Manawatu Daily Times. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1925. The New Chief Justice.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 2312, 3 December 1925, Page 6

Manawatu Daily Times. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1925. The New Chief Justice.

It was certainly to be expected that Mr H. E. Holland, the leader of the Parliamentary Labour Party, would protest against the appointment of Mr C. P. Skerrett as Chief Justice in succession to Sir Robert Stout. Mr Skerrett as-chairman of Welfare League, naturally shares the responsibility for the repeated attacks made by that body upon the Labour Party, and in his public addresses and professional activities ho has taken no pains to spare the feelings of Mr Plolland and his friends. But even so distinguished a lawyer as the Chief Justice elect could not be expected so to bridle his tongue as never to utter a word that could bo quoted against him when he assumed the presidency of the Supreme Court bench! As a matter of fact, it has been the practice in New Zealand, as it has been in other parts of the Empire to confer upon lawyers of distinction who have taken some part in public life the uppermost positions in their profession. Sir Robert Stout, the retiring Chief Justice, was more of a politician than he was of a lawyer when Mr Seddon deemed it expedient to relievo him from the distractions of public life, and before Sir Robert Stout there was Sir James Prendergast and Sir George Arney. Chief Justices, by the way, have acquired the habit of reigning long, Sir George Arney having held office for seventeen years, and Sir Janies Prendergast for twenty-four years, while Sir Robert Stout is now in his twenty-seventh year. Here are examples for Mr Skerrett to emulate. Sir Robert in Parliament. It is to be hoped that Sir Robert Stout in the many years of ease the community is wishing him will find time to place bn permanet record some of the incidents and experiences of his political life which was spent in close contact with many of the big men of the Dominion. As an indication of the wide field he could cover an “interview” with him will give some idea of the value of his reminiscences. “Party politics in my time,” he is reported as saying, "were quite as strong then ns now. In the past New Zealand had always had a high class of man in Parliament. A great number of them were graduates of Home universities. I might mention that there is not a single member of cither the Upper or Lower Houses of 1875 alive to-day, but myself. There are only two alive who were members of the 1-876 Ministry, Mr de Lauto'ur and myself. I am also the oldest member of the Executive. There Is no one else alive who was a member of the Executive

Council of 1878,” When Sir Robert Stout entered Parliament he was only 27 years of age. Even thus early ha was a strong advocate of limiting the hours of labour for young people and women. Ho was an advocate also of women’s suffrage. He also manifested at the same time a keen Interest in the liquor question, writing an article in 1875 for a New Zealand magazine in which he propounded the Idea of local option and paved the way for his subsequent activities in that direction.