POLICEMEN’S “PERKS”

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 318, 31 March 1928, Page 1

POLICEMEN’S “PERKS”

ISSUE OF SUMMONSES SERVICE BY POST COUNTRY OBJECTIONS A policeman’s life is not a happy one, but in country districts it is made more bearable by the fact that he is able to augment his salary with fees for serving summonses. Recent legislation, which comes *nto force to-morrow, however, provides that service may be effected by post. This edict has caused much heartburning in the ranks of country constables. (From Our Own Correspondent.) PUTARURU, Friday. The new regulation was mentioned in the Putaruru Magistrate’s Court today by Mr. C. G. Bell to Mr. S. L. Paterson, S.M., who was holding his first sitting in Putaruru. Mr. Bell pointed out that the new regulations governing the service of summonses, which would come into fore® on April 1, provided that a registered letter might take the place of the oldfashioned method of delivery of a summons by the local constable. He said *this method might be quite good for the department, and bring them in a lot of revenue, which formerly went to the police, but there would be no guarantee of delivery. MIGHT BE “FORGOTTEN” In country districts the mails were often not collected for days, while in the case of a rural delivery—as the contents of the envelope were plainly marked on the back —it was quite possible it would be left in the box by the wayside. The wording of the Act stated that service of a summons might be done by registered letter, and as it was thus left open, Mr. Bell suggested that a written request by a solicitor for personal service by the police should be accepted. As all mileages over 4s had to be certified to by the magistrate, local solicitors desired to know whether this suggestion would be approved. It was obvious that the department had not contemplated the difficulties likely to arise in the coutnry when drawing up the regulations. A REAL DIFFICULTY Mr. Paterson stated that lie had already considered the subject, and it was his intention to make representations to the department. There was a real difficulty in country districts, especially when dealing with natives, who often had no fixed abode. For the present he was prepared to certify for this class of service, and also for rural deliveries when there was a reasonable explanation.