' in regard to the expenditure out of public works funds. There were some estimates for the Justice Department, but until the arrangements were altered and the supplementary estimates were brought down the various departments had been told that the only money available ,for public works would be the unexpended balances from the money raised last vear. That, as a matter of fact, would not cover anything like the amount required. Going through the departments he had found fairly large supply votes already on the estimates, and they were not able to work in more than a fourth of those set down last year. He had had a hint, also, that if the war went on he was not to have a red. cent, next year. He could not hold out any hope as to new buildings. He fully realised the inconvenience that the societv was put to, and thought a small sum of money rmcrbt be expended to remedy the present crush and meet internal requirements. As, however, they were not expecting the war to close down this year, he could not hold out any hope that the financial position, would be better next year. * Mr. XVilliams: XX r e cannot rely on getting any money already put down on the estimates I The Minister: Oh, no. There will not, probablv, be enough money to meet one third of the amounts put down on the estimates'. He promised to get an officer of the Public XVorks Department to report with a jriew to carrying out minor alterations. „ , Air. XX 7 illiams: Can you spend £lOO ? , , . , The Minister: Yes, I think that might be done. I will get the officer to make a suggestion. BAILIFF’S DUTIES.

Mr. XVilliams said there was another matter to which the society desired to draw the Minister’s attention. That was to the fact that great inconvenience and loss resulted from the Magistrate’s Court bailiff being allowed to act as crier during the Supreme Court. The Minister: I will get this matter inquired into, and see whether the inconvenience can be remedied. I have never had my attention called to it before. Mr. Hallett said it was thought that a better system could be adopted in connection with the duties of a bailiff. . The Minister: I will get a report and see w’hat can be done. Mr. XVilliams thanked the Minister for giving the deputation a hearing, and subsequently conducted the Minister through the building.

SIX O’CLOCK CLOSING

DEPUTATION TO HON. DR. M‘NAB. A deputation, introduced by his Worship the Mayor (Mr. W. Bart) waited upon the Hon. Dr. R. McNab at the Y.M.C.A. rooms, Hastings, yesterday evening, urging on the Government the advisability of the early closing of public bars. Representatives of the various churches and local citizens were M. A. Rugby Pratt said they had come forward as the representatives of the different denominations and 3000 citizens of Hastings. He regretted that the Cabinet had not taken more definite action considering the largely-signed petit/bns that had been presented. the speaker then read the A-solution passed by the various denominations in Hastings, which urged the restriction of the hours in the selling ot liquor, and the taking of a referendum on the question. The request, the sepaker said, was very largely backed un, and he asked the Minister to use his best efforts in order to give the people an opportunity of deciding the question for themselves if Parliament was not prepared to act on its own initiative. He trusted the Minister’s views had not changed on the liquor question. Mr. C. T. Russell said he endorsed the remarks of the previous speaker. They were all in earnest in the matter, and were backed up by a vast majority of the people. The early closing of hotels would be beneficial to our young men and would help win the war. It might press hard upon some, but someone had to make sacrifices, aild it devolved upon them to take a firm stand. They should not study the interests of a few, but the greatest number.

Mr. A. Low said the petitions to! Parliament had been very lightly treated. Alessrs. D. G. Ford and G. b. Clapham also spoke strongly in favour of the movement. I The Hon. Dr. AlcNab, in reply,! said he was pleased the deputation had waited upon him, as there was a serious misrepresentation in the. matter. The petitions had been sent | to the House and not to Cabinet, and | all petitions were first dealt with by a special committee before coming before the Government. It was against the rules of the House to ( discuss the matter until it came! from the committee, and the Government were not guilty of any negligence. He would place thir representations before the Government at the right moment. The House had been petitioned, and not the Government, and the request would be considered when it came from the committee. The Government could not be charged with negligence. A heartv vote of thanks was passed to the Minister and the deputation withdrew.