PELICHET BAY PUBLIC BATHS.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2128, 2 March 1870, Page 3

PELICHET BAY PUBLIC BATHS.

To the Editor of the Evening Star. g lß) _With reference to an advertisement under’warrant of distress which appeared in your paper, in which I was plaintiff, and John Winton defendant, for costs of Com t, wh ch I did nut thb.k I was justilied in paying—will you allow space in your valuable paper for me to explain the case for the public information, as it relates to public property. In March last year, John Winton, boatman, would constantly insist on making his boat fast to the baths on the plea of it being public property, and he should do as he liked. I cautioned him; acd ho threatened to split my hj ad open if I loosened the boat. It consequently did considerable damage to the baths. 1 then summoned him for LlO ; he then brought Captain Dickie, harbor master, and Mr bmith, collector of jet}y dues at Stuart street jetty, to examine the damage, and on the d-'-y of hearing these and three others were subpoenaed as witnesses, but I being momentarily absent looking after an important witness, who was going away by the City of Dunedin the same day, the case was brought on and di-missed ; I asked to have the case reheard, they agreed, providing I paid the sum of L2 10s for the five witnesses, that is 10s each, and other 10s, making L 3 altof ether. Next day, I asked whether Captain )ickie and Mr Smith were allowed by the court their 10s each, they said yea. I then tendered L2, which they would not accept, as I considered two of the witnesses were public officers, and not entitled to their fees, or otherwise I should certainly have paid the full amount. On February 2lst,_ the bailiff seized my goods for the sum of Lo, which were sold afterwards for L 7, with that and other losses in protecting public property makes me a great loser, as 1 fully considered I was not legally or morally entitled to pay public officers their fees.—lam, &c., Robert James Willsor. Dunedin, March 1, 870.