JUSTICES AND CORONER

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29380, 6 December 1960, Page 13

JUSTICES AND CORONER

Ross Dependency

Officers

Three men have been appointed as officers of the Government of the Ross Dependency by its Governor (Lord Cobham). Two will carry out the duties of justice of the peace and coroner and the third man will carry out those of postmaster. The justices of the peace are Captain L. D. Bridge and Mr V. E. Donnelly and the postmaster is Mr R. B. Thomson. Their appointments to these positions were gazetted recently. Captain Bridge, of the Royal New Zealand Engineer Corps, is the leader at Scott Base. Mr Donnelly, who will go to the Antarctic in February, is the administrative officer of the Antarctic division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Mr Thomson was in charge of Cape Hallet station last winter. He is a scientist. The Governor of the Ross Dependency was appointed by an

Order-in-Council made in 1923 under the British Settlements Act, 1877, of the United Kingdom Parliament The order stated that the Governor-General and Com-mander-in-Chief of New Zealand for the time being was appointed Governor of the Ross Dependency and charged to do “all things necessary or expedient for the peace, order and good government of the dependency, and to safeguard and preserve Her Majesty’s rights and sovereignty over and in respect of the dependency.” Captain H. Ruegg, of the Marine Department was appointed administrator of the Ross Dependency in 1953. Captain Bridge and Messrs Donnelly and Thomson have the same powers and authorities as they would have in similar positions in New Zealand. They receive their instructions from Captain Ruegg.