COURT FOR SHANNON.

Shannon News, 2 August 1921, Page 2

COURT FOR SHANNON.

“NOT SUFFICIENT BUSINESS. A

During his visit to Shannon on Saturday, Mr E. Newman, M.P., had his attention drawn to the need of regular sittings of the Magistrate’s Court in the town, the business at present being about divided between the Levin and Palmerston North Courts, to the great expense and inconvenience of local'residents. Mr Newman stated that he had already made representations about the matter, and had got a reply from the Acting-Minister of Justice, the Hon. Downie Stewart, who had replied that after inquiry into the question of -a court -for: Shannon, it was found that there was not sufficient business to justify sittings here. Mr Newman said he 'was not going to let- the matter, rest there, but would get in touch with the Minister for Justice, the lion, kr Lee, when he returned from Samoa, aii(f lay the position before him. The Mayor'(Mr Murdoch) said h§° believed that the amount of court business transacted by was greater than that at Levin. He instanced the large amount of Shannon business that was transacted at Levin court on Thursday, and said that it was not always expedient to wait for the Levin court, and cases had to be sent to Palmerston North. Was it right to expect people to go to the expense of having their cases heard outside the town. Many people would rather suffer a loss than go to this trouble. Mr Newman asked wliat were the respective distances to the nearest centres which had sittings. X/ The Mayor: Eleven miles to Levin, 22 miles to Palmerston-North, and 11 to Foxton. ' Mr Newman said he would like the matter left in abeyance until he bad an opportunity of seeing the Minister. Mr Murdoch pointed out that the court /was for the purpose of serving all file people. If an area of five ,or six miles radius were taken from Shannon, lie maintained that there was a bigger population than in the same radius about Levin. ■ , % Mr Newman stated there was a great difficulty now in getting anything from the Government if it cost money. However, he would see the Minister when he returned.