AUCKLAND COURTS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1875, 8 October 1913, Page 4

AUCKLAND COURTS.

THE INCREASE OF BUSINESS. . (By Telegraph-—Spocial Correspondent.)' Auokland, October 7. Some interesting remarks were made by Mr. C. C. Kettle, S.M., in'taking | up duty at the now Magistrate's Court. He said that, durin'g tho past ten years, tho business of tlio Court had increased to a remarkablo extent, and now it was undoubtedly tho . busiost in tho Dominion. He,'understood that it was somo time since tho flag, which waß tho blue riband of tho bailiffs of Now Zealand, had been relinquished to Mr. Campbell, the Auckland bailiff, by his colleague at Wellington. . (Laughter!) Tho business done in 1012-13, as compared with that 'Of 1902r3, was as follows Amount sued f0r—£87,292 (£27,484); amount recovered, £42,889 £15,454); criminal eases heard, 7381 (3685); criminal fees received, £4222 (£1065); civil fees received, £4628 (£1663). Tlio number of civil cases heard was 1825 in 1905-G and 3781 in 1912-13, and tho number of plaint notes entered had risen from 3143 to 6681 in tho samo period. Tho clcrk of tlio court estimated that fully 8000 plaint notes would bo ■ entered for tho year fending in March next. Tho time was coming, said Mr. Kettle, when it would be nccessary to establish suburban, courts, wliei'o justices could deal with "the gentlemen who exceeded" and tlio •cyclist who rodo his machine on tho . footpath. It was rather a fare# to bring such offenders right into town, nnd suburban courts would greatly relieve tho congestion of business in the Police Court.