A NEW JUDGE.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18302, 9 February 1925, Page 8

A NEW JUDGE.

MR JUSTICE ALPERS. Mr O. T. J. Alpers, M.A., LL.B., :i leading member of the Chriatchureh Bar, lias been appointed to the Supremo Court Bench in succession to Mr Justice Hosking, who has retired. Ho will take over his new position, probably within the nest month, in Wellington. Mr Justice Alpers is the 3econd member of the Chriatchureh Bar in recent years to bo appointed to a Judgeship. The first intimation of his appointment was made to him on his oSth birthday, January 2Sth, and confirmation was received from the Attorney-Genera!, Sir Francis Bell, on Friday evening. Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1567, Mr Justice Alpers has had a distinguished and varied career as teaeber and barrister. He was educated at Kelshor's Grammar School, Copenhagen, and the Napier School, New Zealand. He is a graduate of Canterbury College, having obtained his M.A. degree, with first-class honours in languages and literature in 1887. He was assistant to the Professor of English at Canterbury C'ollege for three years, and acted as locum tenens for the professor during his absence in England. He was also a master of the Boys' High School, Christchurcli, for several years. Obtaining his LL.'B. degree in 1904, Mr Justice Alpers was admitted to the Bar in the same year. He commenced practice in Timaru in partnership with Mr J. ,W. White, then Crown Prosecutor. A few years later lie camo to Christchurcli, and on January Ist., 1910, he joined the firm of Garrick, Cowlishaw, and Co. Mr Justice Alpers has also achieved distinction as an author and journalist. He was formerly a regular contributor to "The Press" for many years, and is the author of "New Zealand" (Nineteenth Century scries in collaboration with K. F. Irvine) 1902; Jubilee Book of Canterbury, 1900; "College Rhymes," an anthology, 1912; contributions to "Nineteenth Century and After," "Fortnightly Review," "Empire Review," etc. It is an interesting coincidence that, on tho same date upon which he received intimation of his appointment to a Judgeship, Mr Justice Alpers received a letter from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Copenhagen, stating that he (Mr Alpers) had been appointed Consul for Denmark at Christchurcli, with jurisdiction over the South Island. As he cannot occupy both positions, he held tho Consulate for just fourteen hours. Mr Justice Alpers has enjoyed an exceedingly interesting and varied career, such as falls to the lot of very few men. He has not' interested himself a. great deal in the work of local bodies, but has given his time to patriotic work and the literary world, with many successful excursions into st.igedom. He will be remembered for many years for his groat work during the war period. During that timo ho established and conducted monthly journal known as "the Red Crass Record." This paper had a circulation of 7000 copies, and was distributed free. After three years' working it returned a substantial, profit, which was expended on the Rannerdale Home for Soldiers. Before the war closed Mr Justice Alpers was elected chairman of the Citizens' Committee, formed for the erection of the Soldiers' Club, and the efforts of that committee resulted in the buildings now used, the final cost of the same being £20,000. Early in the war Mr Justice Alpers conducted meetings throughout Canterbury, and organised a concert party which became an excellent vaudeville troupe, drawing large audiences wherever it played. Ho also toured the country, making recruiting speeches, and gathering war funds, conducting, in one six-monthly period, 40 meetings and securing £7OOO from all parts of Canterbury. At the end of 1915 Mr Alpers and Mr L. M. Isitt, M.P., made a recruiting tour under the auspices of the Otago Recruiting Association, Like many men who have attained great success at the Bar, Mr Justice Alpers has been very interested in theatrical work, and will bo remembered by Christchurcli audiences on the boards of *.hc Theatre Royal. He has played about a dozen leading parts, including Malvolio in "Twelfth Night," Strcpscidcs in Aristophane's '' Clouds,'' Sir Hareourt Courtley in "London Assurance," and the lead in the drama "Fool's Paradiso." His favourite roles were in comedy, and "Fool's Paradise" saw his only appearance in heavy drama. In 1911 Mr Justice Alpers married a daughter of. tho lato Mr Henry Rose, of Dunedin, and has three children, two boys and a girl. Mr Justice Alpers has written several songs, and in 1900 ho composed tho Jubilee Ode which, set to music by Mr M. Barnctt, now of Auckland, was sung at the opening of the Industrial Exhibition on November Ist, and twice subsequently at the Opera House, Wellington, under the baton of Mr Barnett.