HONEST WORKMEN AND TRADERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 131, 28 June 1901, Page 2

HONEST WORKMEN AND TRADERS.

y TO THE EDITOR. b Sir, —The only persons against whom, - formerly, on order of imprieoom m j could have bean vnad», were those proved guil y o c cheating - e-1 di ois, and of defying the judgments of 0 our Courts Last se-si man Ac 1 : was a pas-ed kniwn us " Ths imprisonment , for Debt Limi'at : oa Ac 1 , 1900," aid jr .this Act has bear. juiciouislyiitr.ei pret»'d 1 as laking awiy the only remedy which - creditors had against dishones-. an I r fraudulent editors. It is obvious to ts all of us t>at it is illunvd to have la<v» i of conract if their ful6lment cannot be enforced by our Courts ajaios* thoi-e a guilty of fnud and contumacy. In my a fifteen years practice ia virious parts j of the colony I have never known a f case where an ord -r of imprisonme't f hps been improper'y made under th j f old Ac . It h*s, h iwever, been alleged j that the e hava been s'-nie Riich oi ders [ If this be trui?, thtn tha f«ult his not s bem with th* law, but wHi the stu- ) pi.tity of soma newly appointed country r nudist-ate. Such cas*n must havw ) been ex remely rare. The pr.sent Ac' f therefore h neithe - in the i terests of r hones': wjrkm?n nor of thi riHe - 3 people tf tin colony, and its eft'c . could ntver hive bn r. intended by the hj, Government. As the fetatu'e hs no $ other operation than that of enub'ing , disbot.e ; t and disreputable debtors to 5 evade their mo»al obligations to tho i detriment cf the whole enmmunity, 1 * would suggest that the Chambers i f ( Commerce throughout tho colony be . requested to urge upon the Govern--3 ment, during the comir.g session, tl.e t urgent necess'ty of amending tbis Ac, ) in which it is impossible to reco^nin * any principle of ju-ticp. I am. etc., William Kehr. Ne v Plymruth, Juqb 27th, 1901.