ANOTHER NEW JUDGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 32, 7 February 1925, Page 11

ANOTHER NEW JUDGE.

j ! MR. AT.PKRS. OF CHRISTCtTURCTT. (Ry Telesrapli.—Press Association.) CIIRISTCHC-RCII. thi 3 day. Mr. f). T. J. Alpers, of (inrrick. Cowand Alpers, t'lirintchurch. has been appointed to 1 he varancy on tlie Supreme Court Bencii. Ho wilfprobablv take up his duties nevt month. A picturesque personality, with a rare gift of eloquent speech, a master of incisive and .striking phrases, a man of scholarly and well-stored mind, and a of affairs. Mr. Justice Alper* should win to a unique position in the nenand high ephere to which he has been called. It is possible that the appointment of Mr. .Justice Alpern creates a. precedent within the Kmpire. as being tlie Hr»t Judge who was not, born a British subject. Mr. Justice Alpers was born in Co[H>nha?en in 18.>7. of Danish parents, and at the age of 10 he came with them to New Zealand. Up did no( speak English (lien. Kefore he had reached tlie age of 13 years he had mastered the. language ;u\[ qualified as 11 pupil teacher at. a Napier school. 11l ISS4 he came to < liristcliurch and entered Canterbury College on n scholarship. In ISS7 be graduated as a 8.A.. winning tlie John Tiiilino scholarship in Kugliah literature. In th- following year lie graduated M.A.. taking firal -class honours in Ijitin and KnglLsh literature. He became an assistant to Professor .1. Maimillan Brown, and on Dr. Brown's visit to Kurope in 181)0 Mr. Alpers held tlie chair as his locum teneus. On the return of Professor Macmillan I Brown. Mr. Alpers entered upon file position of assistant -master at (,'hristI church Boys' High School and remained |nt the s-liool till 1014. lie engaged ill ! ionriw.li-ni and was a leader writer for the Christchurch ''Press" for more than ten years. He also contributed articles "The Empire. Review," and other London matfu/.incv. In 190 ft 'Mr. Alpers wrote iiip Jubilee Ode. which was set to music jby Mi. Mauglian Barnctt. of Auckland.! aml was sung at. the opening of the ] j Industrial Kxhibitiou on November 1 of \ that year. Subsequently it was «ung | twice'af Hie Opera House, Wellington. l 'under the baton of Mr. P.arnetl. Mr. J iAlpers was responsible for the -Jubilee Hook of Canterbury Rhymes." He vva* ! Riilhor in collaboration with Mr. 1!. 11. I Irvine (now Professor of Kcouomics at , I the Sydney University) of "New Zea j land In the Nineteen til Century." He liegiiu the practice of law in Tiniaru in j partnership with Mr. .1. \V. White, j Crown Prosecutor. Iji !!>il7 he remove.!: to Christ church practising here on his! 1 own account. Oil January 1. 1010. he' joined the iirm of Uarrit-k. Cuwlioliam ! f.nd Fisher, taking the jjlace of th" late Mr. J. P.. rishcr. who retired. He been ;\ principal of the firm ever sine; , .

An emiiKMit aiia;oii;i-i. Dr. Sir Arthur Keith -.ays:- '"Our diges-'he -ystemare lirenking down under our diehirv. Our teeth are swept with di.-ea-e; o;ir nervous system ill :nniiy instiin.v-. is bre ilkiitg down; contracted palates are common. In a considerable i.ropDilion 01 the population changes in'the lajuv framework of the face are takinji :.!a.e line to a diminished ot the jaws. Willi these bony changes the -i/e and Shape of the orbits- the .-avity in whi.-li t.he. eyes are lodged are involved." All l.hese things are BCcompanift! by the aiiproachitig blindness of the civilised iH.-c. a.-, already, according !■> Dr. Keitii, 101 l peoplf in every 1000 at the nee of 2(1 are short-sighted u r myopic A doleful outlook for the human race.' Blind. toothless, stomachless; meru bundles of nerves—not even good skin and bone! There we get down to it; while some scientists are. chasing microbes, others hunting the elusive vitatnine, and more yet experimenting with jrerms and guinea pigs Dr. Keith is an expert in t.nlicj.