JUSTICES OF THE PEACE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22519, 13 March 1935, Page 4

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE

NEW ZEALAND FEDERATION ANNUAL CONFERENCE OPENED The ninth annual conference of the Federation of New Zealand Justices' Association wa6 opened in the Council Chambers of the Town Hall yesterday, the president (Mr A. Rosser, Auckland) occupying the chair. The following delegates were present:—Messrs Dawson Donaldson, M. Guthrie, and C. Wheeler (Auckland), A. L. Gee (Gisborne), J. T. Griffin (Taranaki), W. L. Black (Manawatu), E. J. Hill (Marlborough), J. L. Arcus and H. Seaton (Wellington), A. H Hobbs, F. Herbert, and W. Williams (Canterbury), R. Orwin (South Canterbury), J. W. Petrie and G. Livingstone (North Otago), J. C. Willis and A. D. Sutherland (Otago), W. A. Ott, A. W. Jones, and Mrs J. King (Southland). The executive was represented by the vice-president (Mr J. W. Dove, Otago) and the honorary registrar (Mr A. J. Stratford (Auckland). OFFICIAL OPENING The conference was officially declared open by the Mayor (the Rev. E. T. Cox), who said he noticed that it was customary for the annual conference of the federation to be graced by the presence of a Minister of the Crown as a speaker at the opening session. He was deputising for the Minister, and as his presence had been requested by the executive of the federation and not by the Government, he could not bring the delegates governmental greetings. Nor was he in a position to discuss authoritatively from the point of view of the Government the problems of the day, for which, he had

no doubt, they were profoundly thankful. There were, however, two points to which he desired to refer. One was the educative value of such a conference. With a membership of over 6000, including 100 women, the Federation of the Justices' Association was a very large and influential body of people. Its business was to facilitate the administration of justice and to facilitate as far as possible, information as to procedure and practice in public judgments, and thus secure uniformity in decisions. A conference would materially help in this respect. The other point he wished to mention was the spirit of good-fellowship such a gathering engendered. The federation comprised men from almost every profession and walk of life, and a conference drew them together, enabled them to know one another, and, so far as was possible, to appreciate one another's point of view. He trusted that the deliberations of the delegates would be productive of much good for the community as a whole. The president thanked the Mayor, and expressed appreciation of his action in consenting to open the conference, his remarks being endorsed by Mr Dove, Mr Donaldson, and Mrs King. A RESPECTED PATRON Prior to the commencement of the business, it was resolved that the following telegram be sent to his Excellency the Governor-General (Lord Bledisloe), who, during his term of office, has been patron of the federation:—"That this conference of New Zealand Justices of the Peace Associations much regrets the departure from New Zealand of its beloved and deeply respected patron, and has pleasure in wishing his Excellency and Ladv Bledisloe God speed and a safe passage to the Homeland, and assures his Excellency of its loyalty to the Crown and the Empirp " PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS _ Reviewing the activities of the association during the past year, the president said that his year of office had not been an arduous one. The remits adoptil by the Auckland conference last March were laid before the Minister of Justice (Mr J. G. Cobbe) by the president, the registrar, and the executive members of the Auckland Association during the first visit of the Minister to Auckland after the termination of the conference. This was pursuant to the decree of conference* and materially cut. down the expense of travelling. The association's reception by the Minister was a very cordial one, but it did not necessarily follow that a bounteous harvest would be reaped, for after the hearing by the Minister the representations were largely dependent for the replies on the departmental heads. The federation, through its branches, was still feeling the stress of the economic situation, and although from reports and statistics it wa s gathered that the clouds were lifting, it would be some time before it could be truly said that the federation had got back to normal times and prosperity. Many of the justices who, before the depression, were reasonably comfortable in their eventide of life had suffered considerably since by shrinkage of income, and had been compelled to cut down their expenditure. They had reluctantly resigned their membership, but the various associations had sympathetically declined such resignations and kept members on the roll free of cost until better times came. This fact accounted for a drop in the financial membership. The news had been received of the death of a past president (Mr Harold Trimble, of Inglewood). Taking an active part for many years in the Departments of Education and Justice especially, and local bodies' affairs generally, he was well known and highly respected in the province of Taranaki. " This week we shall lose our distinguished patron, his Excellencv the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe," continued, the president, "Having completed four years as vice-regal representative of his Majesty the King in this far-off Dominion, he, with Lady. Bledisloe. will leave for his English home by the Rangitiki on March 15. His Excellencv. with over 40 years' experience as a British justice of the peace, has taken a deep interest in the work of our federation, and we count ourselves singularly fortunate in securing him as "our patron during his sojourn in New Zealand. He has graciously accepted a framed diploma, duly signed and sealed, as a testimony in # the far-off Mother Country to his active sympathy with the federation in its operations. Their Excellencies bear from these shores, the sincere wishes of all sections of the people, for a safe and pleasant voyage, and the hope is expressed that they will find their loved ones and friends in the best of health. They have both_been partners in our joys and sorrows for four eventful years, which were full of privations and selfdenial for the great mass of the people, to whom they have acted as guides and counsellors in very many vital subjects. We wish them God speed." The speaker thanked all the officers of the federation for their assistance in carrying out the work of the year. The registrar (Mr A. J. Stratford) had been most untiring in the execution of his duties, and by his correspondence at home and overseas, had most certainly placed the federation "on the map" in all parts of the world. This was indi-

