The Stratford Evening Post. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. THURSDAY, MAY 15, 1913. DEFARMING THE JUDICIARY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 9, 15 May 1913, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. THURSDAY, MAY 15, 1913. DEFARMING THE JUDICIARY.

■Referring to the recent admission of tiie “Unity Congress Committee,” the central governing council of the Labour Tarty,” that if Labour ever reaches office it will take care to name judges who will construe the Jaw as the Labour caucus desires was not a mistake, the Christchurch “Press” points out that Mr Welliam Belcher defends the Committee’s statement in a letter to the “Otago. Daily Times.” He pretends, to he sure, that Labour merely claims the right to “name the judges” when it is in power; but nobody has suggested that a Labour Government should not have as much power as any other Government. Mr Belcher realises, however, that this -excuse will not do, for he suggests that in Britain judges are appointed, not “for ability or fairness,” but as partisans. “Labour,” he says, will appoint men who have “a few drops of the milk of human kindness” in them, and “then, perhaps, Labour will come into its own heritage.” This, the “Press” continues, is a direct imputation against flio honour of perhaps the one perfectly honourable body in the world. Mr Belcher has only made the case of the “Labour” Party worse than before. It was bad enough that “Labour” should aim at packing the Bench with tools of the “Labour” caucus; it is worse when ihs leaders proceed to defame the judiciary.