THE GLOBE. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 1880.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1909, 7 April 1880, Page 2

THE GLOBE. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 1880.

It is satisfactory to be able to record that for the first time for many years the criminal calendar has beon free from any charge of forging or passing valueless eheques. This result is, perhaps, to be attributed to the fact that his Honor the Judge, in his charges to the grand jury, has not only intimated his intention of dealing with the utmost severity of the" law with any offenders of this class, but also that he should disallow the expenses of any prosecutor proved to have taken cheques without full inquiry. That the atter has bad a salutary effect was probably pro"4kl a case in the Supremo Court v-non, whore two men were staflHSx > have visited unsuccessfully every hotel in the city to get a cheque for £ls cashed, although it was by a well-known squatter. Tho practice, hitherto, has been for tradesmen to take cheques from anyono who might como into their place of business, without any previous knowledge either of tho drawer or presenter. That such a practice would of necessity encourage tho evil disposed to plunge into criaio is obvious, and it is to bo regretted that tho repeated warnings of his Honor from the judicial bench should not earlier have had effect. However, it is at least satisfactory that oven at this late period there should be some signs of a determination on tho part of the public not to place temptation in the way of criminals by the lax practice of taking cheques from persons unknown to them. It is a matter of great public importance for, looked at even from a purely selfish point of view, tho f ornutf.ion of a criminal class means the constant expenditure of public money, and a number of other singularly disagreeable experiences as well. We hope that next session his Honor will be ..enabled again to congratulate the Grand Jury on the absence from the calendar of any cases either of forgery or passing valueless cheques.

The discovery that the present erections in the market square, known as "Victoria market, are within the building block will somewhat complicate matters as regards the position of the City Council. That body, it will bo recollected, is, as regards these tenoments, in the position of landlord. Now there can be no doubt that, those tenements being within the building block, the City Council are breaking their own law, seeing that. the buildings are built of wood. Unless, therefore, they take steps to have the law complied with, how can they, with any consistency, make it imperative upon other ratepayers to erect buildings as laid down under the by-law. There can be no doubt of the fact that the market is a groat public convenience, and in speaking as we have done in former articles on this subject, we have not omitted to notice this. But, while this is so, there i 3 now no doubt that the erection of the buildings, as they stand, is in direct contravention of the law. The market is a great public convenience, but this does not exempt the occupiers of these buildings from the same responsibility that affects their fellow ratepayers within the building block. Anyone desiring to erect a building within these limits has to do certain works, and there can be and is no exception. There is nothing at all which will enable such a block of buildings as that at the Market Square to be erected. It will be seen how very necessary it is that in a wooden town BMch. as Christchurch now becoming thickly built over, precautions, such as those contained in the law on this subject should be rigidly enforced. To place in the midst of the city a block such as this, is, apart from the legality of the question, a most dangerous proceeding. Imagine a fire breaking out amongst these shanties with a strong nor'-west wind blowing, and carrying the flames over the street! We must be distinctly understood as not wishing in any way to oppose the establishment of the market. On the contrary, we consider it to be a great boon to the working classes, hut we would desire to point out that, by permitting the erection of such buildings as at present serve the purpose, the City Council are'breaking their own law and and stultifying themselves. We hope they will be enabled to see some way out of the difficulty which at present exists.