cated by the many inquiries from organisations and individuals in America and Europe for information as to the federation's objects and operations. To the past president (Mr W. N. Stirling), the vice-president (Mr J. W. Dove), and his colleagues on the executive, he desired to extend sincere thanks for their prompt and cordial co-operation in executive matters. Though separated by distance, the executive had shown a striking unanimity in its decisions. To the affiliated associations and their officers, he was grateful for their attention to the work of the years. The annual conference was the governing body; it made the federation laws and shaped the policy for the ensuing 12 months. It appointed the executive to carry that policy into effect. "We are all cogs in a machine, so to speak," continued Mr Rosser, " and if one cog slips.«the other cogs are made to bear very often an extra strain, and trouble results. At the annual conference it is right and proper for any association or delegate to use every effort to bring the other delegates to his way of thinking, but when the vote is taken, majority must rule, and the decision must stand until conference meets again. In the interim all must pull in the same direction." He trusted that the deliberations and decisions made at the conference would result in the advancement of the federation, its branches, and their members, find the remits passed be adopted by the Minister of Justice in a greater measure than in the past. FEDERATION HEADQUARTERS In accordance with notice previously lodged, Mr Seaton, on behalf of the Wellington Association, moved—" That the office of the federation and the registrar be located at Wellington." Speaking to the motion, Mr Seaton said that no one could gainsay the very line work that the present registrar (Mr Stratford) had done. The Wellington Association considered, however, that the time had arrived when the registrar, as was the case during the first five years of the life of the federation, should be stationed at Wellington. He would then

