PUBLIC OPINION
(To the Editor)
Sir, —The powers of outback Justices of the Peace certainly need revising, if the hearing of serious criminal charges is to be within their scope ot duties, the elevation from the ranks 01 the unsophisticated to the bench of the police courts, even in emergency, though mildly diverting at present will eventually become a puolic menace. Justices of the Peace in receipt of salaries or wages should be excised from the list, and an academic status if maintained might eliminate the rustics.
Artisans, clerks, and dairy farmers are just about as competent to preside at the battle royals between auditors and solicitors in open court as navvies or shopboys. In the recent case against the Clerk of the Mangonui County Council —the Council's solicitor appeared for the defence without protest or comment whatsoever, irom the County Council, and upon this aspect of the proceedings it remains to be seen whether the public are for ever to submit to this nature of things. Ido not suggest the Council’s solicitor was wrong professionally in taking the case for the defence, but I do suggest the Council was wrong in not having a little more backbone. —I am, etc., H J D Andrews. (To the Editor) Sir, —Mr F Holuer stigmatises the respective authors of three letters published under nom de plumes in your issue of September 21st. as cowardly invertibrates and found it to be the opinion of everyone with whom he discussed the matter. It just depends upon whom Mr Holder discussed tins subject—as nearly everyone that I have met is so thoroughly disgusted with the conduct of the public men he belatedly defends, that they characterise the wuoie business as one of the worst examples of inefficiency to be found on this side of the Pacific —n this is so—ycur correspondents were perfectly justified in resorting to nom de plumes as victimisation is by no means one of the lost aits as far as the Winterless North is* concerned. I am etc. H J D Andrews
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Bibliographic details
Northland Age, Volume 27, Issue 42, 28 October 1927, Page 2
Word Count
341PUBLIC OPINION Northland Age, Volume 27, Issue 42, 28 October 1927, Page 2
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