"How they pay for the Wainui Lock-up.”

Waipawa Mail, Volume X, Issue 1018, 4 December 1886, Page 4

"How they pay for the Wainui Lock-up.”

[to the editor.] Sir: —Would you be ktnd enough to allow me to explode a little of my indignation at the exhibition of arbitrary power displayed by our local constable, who has recently been stationed at Wainui. We know that every rising township requires police supervision, but it appears to mo that it may be carried too far. The Government can’t, or won’t, pay for the erection of a police station here, and it seems to allow money to be forced out of the public on some very trivial pleas, one of which happened recently at our local police court. I expect some of your readers will be wondering what ever has occurred. I shall tell them, and I hope what I aay will reach the heads of the department. I shall call my letter “ The way the money is raised to pay for the new lock-up.” The scene is Wainui ; the constable is away. Two men are down from the bush, and of course they are spending their money in the usual fashion. The temporary police station is opposite the public house ; the constable’s lady is at homo, and can easily see the men go now and then over to the store, which is also opposite to the pub. On Sunday morning, these two men are served with two sninmonses to appear on a certain date, at 9 o’clock. They duly appeared, and the constable came to the door and srid :—“This is for whom it may concern ; this court is adjourned uniil half past ten o’clock.” And lie repeated the adjournment notice three timeF, and the men were not tried until six o’clock in the evening. When the trial came on, a steady man who doesn’t drink, and a respectable resident, both gave evidence to tlio effect that the inen did not use any had language, and were not disorderly. On the other side, and against these two bona fide witnesses, the evidence of the constable and his wife was taken. The constable admitted when ho could not help doing so, that the men were not drunk enough to lock up. lie also stated at the close of the court that the men had been drinking just the same, since they had been served with the summonses, but that he had not seen better behaved fellows anywhere. The J.P. adjourned the court for a quarter of an hour to consider the evidence, and he was favored by the p.iesence of the constable. Now, you and 3 r our readers will say that the men were naturally called in and dismissed, as the weight of evidence was in their favor. Nothing of the sort. You forget the new lock-up ! In they went, and one was fined £3, and the other £2. I must add that one of the defendants stated in the court that he could bring three females to prove bis vindication, but be had too much respect for them than to call them, and also considered it was not necessary. I am sorry for trespassing on the space of your interesting and out spoken paper, which has a special interest to Wainui readers, and I sign myself A Lover of Justice.