NEW YEAR HONOURS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVII, Issue 29, 3 January 1927, Page 7

NEW YEAR HONOURS

NEW ZEALANDERS INCLUDED.

KNIGHTHOOD FOR CHIEF JUSTICE ANOTHER DAME OF EMPIRE. (By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) LONDON, Dec. 31. The New Year honours announced include : COMPANIONS OF ST. MICHAEL AND ST. GEORGE. Mr. John Alexander, Auckland. Mr Charles Westwood Earle, Wellington. GRAND CROSS OF ST. MICHAEL AND ST. GEORGE. Viscount Burnham. KNIGHT OF ST. MICHAEL AND ST. GEORGE.

Hon. Charles Perrin Skerrett, Chief Justice of New Zealand. KNIGHTS BACHELOR. Mr R. M. Bert. Mr Donald Maclean, New Zealand. KNIGHT OF ST. MICHAEL. Sir Miles Wedderburn Lampson, British Minister of Pekin. COMPANION OF THE BATH. Rear-Admiral William Napier. VISCOUNT. Sir James Craig, Premier of Northern Ireland. BARON. Sir Charles Greenway. PRIVY COUNCILLOR. Major Ormsbv-Gore. BARONET. Sir Edward Davson. KNIGHTHOOD.

John Reith, ex-chairman of the Broadcasting Company.

KNIGHT OF THE VICTORIAN » ORDER. Captain Towse, blind holder of a Victoria Cross. DAME OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE. The Countess of Jersey. COMPANION OF HONOUR.

The Rev. Hugh Sheppard, ex-vicar of St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields, London. —A. and. N.Z. cable.

SIR CHARLES SKERRETT

Sir Charles Skerrett, who in November, 1925, was appointed Chief Justice, the highest position in the legal profession in New Zealand, has lived most of his life in this country, although born in India, liis early legal experience was gained* in the firm of Bell, Gully and Izard, and be was admitted to the Bar in 1835. Two years later he became a partner in the firm of Brown, Skerrett and Dean. He retired from this association in 1893, and was joined by Mr A. Wylie in 1894. His reputation quickly increased, and in 1907 he was appointed King’s Counsel. At the time of his elevation to the position of Chief Justico in succession to Sir Robert Stout he was senior partner in the firm of Chapman, Skerrett, Tripp and Blair. He was president of the New Zealand Law Society, Wellington Law Society, the Welfare League and the Licensing Reform Association. Sir Charles Skerrett, who is a bachelor, is a keen follower of many outdoor sports. SIR DONALD MACLEAN. Sir Donald Maclean, who resides chiefly at Napier, is famed as a breeder of stud sheep, cattle, and horses at his farm at Maraekakalio. He was born at Wellington in 1852, and is the son of the Hon. Sir Donald Maclean, K.C.M.G. He was educated at Auckland, and in England, and was a barrister-at-law of the Middle Temple. As a pioneer of bicycling and Rugby football in the Wellington district, he gained distinction. Sir Donald Maclean has taken a great interest in public affairs, being member of Parliament for Napier* from 1896-9, and a member of numerous Hawke’s Bay local bodies. He has been a member of the executive of the Royal Colonial Institute, and during the war was a member of the executive committee of the Walton Military Hospital (familiar to many New Zealand soldiers) and the New Zealand War Contingent Association. He has been a keen supporter of the Navy League, and was vice-chairman in London and member of the league’s executive.

MR C. W. EARLE, C.M.G

Mr C. W. Earle, C.M.G., is editor of the Dominion, Wellington. He is president of the New. Zealand Newspaper Proprietors’ Association, which office he has held since 1921, and has been intimately connected with the Press of Wellington and New Zealand since 1887, when, after being educated at Thorndon School and Wellington College, he joined the staff of the Evening Pres 3 (Wellington). He was later a member of the staff of the New Zealand Times, the Evening Post, and the Christchurch Press (editorial assistant). After a period as editor of the Referee, Mr Earle returned to Wellington to the position of sub-editor of the Evening Post, later being appointed associate editor in 1906. The following year the Dominion was founded, with Mr Earle at its head. MR J. ALEXANDER, C.M.G. Mr John Alexander is a leading Auckland barrister, and has occupied the position of president of the Auckland Law Society and is at present one of the senior members of its council. His public life has centered principally in social welfare, his keen interest in and sympathy with the unfortunate and distressed earning an appointment this year to a seat on the Prisons Board. Through fearless criticism and pertinacious efforts he has, in his capacity of official visitor to the Auckland Mental Hospital, been instrumental in securing important reforms and ameliorated conditions for the unfortunate inmates of that institution. Besides holding other offices he was chairman of the Royal Commission set up by the Government to investigate charges niade in connection with the sale of a freezing works at Gisborne to a proprietary company. For some years he was president of the Auckland branch of the Navy League. A prominent yachtsman of the old school, ho sailed the yacht Rainbow, to Christchurch some time ago and race'd her at Wellington. He was one of the early rear commodores of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and subsequently vice-commodore.