The Wairarapa Daily TUESDAY DECEMBER 10, 1889. The Native Land Court.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 382, 10 December 1889, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily TUESDAY DECEMBER 10, 1889. The Native Land Court.

According to the Evening Post complaints are general with respoot to tlie delay of business in the Native Land Courts; rehearing and adjournraonta aro chronic, ana ft nmltiplioitj of judges leads to confusion in turning pilt work. Our contemporary attributes this state of things to recent weak appointments of judges, but although oiifl or two doubtful men

lave been pitched into judicial office, here hftve also been several strong (elections, Judge yon Sturmer, for jxample, is an exceedingly able man, and exlroniely well qualified for the position, We have liad sufficient experience of llis clear head, sound judgment, and business application in this district to be able to saj without hesitation that when ho was promoted to a Native Court judgeship the colony eepured an exceptionally good man. Probably one main reason why the work of ,sb.e court is in arrear is because there are no defined judicial districts', and all the judges are itinerant dispensers of justice, who are moved about from place to place, stopping gaps instead of systematically despatching business. If each judge had his pwn district there would he a considerable saving in travelling allowances, and when work got into swear there would bo some responsible person wbo would bo liable to be called to account for the delay. The status too, (jflSative Court Judges would be materially improved if each one of them had his own dtetrjet and was allowed to oxercito within its limjtsj the various fuuetions attached to bisi ollicis, A suggestion made by our local contemporary that there should be a conference of Native Gpiirt Judges to consider what steps should ( be taken to eceuro a tetter method of procedure and a njoro ppeedy administration of tl 8 law is well worthy of consideration. Tho outcome of it wguld probably boa strong recommeniition in favor of defined districts. From one p.oh)i of view the delay now experienced in putting through' native work is not altogether unsatisfactory, 'flip increase of_ it means a considerable augmentation of settlement, and that both Natives and Europeans are now anxious to develop the large native areas which) during the reign of the late Government, were allowed to lie dormant,