THE MAYOR’S COURT.

Evening Star, Issue 3143, 17 March 1873, Page 2

THE MAYOR’S COURT.

To the Editor. Sir,— Since my return to town this evening, I have observed that a discussion has been raised in the City Council, and subsequently in the columns of your own and contemporary’s issues, as to the propriety of the abolition, or rather removal of what is commonly called the Mayor’s Court; but which is, in reality, the City Police Court. The principal, or, indeed, I may say the only argument which has been used in the Council, and by correspondents to the papers, appears to be that the amount realised is so smajl as to render it undesirable, in the interests of tlie citizens, that a separate Court should be maintained. In support of this contention certain figures have been given, purporting to be a correct return of the financial results of the Court for the two years ending _ December last, and during which period I have presided over ib I wish to say, now, that these figures are incorrect, and that thus the basis of the structure, upon which the only argument used up to the present time is built, crumbles to the ground. I have not had time or opportunity since my return, to collect the necessary facts to show this through the medium of your columns ; but I shall do so on Monday, and will, if you permit me, publish the same in your Tuesday’s issue ; and, in the meantime, would ask both you and your readers to suspend further judgment in the matter, or at any rate upon the financial aspect of it, until then. 1 may remath, in conclusion, that I had, previously to 1 leaving town, pointed out to the Town Clerk the error he had made in the statement he gave to Mr Ramsay, and I must say I am considerably astonished that that officer did not apparently deem it within the scope of his duties to inform Councillor Ramsay thereof, and thus have prevented him giving to the citizens an incorrect statement. —I am, &c., H. S. Fish, Jun, Dunedin, March 15,