JUSTICS OF THE PEACE.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 June 1922, Page 6

JUSTICS OF THE PEACE.

TARANAKI ASSOCIATION. FIRST GENERAL MEETING. A meeting of the Justices of the Peace Association was held in the Courthouse, New Plymouth, last night, Mr. A. M. Mowlem, S.M, (president) occupying the chair. The meeting was the first held since the formation of the association recently.

A letter was read from Mr. Mowlem notifying his acceptance of the position of president, following his appointment at the inaugural meeting. He felt convinced that the formation of an association. was a step in the right direction, and said he would be glad to give members any help. In reply to a letter from the secretary the honorary registrar of the Justices of tbe Peace Association, Wellington, wrote stating he was very pleased to hear that the Justices of New Plymouth had decided to form an association. He hoped they would not become an independent body, but would decide to join in with the Wellington members and help to form one strong association. He stated that branches had been formed in. Blenheim, Palmerston North, and Masterton. He reviewed the steps taken in Wellington, the work having included the distribution of a list of Justices for .public information. If the New Plymouth Association thought it would be of use the Wellington Association would be prepared to pay the cost of printing a Taranaki list for circulation in the local district. They had also succeeded in securing Government recognition of a Justices’ medallion Mr. P. J. H. White, a? the mover of the motion in favour of communicating with the Wellington Association, remarked that the reply did not exactly supply the required information. He also thought it should be a question of a New Zealand Association, rather than a Wellington one. Mr. F. E. Wilson favoured the formation of a Taranaki Association, and remarked that he was not in favour of New Plymouth Justices becoming members of the Wellington Association. Mr. C. E. Bellringer said he would be opposed to becoming a branch of the Wellington Association. In the course of further discussion on the question of a provincial association the secretary (Mr. W. J. Chaney) said there were 51 Justices in the immediate vicinity of New Plymouth. It was decided that consideration of the letter from the Wellington Association be deferred till a later date. It was decided that the association be called “The Taranaki Justices of the Peace Association,” and that all Justices within the Taranaki provincial district be eligible for membership. The question of rules was discussed, and was referred to a sub-committee with the direction that tbe rules of the Wellington Association be taken as a skeleton for the constitution. All Justices in the provincial district are to be circularised notifying them of the formation of the association and inciting their support. The president intimated that he would be pleased to comply with the wish expressed at the inaugural meeting that he should give an address to members at a future general meeting. A suggestion was made by Mr. Wilson that a “question-box” evening might be profitable to members in elucidating anv points on whicn Justices had experienced doubt in the course of their duties.