APPEAL TO CITIZENS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20071, 18 October 1939, Page 7

APPEAL TO CITIZENS

; SUPPRESSION OF CRIME | ASSISTANCE TO STATE CHIEF JUSTICE'S PLEA (Pm- Press Association.) HAMILTON, this day In his charge to the grand jury at | the opening of the Supreme Court j session at Hamilton to-day, the Chief : Justice, Sir Michael Myers, appealed j to every citizen as a duty to assist | the State in these difficult times. : Everyone should lead a decent life ! that is free from crime. Every occu- ! pant of His Majesty's prison was a : stability on the State and it was our duty to help to suppress crime. He had impressed upon members of the j legal profession that it was neci cssary for assisting public economy j which applied throughout New Zea- | land. He hoped there would be no i delay between the hearing of civii leases and that solicitors would be I ready to proceed with the case imi mediately the previous one had been j concluded. He desired that cases should not be settled at the lasi | moment but that, if settlements were ! possible that they be made earlier. | Every day the court sat there were in j attendance about 50 men called for I the common jury. It meant a charge upon the State of about £4O a day } if they were brought to court unI necessarily. It might well mean a conj siderablc loss of money to the State, i He congratulated the district on the ; absence of crime, pointing out that j there was but one charge on the cal- ; endar.