INADEQUATE SALARIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17471, 15 May 1920, Page 8

INADEQUATE SALARIES.

JUDGES AND J MAGISTRATE?; WORKING WEEK OF 75 HOURS. PLEA ' FOR CONSIDERATION. [fit IfiltoiPH.-Uwif COWMKMnWSW.] HAMILTON, Friday. , The annual meeting of the Hamilton Law Society was held to-day, Mr. H. i. wk-frMot.** a atte "f; M Mr. "CHUM said fees had recently been Inched, but in view of the «vw increasing wat of livbg he thought he incoming council should consider whether they should not be again increfcv.4. u« ale, M. oat that Supreme Court Judges' salaries hat not been altered for 10 years, *»& the result that some in ' ferior practitioners were earning as much a« the Judges. The number of Judges was also .quit* inadequate, and it was his honest relief that many of them worked 75 hours per week. .Judges, had to be men of experience and «?• years, and they Should* not be called upon to work m hours, if it was potable Judges to form . Trades Union they had thebest passible case in favour of we. Mr. Gillies said the same applied to mag* {rates. The recent increases to them were not high enough. Th. 7 should be selected fee*, successful lawyers, V.it under the present system few would accept the position. The clerks in Magistrates fonts were also underpaid, and should be wanted increases. Mr. Gillies said tha society should also advocate the appointment Of * resident Judge at Hamilton, and in support of thiti he said that in 1919 there were 51 sitting, days of the criminal, and 31 .of the civil Court* in Hamilton, as against 24 and 19 rape* tirely in Dunedin. The same applied to the Magistrate's Court, where the figure* for 1919 :—Amount seed for : Html' ton, £20,000 ( Dunedin, £20,666. Amounts recovered: Hamilton, £10,173; Dunedin, £6915. In Dunedin a magistrate.was sitting all the time, whereas a magistrate spent about a fifth of his time in Hamilton. Mr. Gillies also advocated the establishment of a Stamps and f Deeds Office in Hamilton, and urged that the Court bailiff should be appointed a licensed vendor of stamps. . In conclusion, Mr. Gillies asked members to strictly «bs«?vis the etiquette of the profession, partkalarly in the matter of advertising, and § added that no complaints attaint* solicitors had been received doling.the past year. The following officers were elected:— President, Mr. E. H. Northeroft} viceE resident. Mr. S. 8. Allen; council, fessin. C. L. MacDiarfflid. 8. .Lewis, J. H. Luxfofd, and M. H.'Hamnsonj auditor, Mr. T. Gilchrist. !