S.M. FAREWELLED

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 98, 19 January 1933, Page 5

S.M. FAREWELLED

Legal Men’s Tribute to Mr. Woodward

Law practitioners in the Hutt Valley took the opportunity yesterday, before the Lower Hutt Court opened, to bid farewell to Mr. W. H. Woodward, S.M., who has been transferred to New Plymouth. On behalf of the practitioners, Mr. U. R. Barrett, president of the Hutt Valley Law Committee, expressed deep regret at Mr. Woodward's departure from the circuit, and hoped that Mr. and Mrs. Woodward and their family would find happiness and prosperity at New Plymouth. During the time court offices had been established in the valley no magistrate had endeared himself to the practitioners more than Mr. Woodward. Most of the practitioners were junior members of the Bar, and were deeply grateful to Mr. Woodward, not only for his assistance in the problems arbitrated before him, but also for the unfailing courtesy which he always extended to them.

Speaking on behalf of their clients who had been unfortunate enough to break the law, Mr. Barrett thanked the magistrate for the reasonable penalties he had imposed without engendering any disrespect for the court or the law. If, in the future, a central weekly court was establish'd in the Hutt Valley, the law practitioners would be pleased to have Mr. Woodward with them again to fill the appointment. Mr. Barrett concluded by asking Mr. Woodward to accept a fountain pen, suitably inscribed, as a token of the practitioners’ appreciation and esteem. Senior-Sergeant H. H. Butler, on behalf of the police, desired to associate himself with Mr. Barrett’s remarks. The relationship between Mr. Woodward and the police had always been most cordial. The speaker felt sure that Mr. Woodward would carry with him the earnest good wishes of all the police and law officials.

In reply. Mr. Woodward thanked the speakers for their complimentary references. He would value the presentation very highly, he said, adding humorously, that he thought the presentation was contrary to regulations. Although in ills position it was necessary to put aside any thoughts save those of doing justice fearlessly, he went on it was very pleasant to find that in endeavouring to do his duty he had secured the goodwill of practitioners and police.

“In court work there can be no cheers for the referee,” lie said, "except when a magistrate is about to leave the district, and that makes the cheers all the more gratifying when they are given. Not the least pleasant parts of my work have been in the Hutt Valley.” He intimated that he had asked to be moved, not because he disliked the district, but because of personal and family reasons.

The work of the police, Mr. Woodward continued, had been carried out with particular tact and intelligence. It seemed that Senior-Sergeant Butler and Sergeant McHolm had each been more or less a guide, philosopher, and friend to the youth of the district, and they could not have carried out their duties with more tact than they had done.