PLAIN SPEAKING.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1129, 17 May 1911, Page 5

PLAIN SPEAKING.

» MR.ALLEN AND THE CHIEF JUSTICE THE HINE CHARGES. PAYMENT FOR COMMISSIONS. (By Tcleerapli.-Press Association.! Auckland, May 16. Mr. James Allen, M.P., in a speech afc St. James's Hall la,sl night, followed up the stntcment ho made at Hamilton that tho Courts of Justice in New Zealand were subject to improper influence. Ho said that a Judge might, perhaps unconsciously, bo influenced by tho Government voting money, for it was voted in tho form of an appropriation in payment for his services to the community on commissions. That .was a pretty, strong statement, but it was reasonably justified by the evidence. • When the Hino charges were being investigated tho Prime Minister wrolo to tho Chief Justico setting forth tho nature of the charges, and asking him to furnish tho names of two Judges willing to inquire into the matter. Sir Robert Stout replied asking that tho Judges might bo relieved of (ho responsibility, and though ho had not been asked to comment upon Iho charges he said iu his letter that charge i was "tho reproduction of. babblement of an election contest," and that the person making I he. threat was not at the time a member of Parliament, Both of tho?o statements, which tho Chief Justice had made without taking any evidence in the matter, were incorrect. "Tho Chief Justice," Mr. Allen continued, "was a member of tho Statutes Compilation Commission, which cost tho Dominion ,£5620, of which he received a very considerable share, and he was also a member of tho Native Lands Commission, which cost' ,£9811!. Was it not a fair thing to say that cither consciously or unconsciously tho Chief Justico was influenced by the fact that ho had been appointed to these commissions by tho Government, aud that large sums of money had got into his pocket from these commissions? Legislation had been placed upon tho Statute-book to prevent improper influenco being exercised upon Judges, and it was exceedingly improper to go beyond that statute, and by means of a vote upon the Estimates give a Judgo of the Supreme Court anything more than the money which is provided for him by law."