MAGISTRIAL.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 January 1917, Page 4

MAGISTRIAL.

(Westport News.)

The evidont intention of the Government to work the whole of tbs West Coast with the one Stipendiary Magistrate with headquarters at Greymoutb, will be strongly resented in Westport. This district suffers enough already through the headquarters of various Government tfficiitls being in Greymonth without having an additional infliction thrust upon it. No one magistrate can do the work of the whole of the West Coast with satisfaction to himself or the public. A magistrate, if he is to do justice to his office, mast have time for study, time for the reading up of oases ; but that will be impossible if one magistrate is allotted the task of taking the whole of the Stipendiary Magistrate’s work on the West Coast. In all probability, what will be done, if the intention is carried out, will be the cutting ont of many of the sittings now held in the smaller townships. For instance, courts like Granity, Denniston and even Karamea may be abolished. Litigants will then have to come to Westport, instead of the Magistrate going to suitable centres in the out districts. This will be a saving for the Government, at the expense of litigants.

Presently, if this policy ia pursued on the lines the Government seems in. elined to adopt, the courts will be held only at Greymonth and litigants from Westport and our back districts will have to go to the southern town to have their complaints heard and disputes settled. It will save the Government lots of money, and will look well in the annual budgets—but will drive many lidgants into the bankruptcy court, We all recognise that at the present time sacrifices must be made, bnt must protest against Westport being called upon to make its undue share. No other district in New . Zealand of equal siz9 and importance, with also its isolation, is treated ro scurvily. Our

public man should be up end doing, and make a most emphatic protest against such shabby treatment. If the Justice Department dssires to rearrange things on more convenient

lines, it can do so by making a magisterial district of Karamea. Bailer mining townships, Westport. Murchison, and Reefton, all of which can be conveniently worked from Westpor:, but to do as is apparently intended is an injustice that shou'd not be tolerated^