BLOCK AT THE POLICE COURT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13030, 22 November 1905, Page 4

BLOCK AT THE POLICE COURT.

PROTEST BY SOLICITORS.

ANOTHER MAGISTRATE REQUIRED.

As justices of the peace have no jurisdiction in dealing with maintenance cases, all the cases set down for hearing at tho Police Court yesterday had to be adjourned owing to the . stipendiary magistrates not being available. Mr. C. C. Kettle, S.M., was engaged in an appeal against a taxation assessment, and Mr. R. W. Dyer, S.M., had left for the North to preside at the country courts. Messrs. R. O. Ilejuly and D. Hewitt, J.P.'s, sat in the Police Court and dealt with two first-offending drunkards.

Mr.'Skelton, who appeared for a Taranaki cattle-dealer named Robert John Eglington, who was summoned in connection with au application by his wife for maintenance, made a strong protest against delay in the conduct of the Court business. Mr. Sikeltonstated that the summons was issued for service on October 23, and the case set down for hearing yesterday, The complainant lived n't Mokau, and one of the witnesses had cornc up .fronv'Xew Plymouth and another from Kawhia. All the witnesses were present, but no magistrate was available to hear the case, and he did not know whether to advise them to go back or stay in Auckland. It was the usual practice to set apart Tuesday for maintenance cases. On Tuesday next Mr. Dyer, S.M., would be leaving for Helensvillo, and Mr. Kettle, S.M., was expecting to be called South to sit 011 a Commission in connection with the Meikle case. Ho did not blame the magistrates, who were overworked, but thought his clients had not been considered by the authorities as . they should have been. —-

, Mr. Brookfield, who appeared for the complainant in the same case, concurred with Mr. Skelton's statement, and added that ha had sat with Mr. Kettle from half-past nino a.m. until after six p.m. when Mr. Kettle wished to clear off the work. The magistrates did their best to cono with the work, but either another magistrate would have to bo provided or Mr. Dyer's country work lessened. The Bench said b<?th parties had their sympathy, but they could do no more than adjourn the case until Thursday next.