INCONVENIENCE IN THE E.M. COURT.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3784, 12 February 1881, Page 2

INCONVENIENCE IN THE E.M. COURT.

(To the Editor of the Evening Star.)

Sik, —Beferring to the remarks made by me at the Police Court this morning, I may say that of late considerable inconvenience has been experienced by suitors in the Court at G-rahamstown, presided over by our much respected R. M. and Warden, Mr Kenrick, from his repeated absence. It would appear that the Warden's duties are so multitudinous, and there is such a press of business at Te Aroha, coupled with the fact that he has been recommended horse exercise, that the public are to suffer inconvenience whilst he is quietly taking recreation and vegetating for a week or so at a time on the plains at Te Aroha, with^a full staff of officials, under the plea of business to transact. The case before the Court this morning was one the hearing of which can only take place before the E.M. of the district. Mr Kenrick himself fixed the case for this morning, and I naturally made arrangements for the hearing, when to my surprise (although nothing new now-a-days with such an official) one of my witnesses, Dr Suitable, called on me last night, and informed me that he could snot attend the Police Court this morning owing to his having to go to Te Aroha. On asking him what he was going up for he told me that Mr Kenrick had requested him to proceed thither to-morrow morning to make a post mortem examination of the body of a murdered Maori, into the cause of whose tloafch he, Mr Kenrick, was going to Te Aroha to hold ah inquest. I proneedod fco Grahamstown to enquire of Sergeant Major O'Grady if such was the iif.se, .and found that Mr Kenrick had e§Ji&c! on the Sergeant Major of Police aoout 8 o'clock p.m., and tbat, although tii9 Sergeant Major told Mr Kenrick t}i|.t the .Resident Magistrates never

interfered in the holding of inquests where Coroners were appointed for the District, and that he was going to refer the report to tbe District Coroners, that officer insisted that he was the proper person to take it, and would proceed to Te Aroha at 7 o'clock this morning. The Sergeant Major suggested that Dr Cajlan should make the post mortem examination, but the worthy E.M. spurned the idea, and said he should have either Dr Huxtable or Dr Kilgour. Mr Kenrick apparently refused to consult Mr G. T. Wilkinson, the native agent here, before leaving, probably thinking to steal a march on that official, but proceeded post haste to the scene of the murder, leaving Mr Wilkinson behind to fish out information; neither did he give me notice of his intention not to hear the case set down. The actual necessity for the Warden to go is questionable, your readers may naturally say, seeing that Dr Kilgour and myself, the coroners of the district, were here at the time, and Dr ILilgour could have gone. The result, however, is that, to suit the whims and fancies of the Warden, my client this morning and myself were put to great inconvenience and deprived of the fruits of a judgment we were entitled to receive from the Court to-day ; besides other matters of business being left undone that require the Warden's presence to trap^Jtet; whilst.Mr Allom is positively expeOLßto flounder through the work of the jOkl., Warden, and District Courts offices, and transact the business and duties of absentees at Te Aroha—unnecessarily there. It is really high time that the people looked into the matter, and Government took some steps to enquire into the continued absence of the Warden, and his arbitrary conduct, not to say his judgments. But perhaps the people prefer this absence, and to see him drawing £300 a year for horse feed and travelling expenses to Te Aroha and Coromandel than to see him present. At any rate, for the convenience of business people here, if Mr Kenrick cannot attend to the duties of his office, some other itipendiary Magistrate should be appointed, and that the people should petition for without delay.—l am, Ac,

G. N. Bjusbbv.

February 12th, 1881.