Publication of Court Reports.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3643, 28 April 1906, Page 2

Publication of Court Reports.

[We do not hold ourselves responsible for opinions expressed BY OUR CORRESPONDENTS.]

(to editor of manawatu herald.) Sir, —ln a recent issue you were good enough to intimate that your columns were open to anyone who desired to take advantage of them for correspondence or matters of public interest, and I shall be happy to be one of the first to avail myself ot this offer. With regard to the subject matter indicated by the heading of this letter it has been frequently noticed that your reports, besides being exceedingly brief, omit a number of civil and other cases which have been decided in the local Court. Brevity of detail Is probably of little consequence, but the practice of giving publicity in some cases to the failing of persons (in the matter of non-payment of their debts or in respect to their indulgence-in practices which it is the policy of the law to disallow) and concealing it in others, is more serious, I had always been under the impression that these omissions were purely accidental, but it happened recently that the judgment creditor in one of the cases which had been omitted (the name of which with my client’s permission I shall be happy to mention if you desire) inquired for the reason from the chief of your editorial department, and was met by the extraordinary reply that a report of the case in question was omitted “ because it would only mean a cheap advertisement for the solicitor engaged,” (who happened to be myself) or words to that effect, an ; advertisement which, in view of its cheapness, you were not disposed to give. I should be most reluctant to believe that any consideration of this nature could influence you, or any other level headed journalist, in dealing unfairly with the public by giving them inaccurate information relating to the~ Court pro* ceedings, or with the’ defendants whose names come into the Court proceedings, or with the defendants whose natfies come _ into the Court records by giving publicity to some and not t<3F others; and I shall be glad to hear your complete denial of the. truth., of the report which had been given., to me. In case, however, the * should be any truth in it I would point out that a simple way tameet your objection to the dis*pensing of cheap advertisements, and at the same time furnish the public with fair and accurate information as to the litigants concerned, would be to publish ti e case without mentioning the nan#, of the solicitor engaged. TJTf\ you are perfectly welcome to do xk far as I am concerned, partly in de r ersnce to your own feelings .its the matter and partly in view of a proper aversion entertained by members of my calling against professional advertising. I ant surprised that so simple a method of dealing with the matter has not already occurred to you,, particularly in view of the fact that you very often in any case omit the name of the solicitor concern'd in cases which you do report. If the suggestion offered does not appear satisfactory you - might perhaps take the alternative of either publishing the whole of the Court list or none of it. Ido not for a moment suggest that your action in this matter, assuming the ex- v planation which has been given to me to be correct, proceeds from any feeling of personal animosity. One could hardly believe that after the emphatic denial of any such tendency on your part which you very properly made in last issue, and I am happy to be; able to suggest a method of dealing with the matter which will not offend against your scruples about advertising (scruples which I may mention are not shared by other newspapers) and will at the same time lead to fair dealing with the .public. Nevertheless I amconfident you will be able to give a complete denial to the 1 extraordinary motive which has been assigned for the omissions which have occurred, and to assure us that they are, as I have always supposed, merely due to accident. • This is the only view which is consistent with the sense of unbiased fairnner.s which you claim to possess and which you have always shown in the execution of vour editorial and reporting duties. I am, etc., R. Moore. [Since the above letter and the leading article referring to was partly in type, Mr Moore expressed the wish that it may be better if his letter never appeared, as perhaps the objection should come from the judgment creditor concerned. However, under the conditions, we thought it best to publish everything in full, as it opens up a big question. Ed, MH.|