COURT STATISTICS

Southland Times, Issue 21288, 8 January 1931, Page 5

COURT STATISTICS

QUARTERLY RETURNS. The following are the returns for the Supreme and Magistrate’s Courts in Invercargill for the quarter ending December' 31, 1930, as supplied by the staff. The figures for the corresponding quarter in 1929 are given in parentheses' x Magistrate's Court. Number of sittings presided over by Stipendiary Magistrate, 66 (56); by Justices of the Peace 14 (17). Total amount sued for, £11,536 14/- (£8,487 15/11). Applications heard in Court or Chambers, 22 (33). Plaints entered 732 (693.) Distress warrants issued 45 (31). Judgment summonses issued, 120 (131). Warrants of committal issued) 17 (3). Writs of arrest issued, nil (nil). Summonses and other processes served by bailiffs, 482 (449.) Warrants executed by bailiffs, 24 (25). Civil summonses served by registered letter, 145 (157). Arrest cards 79 (62). Summons cards 231 (260.) Civil Business. Plaints entered 732 (693). Amount sued for, £11,536 14/- (£8,487 15/11). Cases tried, 442 (488). Total amount claimed for cases tried, £7,458 9/10 (£5,938 8/1). Total amount for which judgment centered, £6,385 2/8 (£5,640 0/3.) Supreme Court. —Criminal. — Sitting days, 1 (7). True bills, nil (5). No bills, nil (1). Persons convicted, nil (3). Persons acquitted, nil (2). Persons sentenced, 2 (1). Divorce. Petitions filed, for—Restitution,, nil (1); dissolution, 5 (3). Trials —By Judge 4 (7) ; Degrees nise sealed 1 (1) ; degrees absolute sealed, 3 (4). Petitions dismissed or withdrawn, 1 (2). Administration. Probates and letters of administration scaled or resealed, 58 (73). ' Chattels. Securities filed, 315 (182). Satisfactions filed, 2'2 (35). Civil Business. Actions commenced, 7 (12). Amount claimed. £2,509 6/8 (£2,499 6/1). Cases tried by Judge alone 5 (1). Cases tried and decision given, 3 (1). Tried an d decision reserved until after end of quarter, 3 (nil.) Tried in previous quarter and decision now given, nil (nil.) Settled or discontinued 2 (1). Judgment—for plaintiff, 3 (nil) ; for defendant nil (1) ; given after trial 3 (1) ; entered by default or on confession, 1 nil (3). Number of sitting days (civil) 8 (2). Total number of taxations, including bankruptcy and divorce, nil (5). Writs of execution issued, nil (2). In Banco. Sitting days 2 (2). Appeals heard from inferior courts, 1 (1). Total number of applications heard, 3 (7). Bankruptcy. Number inclosed at end of preceding quarter 90 (76). Closed during the quarter, nil (27). Assets. realized, £BB4 1/4 (£599 7/5). Paid in dividends, including preferential claims, £1327 13/3 (£32 11/-). Releases granted, nil (nil). In Bankruptcy. The return compiled by the acting-Of-ficial Assignee (Mr P. W. J. Cockerill) shows that during the year ending December 31, 1930, 34 people in 26 occupations became bankrupt in Southland. Six of their number were labourers, three farmers, two contractors, and each of the following occupations had one representative: carpenter,'., carrier, coal merchant, commission agent, electrician, engine-driver, fireman, flaxmiller, fruiterer, hairdresser, joiner, milk vendor, motor driver, motor mechanic, motor omnibus proprietor, painter, road contractor, salesman, sawmill foreman, sawmill hand, storekeeper, taxi proprietor and vulcanizer. There was also a great diversity of occupations among the bankrupts in 1929. In that year five of the bankrupts were labourers, four farmers, three sawmill hands, two stewards, and one each of the following: Baker, boot repairer, builder, butcher, carter, commission agent, confectioner, draper, electrician, fisherman, fish merchant,' hawker, insurance agent, merchant, miner, motor salesman, picture proprietor, plumber, railway surfaceman, showman.