WATAROA COURTHOUSE

Grey River Argus, 20 May 1939, Page 2

WATAROA COURTHOUSE

OPENING CEREMONY

By

Minister of Justice

In the presence of over 300 residents and settlers of the district, the new courthouse at Wataroa was opened yesterday afternoon by the Minister of Justice \Mr H. G. R. Masviu. Wataroa is a growing settlement, with stores and puolic buildings along the State highway which is being improved tor the comfort of traffic, and tne safety of pedestrians. The Courthouse and officer’s quarters are smart looking buildings m a central position, adjacent to the public hall and school. The courthouse was built by Mr F. Williamson of this town. There is an entrance porch off which to the right is the court chambers appropriately outfitted. To the left is the witnesses' room and behind it the public office for the clerk, to which is attached a store room. The Magistrate's room is to the rear, a s also are the out offices. The whole is complete and convenient, and forms a very serviceable building for the business assigned to it.

The clerk’s quarters and the ‘lock up” are detached, and finished in keeping with the principal structure. Amongst those present were Mrs Mason, Mr B. L. Dallard (Under-Sec-retary of Justice), Inspector D. McGean (Greymouth), Mr P. J. McLean (Westland County Council), Mr J. Donovan (M.C.C. Mr F. Bird (Registrar Supreme Court, Greymouth), 1 Messrs M. B. James, A. R. Elcock and Park (Hokitika legal profession) ' and members of various local bodies.

The chairman of the Westland i County Council (Mr J. A. Murdoch),[ who presided, warmly welcomed the Minister as the first Attorney-General; t 0 visit South Westland since 1885' when Sir Robert Stout came over the' Haast Pass to Rimu. I Mr Murdoch, after paying a tribute, as a lawyer to the good work done by the Minister, said that the district of South Westland, now the most un-1 developed of the Dominion, would l soon be one of 'the richest. Every, penny ol public money being spent in the district would be well repaid. The: opening of the now Courthouse was a forward step in the progress of Wataroa.

Apologies were read by Mr Murdoch from the Prime Minister (Mr Savage) and the Minister of Labour (Mr P. C. Webb) also from the member for the district (Mr J. O’Brien M.P.) and Mr Raymond Ferner S.M., both of whom were indisposed and from the Mayor of Greymouth (Mr F. A. Kitchingham). The Chairman of the Wataroa Farmers’ Union (Mr T. M, Mcßride) oaid a tribute to the work of the Labour Government in providing snendid roads. bridges and public buildings in South Westland. He expressed regret at. the absence of Mi' O’Brien, whose efforts for the district had been so successful. Mr W. Douglas Tavlor. on behalf of the Westland District Law Society. '*nn"ratulpted the district and the Minister for their efforts to secure now Courthouse and thanked the Minister for attending. After exp'aining that in many nieces the court buildings were not, ’•uitahle. but "'ere cheeHess and cold. Mr said it was to note tb at the Government under Mr Tfp.nr’- gn'dan°o. making nrovi--ion for the r P ec On? hle comfort of v->np'istra # e and t h ,e other people ust inc tho courts. It wp- to . th!>f ; h e bad n( j oSoro i n brin" : >->- (bjs nhnnf ■ The Minister in the course of hiS snoech stated: “The onening of this new Courthouse at Wotnmn oKomnlifies the change which has taken place in various parts of the Dominion in recent years as a result of improved

facilities for transport. For some time Government has been aware of the potentialities of South Westland, and, in furtherance of its policy of more stabilised general development, has been endeavouring, to bring to this portion of New Zealand some of the amenities of civilisation. The building of roads and the bridging of treacherous rivers, and the establishment of an efficient air service, has done much to lessen the distance between the most southern part of the Coast and the larger towns, such as Hokitika.

The history of this part dates from the earliest days of European habitation of New Zealand. It is of interest to note that the high mountainous land between Okarito and Hokitika was the first sight of New Zealand had by Abel Tasman, the Dutch navigator, on the 13th December, 1642— almost 300 years ago. Many years after this whaling boats touched on these shores. There were but spasmodic attempts to establish settlements, attempts which mostly failed until the discovery of gold in the sixties.

