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Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 56, Issue 4043, 4 May 1938, Page 6

Charged with assaulting Constable Mackenzie while in the lawful execution of his duty, with using obscene language and resisting arrest, William Myers was sentenced to eight months imprisonment in the Kawhia Police Court on Monday. Under the Counties Act it is pro vided that any person whose rates;, ten days before the poll, had been unpaid for not less than six months, is not entitled to vote at a county election, though curiously enough this provision does iot prevent a defaulting county ratepayer voting for members of hospital, electric power and harbour boards. As a result of the operation of this provision, 73 ratepayers will not be able to vote at, the Waipa County elections in the Newcastle, Rangiaohia and Kakapuku ridnigs next* week, though they will not be debarred from voting at the Hospital Board election to be held on the same day. Some comment on the restrictions which hedge about the Bench was made by the Chief Justice, Sir Michael Myers, in his charge to the Grand Jury at the opening of the quarterly session of the Supreme Court in Hamilton yesterday. “You may ask why I refer to this matter,” said His Honour. after making a lengthy statement on the subject of negligent driving. as reported in another column, “and the answer is that a judge is barred from taking to the public platform on any matter of public interest or importance. He is barred from writing newspaper articles or letters to the press, and, in short, from all avenues of publicity, save one. The only opportune time is when making his charge to the Grand Jury. My excuse,” conclude*! His Honour, “if excuse be needed, is that this question of negligent driving is of most serious and general importance and it is anyone’s duty, if he can make useful suggestions, to do so.”