THESE ABSURD "COURT-FEE" STAMPS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3209, 11 October 1881, Page 3

THESE ABSURD "COURT-FEE" STAMPS.

Ever since the system now obtaining of haying the fees, etc., in the Resident • r, ' Magistrate's Court paid to the clerks in stamps, instead of in good wholesome coin of the British realm, was put into operation, thero hare been grumblings deep and bitter against the obnoxious 'improvement , inflicted upon, the public re this' mode ,of collecting.that sinister kind of revenue. Of 'course pinch has been said and written before on the subject, and we feel that we are not approaching anj thing very new. But, ! some days ago, there appeared to be a prospect of this highly inconvenient mode of supplementing the Treasury funds being * improved' out of existence. In the House of Representatives the other day, the

Colonial Treasurer, Major Atkinson, replied in answer to a question, that changes were in contemplation regarding the use of adhesive stamp 3in payment of Magisterial Courts' fees, and also for the payment of office charges and legal charges instead of these stupid stamps. But since this haphazard remark, as we believe it to have been, was made, nothing further has been said in the House on the subject. Wo are quite aware wo are re-echoing the public voice, including that of the learned profession and of the suffering laymen as well, whdn we say that this uncalled for, and inexplicably ridiculous system of paying costs of law proceedings in paper-money, so to speak, paper-money obtainable with much difficulty and loss of time of ten—never met the requirements of those who are com- j pelled to have dealings with the Courts of Justice. And, besides the expense of printing these lilliputian documents —as documents they are, and of a very stern complexion too —there is the cost to the Government attached to remunerating their vendors for the exertions used in getting rid of them. But this expense is but a drop of -water in the ocean of trouble with -which parties who are unfortunate enough to have business With the courts have to contend. An inhoceht' iayman' wants a summons ; he is told by the clerk of the Court: ' Fetch me your'stamps.' ' Where,' says the innocent evasively ? ' Find that out for yourself,' might be the answer. The ' culprit' —aa he really feels like one, rushes into town and hunts up a ' licensed' vendor of the article. It is purchased and handed over. But then comes the period of hearing, of judgment —summons, and of what not. The official clamours all the time for 8 more stamps !' and the ' patient rushes out again to face the semi-official foe.' When the whole thing is done, 'when the tooth is drawn, , then comes wondering thoughts as to what all this business can be about. As an efficient check upon the honesty of the clerks of the Courts, the system is simply moonshine. G-overnment officials, now-a-days, are tied up, hands and feet, in every possible direction. Let alone there having to bank their receipts are duly checked and coimter-checked in manifold ways, the operation of the guarantee funde system is most strictly applied. But ifc is the interests of the public in a matter of the kind whicb should be mainly kept in view. Thie stamp system is as detestible in its practical action as it is ridiculous. We wonder that the Law Society, if there be any vitality left in that effete body, did not move long ago in the matter of having it abolished. The G-overnment has made a promise, through the Colonial Treasurer, to have the ' improvement' abolished. Let praotibility be given to the words.—Canterbury Standard.