be in direct touch with the members of Parliament and with the heads of the various Government departments. Mr Areus seconded the motion. Mr Gee said that the town in which the headquarters of the federation were situated was a secondary consideration. It was the man who counted, and although Mr Stratford was resident in Auckland, he was just as capable of carrying out his duties from that centre as from Wellington. The motion was lost. AMENDMENTS TO RULES In acordcance with notice of motion; Mr Donaldson, on behalf ot' the Auckland Association, moved —" That no rule of the federation shall be altered or amended unless due notice of motion shall be given at least three months before the annual conference, such alterations to be confirmed at that conference." The motion was seconded by Mr Guthrie and carried. OFFICE OF PATRON It was decided that the question of requesting the Governor-General-elect (Viscount Galway) to accept the office of patron of the federation be left in the hands of the executive, with power to act. DELEGATES ENTERTAINED SOCIAL EVENING AT SAVOY. In the evening the delegates were the guests of the Otago Justices' Association at a social evening held in the Somerset lounge of the Savoy. In adition to the visiting delegates, members of the Otago Association and their wives were present, and the president of the association (Mr T. D. B. Paterson) occupied the chair. ADDBESS BY MR F. B. ADAMS. After Mr Paterson had briefly welcomed those present, the Crown Prosecutor (Mr F. B. Adams) delivered a brief but interesting talk on "Witchcraft." Mr Adams handled his subject in an entertaining manner, and into a theme which, to say the least of it, was somewhat gruesome, succeeded in introducing a good deal of quiet humour. The speaker said that his subject had a certain legal interest, and in times past had a direct bearing on justices of the peace, as 300 or 400 years ago trials for witchcraft _ were matters that interested country justices very much indeed. With regard to the origin of witchcraft, for centuries old superstition had spread over Europe side by side with Christianity, and the majority of the men of science of that time were themselves looked on as magicians. Moreover, the people were credulous to an astounding degree. Indeed, a man named Weir wrote a book in which he contended that he knew of 72 princes of the underworld and over 7,000,000 of little demons, and curious to relate, his opponents said he must have got his information from the devil. Even the New Testament referred to the "users of strange arts," and in the Book of Samuel there was mention of the Witch of Endor, but witchcraft as mentioned in the Bible was a vastly different thing to the mediaeval conception of it. In the very early days the Church took a hand with regard to witches, and from the year 1258 onward a series of Papal bulls made provision for their punishment. There was, in an ancient text, an injunction that " Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." In 1586, as many as 1000 poor unfortunates accused of witchcraft were sent to their deaths, and one archbishop sent no fewer than 120 people to execution for " causing a cold spring." Apparently, he was just in time,,as belore they were executed they said that had they been allowed to live a little longer the spring would have been colder still. The last case on record of witches being executed in Europe was in 1782, and during the 300 years preceding this 300,000 women were sacrificed as witches. In Scotland, too, there was fierce persecution of witches, and peculiarly enough, the persecutions became not so much matters of popular tumult as trials at law. As a general rule, the witches confessed, more or less under torture or fear, and there must have been tens of thousands of them who suffered death as a result. It was not commonly known that James I of England—the " modern Solomon " —was interested in witchcraft. When he was James VI of Scotland he wrote a book on demonology. He went to Denmark shortly after his accession to the throne of Scotland to bring home a bride, and on his way home many troubles befell him, which he considered were due to the activities of witches. After a series of trials many of the alleged witches were tortured and executed, a number of them being tortured in the King's presence. Among the many strange tales that were told of the witches of those times was one concerning 200 witches who attended the church at North Berwick with the devil preaching. As an old chronicler had it, they afterwards "went to sea in sieves, drinking wine from flagons and playing jews' harps." It was little to be wondered that when James crossed the border to become King of England the English Parliament passed a statute dealing with witchcraft.

In England, the crusade against witches was no less severe. One strange officer of the time was Matthew Hopkins, who flourished under the Commonwealth, in Cromwell's time, as witch-finder-general. Between the years of 1644 and 1647 he went about from town to town seeking whom he might send to death, and in the first year of his office he had no fewer than 60 persons put to death. His methods could not be dwelt upon, but one of them was " witch-pricking," which involved pricking the accused person to find the insensible spot on which the devi] had imprinted his mark. It was believed by some that Hopkins owed his ■skill to the fact that he had cheated the devil, but eventually he himself suffered the penalty of death for witchcralt,

In conclusion, the speaker gave an account of a trial at Bury St. Edmonds, in 1655; of two widows named Rose Cullender and Amy Dury, who were accused of being witches. All manner of ridiculous evidence was brought against them and was solmenly listened to in a court of justice in England. Finally they were sentenced to death by a jury which took half an hour to consider its verdict and brought them in guilty on 13 counts. During the evening a delightful programme of vocal, instrumental, and elocutionary items, arranged by Mr John Leech, was presented, and wag listened to with keen appreciation. The following contributed: —Misses M. M'Dowell and Audrey Kirk (pianoforte duo), Mrs Alex Chisholm. Master Phillip Rylance, Miss Noni Davidson, Mr J. Leech (songs), Miss Ethel Wallace (violin solo), Miss Anita Winkel (humorous recitation). Miss M. M'Dowell (pianoforte solo). On the motion of the president-elect of the Federation of New Zealand Justices' Association (Mr J. W. Dove), a hearty vote of thanks was accorded the performers, and Mr Adams. VISIT TO MEDICAL SCHOOL. In the afternoon the delegates, at the invitation of the director (Sir Lindo Ferguson), paid a visit to the Otago Medical School, and were conducted on a tour of inspection of the various departments.