DISTRICT COURTS RETRENCHMENT.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2054, 23 September 1880, Page 2

DISTRICT COURTS RETRENCHMENT.

[Br Teibssath.] [frost ottb owk cobkespoitdekt.j WELLINGION, September 22. With reference to my telegram last night regarding the intention of the Government ae to District Courts retrenchment, I find that by direction of the Government returns have been recently prepared, showing the amount of business actually transacted at the various District Courts, with a view of ascertaining whether in any cases they could be spared without prejudice to the public convenience. The result is some interesting statistics. In the Auckland judicial district, durjjip the first six months of the current _ar "the District Court dealt with 74 cases and 4 criminal cases, sitting at Auckland, Gisbome, Hamilton, and the Thames at various intervals. In Taranaki there were 37 civil cases and 1 criminal trial, the Court sitting at New Plymouth and Carlyle. In Hawko's Bay, the Court sat 28 times, dealing with 4 criminal and 33 civil cases. In tho Wellington district, the Court sat 21 times, the sittings being distributed among Wellington City, Greytown, Masterton, Falmeriton, and Wanganui. The cases were 8 criminal and 30 civil. In the Nelson district, the Court tat 35 times, the places being Kelson, Motueka, Beefton, and Westport, and the number of cases 67 civil and 3 criminal. Of these, however, 59 belonged to the town of Nelson, Motuaka having none at all, Beefton only 3, and Weatport but 9. The Marlborough Court sat six times each at Picton and Blenheim, while only one single case was presented. In Westland the Court sat 9 times each at Hokitika and Greymouth, but only 1 criminal and 9 civil cases came before it in the whole half-year. At Hokitika the Court had only 1 criminal and 2 civil cases to deal with in 9 sittings, and at Greymouth but 7 in the same number of sittings. In Canterbury the Court sat 33 times, viz., at Christchurcb, Ashburton, Oamaru, Timaru, and Waimate, dealing with 2 criminal and 83 civil cases. In Otago the Court held 54 sittings, viz., 6 each at Dunedin, Inver argill, Oamaru, Palmerston, and Milton, and 3 each at Alexandra, Arrowtown, Clyde, Cromwell, Lawrence, Naseby, Queenstown, and TapanuL The cases adjudicated on numb red 4 criminal and 135 civil, but these were most unequally distributed. For instance, Invercargill had 72 cases, Dunedin 17, Lawrence 15, and Oamaru 11, but Alexandra, Arrowtown, and Naseby had none at all, Clyde and Tapanui only 2 cases, and Queenstown 3in all. This shows that there is a large opening for economy, and I have reason to believe that the Government will cut down the expenses to the utmost. Further eoonomy probably may be effected by utilising the services of some Native Land Court Judges, whose time is by no means fully occupied, as Deputy Judges in the District Courts.