The lure of the precious metal brought thousands of people to the Coast. Towns sprung up almost over night, and as the ground was worked out or proved unpayable, as quickly died away. It is understood that although there were thousands of gold seekers on the Coast, unlike many other nlaces that have been the centre of a mining boom, there was very little serious crime, and cases of theft were exceedingly rare. One of the first Magistrates to hold sittings of the Magistrates’ and Warden’s Courts at Okarito was a Mr Fitzgerald, a one time Indian Army Officer, whose iron hand earned for himself the title of “the Bengal Tiger.” In later years Mr Bird carried out the offices of Magistrate and Warden at Wataroa, Okarito, and the country to the South. Many of the Courts were held on the spot where the case or dispute arose, and the miners would gather, round to see justice done, and done in such a way that appeals were but few. In this regard it is interesting to note a recent observation by a famous English Judge, the Right Hon. Sir Wilfrid Greene, to the effect that the object of the judicial office is not ■ —as laymen sometimes think—the rigid administration of the law, but "primarily and fundamentally the administration of justice”—not as it appears to the personal theory of an individual judge, but justice “as it appears to the .reasonable man, the good citizen.” Judicial technique in totalitarian and in democratic States fundamentally differs in-approach. According to the one the Judge is acting in effect as an instrument of the Executive Government, whereas according to the other, his sole function is to do justice as between man and man. We in New Zealand thus owe a great debt to our pioneers who framed our legal structure on the British tradition of individual liberty and justice.

The task of the Magistrates in the early days as regards travelling was not an easy one. Raging torrents had to be forded and roads little better than tracks traversed. Between tho time of the major gold rushes and recent years the population dwindled and it is only recently, that the people of the outside world have come to realise that there is a more permanent harvest to be got out of the soil than gold.

After the discontinuance of sittings of the Court at Okarito in August, 1927, sittings were held in the Wataroa Public Hall. Finding that the business had fallen away and that it was difficult to obtain sufficient accommodation for Court records, the Court at Wataroa was closed for a time, and again opened in April 1936.

Thus it will be seen that for a considerable time there were no regular sittings of the Court south of Hokitika, some 69 miles distant. With the fresh development of. the district it has been realised that the journeys to Hokitika entail considerable loss of

) time and inconvenience to litigants ! from Wataroa and the surrounding , districts. It is axiomatic that all men ) are equal before the law, and that ; justice is available to all but if the > costs are unduly excessive they may i virtually result in a denial of justice. The decision to build a Courthouse ■ at Wataroa was not made by Government because it was felt that crime ; and litigation had increased in the district, but rather to bring to the people of these parts the privilege of : having their disputes heard in their midst in accordance with the tradi- . tions of British justice. I have much pleasure in formally . declaring the Court open, and in so doing I express the hope that the new building will fill the requirements of this district for many years. I trust that aS the central civic feature of this small town the erection of this Court will mark the commencement of a new era of prosperity and development in the district.” WAITANGI BRIDGE OPENED. After the opening of the Courthouse, the Minister and the large crowd proceeded to the Waitangi bridge, about seven miles away, where Mr Mason performed the opening ceremony. Mr J. A. Murdoch, County Chairman, presided at the bridge function, the Minister cutting the red, white and blue ribbon, and declaring the structure duly opened. The bridge is situated at Lowei Wataroa, spanningj the Waitangi River, seven miles from. Wataroa. It has a length of 362 feet, with 32 chains of approaches. The] bridge is of eight spans, with totaraj piles and 24 rolled steel joists. Some| 40,000 super feet of timber were used in construction, and altogether (with the joists) 50 tons of ironwork. The bridge is 9 feet 7 inches between the handrails, and there are 6,000 cubic yards of filling in the approaches. The latter are fenced for 20 chains on each side for convenience in driving stock, and safety for general traffic. In addition 34 totara piles were used in the protection work, which has been filled with stone crates, and is a substantial job. The bridge has been constructed mainlv by contract. The contractor, Mi' A. E. Stenhens of Hokitika, has carried through the work successfully. The funds were provided by Public Works grant, and total cost of the work was £4.536 1«s Id. Beyond the bridge to| ( the south, is a stretch of levo’ conn-] tr” for about nine miles and 1 bronchi . which an across road is required to' , "in nUt , el the soo beach r’ Pn<Creek, a IHfln North of Okarito Lacoon. The road will rwo - -o---and interesting approach to Okarito township. Alon" that route al-ioin: 2 'mn acres of rood lar>q which '"'’l m-nivr-immcdinlo honoC't from tho Kpi/lrro <l rood to bo. Tn oriaHion n fpMb»-| anno acres are improvable hv drain-w are. .