THE PRICE OF LANGUAGE.

NZ Truth, Issue 93, 30 March 1907, Page 6

THE PRICE OF LANGUAGE.

The 'Jay Pees of Oh'ristchuroh, or some 6f them, take the bun right enough. They have not the slightest conception of what Justice is, and make suoh hideous mistakes when important cases are on t the board that the police- don't care about asking them to hear them, and often apply for a remand.- ' These Justices are: especially lenient with men who possess vile tongues. Obscene language of the most objectionable character is rampant m the streets of Christohuroh at night, and a large number of cases are not due to drink as may be supposed ; the dirtymouthed brutes are softer, and use it as ' a matter of common ' practise, yet when the police happen to collar any of these rascals and haul them before Justices they are treated with the utmost leniency. . There were two very bad cases heard there' this week, when the bulky Barrett, ex-publican and ex-miner, and bald-headed Aitken were aloft- looking -damned "wise. A man of the working class named George Green was charged with having taken, too much froth,' and also with having used obscene language m High-street. He admitted the beery portion of the business, but said he didn't remember anything about the other. Constable A. Ineram proved the charge, and the language turned out to bo about the worst that an alleged man could use. There was no defence, but Green said that he had been m Ohristchurch for years, and that was his first trip to court. He pleaded that he had a large family to support, but he didn't say why he should get boozed and use filihv language m a place where other people's families might be listening. Then the precious Justices only fined

Green a quid, and gave him time to get the oof. The spectators thought it was a case for q,uod, but it was quid instead, and the prisoner seemed surprised. : Having fined this bloke a few bob, the bench couldn't well act differently when the next case was called on. This chap was Llewellyn David Hughes, who had been m the employ of the Corporation for five years. He was represented by lawyer Donnelly, and his defence was that he did use violent, . objectionable and coarse langua/ge, bufr denied having interpolated a- certain word that made the language ''obscene." It appeared, that policeman Ross, whoparts his hair . so nicely, was mooning round m plain clothes along Cashelstreet when he copped a coot* who was running away from someone or something after bashing him. Hughes didn't know Ross, but asked him what the so-and-so he was^- doing stopping the runaway-Mie -should leave that business to the police. He soon discovered Ross's true character a<ad was boobed himself for Ms -bighlv disgusting conduct. Counsel pointefi out that there might" be an uncertainty about the particular words used, and a denial was forthcoming from his nicely-dressed nibs himself. Sergeant Norwood gave him one m the ribs right away when he said ' ■Miat be . worked for the City Council i —a body that makes by-laws for the good government of the town, one of which laws he himself was defying when he endeavored to prevent a P 0 "* liceman from doing his jooty. The pris-pner admitted tha/fc he had done wrong, and that ;it' Vould be a lessqn to him, The'.'bfcnch dealt with him as they had- I<done1 < done the other! brute, fining him a" paltry pound. Well, he should consraer himself darned , lucky that he. escaped so easily. He wasn't drunk, and was riding a bike at the time.