MAGISTERIAL MATTERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9211, 14 April 1908, Page 3

MAGISTERIAL MATTERS.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. MR A. S. ROWE INTERVIEWED. After spending five weeks at Rotorua undergoing treatment at the baths, Mr Augustus S. Roe, Senor Police Magistrate at Perth, is travelling south to the Bluff, making short stays at the larger towns on his way. He arrived in Christchurch on Saturday, and yesterday evening when seen by a "Star" reporter, he stated that he had enjoyed the climate of New Zealand, and was deeply grateful for the courteous way in which he had been greeted everywhere in the dominion. He had greatly benefited by the treatment at Rotorua. It was a wonderful place, and the scenery there was marvellous, though New Zealanders hardly wanted telling that. At Wellington he took opportunity to visit Mr Riddell, the Stipendiary Magistrate there, and in Christchurch he visited Mr H. W. Bishop and Mr V. G. Day. He had not been able to see very much of the Court work, but on comparing notes with the Magistrates he had found that there was a remarkable similitude in the practices of the Courts in New Zealand and Western Australia, although, of course, in the Australian State they had a larger and more varied class of criminal, due probably to the goldfields, which attracted a large mixed population. The procedure in the Courts differed in one or two small points. He instanced the fact that in Western Australia the minor criminals had no right of electing to go before a jury. Men charged with anything in the nature of disorderly conduct were compelled to submit to the, jurisdiction of the magistrate. ' ' But the two Courts are very much alike," said Mr Roe. " You work under a criminal code, as we do, and we have also a Justices of the Peace Act similar to yours. We use them in Perth frequently. I deal with about 5000 police cases every year, and my average in dealing with simple cases, such as drunkenness and small disorderly cases, ie one case per minute. The work has to be pushed ahead, or we would never bo finished. It is not uncommon in Perth to see three police courts sitting simultaneously. The civil work is kept entirely separate f rom". the Police Court. Mr J. Cowan, a police magistrate, hears the civil cases ; but I deal with the police matters. I notice that you treat your civil servants much better here than they' do in Western Australia." Continuing in the comparison of the magisterial matters of the two colonies, Mr Roe said that in Western Australia there was no permanent coroner, an officer that was badly needed. There he presided over the important inquests with a jury of three, not six as in New Zealand, but in the simpler inquests the selection of the coroner was almost haphazardous. The position of fhe Magistrate's Court in Christchurch was excellent, though the building itself was rather small. The Court was in a quiet spot and well away from the noise of the traffic in the BtTe&ts. In the central Court at Perth, the lockup was attached to the building, and th© interior was up-to-dat© in everyway^ but it was badly situated, having a railway line on one side, tram lines on another and a road that took tho heavy traffic from the railway on the third side. The noise at times ' was terrific, and often the business of the Court was suspended until the noise subsided.

In Western Australia a • Magistrate ooiild impose a sentence of twelve months' imprisonment, but in NewZealand the maximum was two years — a great advantage. In licensing mattens there Ay as isome difference. Western Australia had no local option, and New Zealand had it. but wh e n « license was being applied for a petition signed by the ratepayers of the district surrounding the hotel would .influence the Bench in its decision to grant or to refuse the application. In Perth the Licensing B&nch consisted of a Police Magistrate, as chairman, and. two laymen, appointed by the Government. He thought that the system of election by public vote, as in New Zealand, was much superior. 'There was & . strong agitation in Western Australia to eecuro a more complete option and a gen eral reform of the licensing and liquor laws. "Though I'm against .prohibition myself," said Mr Roe. "You have good laws. here and good methods of dealing with criminals. New South Wales is very_ poorly equipped in this respect. Their laws do not give sufficient powers to the police, and the result is that a very large number of criminals congregate there from all parts of the world. It is simply scandalous the way the criminals can flock to Sydney, and remain there." Mr Roe has had a long experience as Police Magistrate, and for two years he acted^as a Supreme Court Judge in Perth, the Judges being short-handed and overworked at that time. He had all the powers of a Judge except that .of sitting in the Appeal Court. Fewseven years previous to his appointment as Magistrate, Mr Roe wa6 the master of a steam er, and had considerable experiences in pearl shell fishing. He left Christchurch this morning by the first south express, and will t>robablv visit Queenstown, leaving Bluff finally on April 20, and returning toWestern Australia.