MAGISTRATE DISMISSED.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19199, 16 June 1924, Page 8

MAGISTRATE DISMISSED.

PREMIER’S ALLEGED GRUDGE WEST AUSTRALIAN INCIDENT. Mr W. A. B. Walter, police magistrate, of Perth, Western Australia, who recently was called upon to retire as .from May 31, stated, in an interview, that ho felt convinced that his summary dismissal was due to political reasons, lie said that on bis return from a holiday in Burmah, the Public Service Commissioner, Mr G. W. Simpson, asked him to resign, stating that it was the wish of the Government, although Mr Simpson admitted that no fault had been found regarding his fitness to adjudicate, lie declined to retire, but was later informed that the -Governor, in the Executive Council, Itad approved of ids being called upon to retire. Mr Walter said ho believed ho was being called upon to retire because during the conscription campaign, he lined Mr P. Collier, the present Premier, then Leader of the Opposition, for an alleged disloyal utterance at Kalgoorlie, a conviction which was afterwards quashed by the High Court. Another reason was that he assisted to put down the Kalgoorlie riots. The position at that time became so acute that he journeyed to Perth for the purpose of having rifles and ammunition for the protection of the residents of the goldfields. He was consequently bitterly attached by adherents of the Labour movement, and it was then reported that Mr Collier had said he (Mr Walter) would go out ten minutes after Labour came into power. For the past 35 years Mr Walter, who is now 65 years of age, has been a magistrate, and in the ordinary course, would have had a year and a-half’s service to do. It was optional whether his services were retained after hie sixtieth year. Mr Walter said that Mr A. S. Roe, P.M., who had sentenced prominent Labour members of Parliament, was also retired on the advent of a previous Labour Government. The Premier, in a statement on tho subject. said that tho Government had simply followed the ordinary legal practice in retiring Mr Walter, who was within 14 months of 65 years of age, and that they were entitled to do so at the age of 60. Mr Walter’s own references to the Kalgoorlie riots showed that in going to Perth and ordering rifles and ammunition to be sent to the goldfields lie had usurped the functions of the police, while with regard to hi,a (Mr Collier’s) conviction, the Federal Government refunded the fine, which showed what an absurd prosecution ?t was Two darkies wore lolling in the shade one hot afternoon in August. Said Mose drowsily: "Ah wisht ah had a whole truckload of water-millions.” Sam (rousing up): “Say, Mose, if you had that rnanv. would you gimme a couple?” Mose (indignantly): "No, yon shif'luss nigguhl Wish fo’ yo’ own watah-xnilliona I”