JUDGE AND LAND AGENTS

Waikato Times, Volume 94, Issue 14722, 12 August 1921, Page 6

JUDGE AND LAND AGENTS

STRICTURES FROM BENCH. WAIKATO ASSOCIATION'S PROTEST. : LETTER TO MINISTER OF J/USTICE. The following is a copy of a letter I which, we understand, lias been forwarded by the Waikato Land Agents' Association to the Minister for Justice : j •'The Honorable the Minister of Justice. Wellington: Sir.—l am instructed by my Association to lay before you our respectful but emphatic protest against the remarks reported in the Press as made by Mi- Justice Stringer, jn Ill's summing up of a case, as reported in the enclosed portion of the Waikato Times. The defendant in this case offered a property which the plaintiffs took, and for which .they paid an amount of £I2OO as part purchase money. Unfortunately, the fact that the defendant is now a land agent seems to have led to the Judge making these remarks, but he sold the property in question as an owner. His Honor is reported in the newspaper as follows: 'This, added his Honor, appeared to be the altitude of mind of land agents and indicative of the sort of statements made when they were trying to effect sales. He was not referring to this particular case, but it appeared to be part of the business of the land agent lo make all sorts of statements to influence the sale of a property. They exaggerated the virtues and minimised the disadvantages.' It appears to my Association that the learned Judge went out of his way to malign members of my profession, and in view of the fact that such statements cause irreparable harm and will, we presume, have been sent thr.ough the country by the Press Association, we have no other remedy bul to bring the mailer respectfully under your notice and In ask that it be investigated. My Association is affiliated Willi the Dominion Land and Estate Agents' Association, which is whole-hearted for the cleaning up and improvement of Ihe status of the members of Ihe profession, and we, feel keenly the aspersions cast upon us in this, apparently, unwarranted manner by his Honor.—Yours faithfully, N. G. (HUBBLE, Secretary to the Waikato Land and Estate Agents' Association.