Benches Tribute to Late Judge Alpers

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 208, 22 November 1927, Page 15

Benches Tribute to Late Judge Alpers

DANISH BOY’S SUCCESS NOTABLE CAREER CLOSED j “HPHE late Judge afforded a wonderfu! example of the opportunities that are open to every young man in New Zealand, who has pluck, energy and ability,” said Mr. Justice Reed in his moving tribute to the late Mr. Justice Alpers before a large assembly of the legal profession an the Supreme Court this morning. “No one could have started with a heavier handicap,” he continued. “A Dane by birth, he arrived in New Zealand with his father, mother and sister at the age of ten years. Not one of the family could speak English. It was necessary for the children to work, getting their education as best they could. Yet in two years, the late Judge was acting as a pupil teacher in his school. Two or three years later we find him conducting night classes in any subject in which a person- desired to be instructed. He taught navigation and German. When he commenced these subjects, he informed me he knew nothing about them, but having obtained the necessary books he kept just ahead of his pupils, and learnt while teaching others. In this way he acquired knowledge in a very wide range of subjects.” He later obtained the degree of master of arts in languages and literature, and was lecturer in English at the Canterbury College. Journalism also attracted him for a while, and he was a regular contributor to the Christchurch papers and English magazines. ' , _ "The manner in which he adopted the bar is interesting,” said his Honour. “He was a member of the council of Canterbury College, and succeeded in having a protege appointed to the position of law lecturer. He attended the lectures and then became interested in law.. He had no thought at the time of adopting law, but he decided to qualify and he did so and with ridiculous ease, occupying an. astonishingly high place at the examinations. His rise to a leading position at the bar was rapid: his power of getting verdicts from Christchurch juries was astonishing. I had the pleasure of having him before me in numbers of cases at Christchurch. BRILLIANT WIT “No case was dull with Alpers in it; he could even extract humour from the dullest argument in Banco. He had a wonderfully active brain and woe betide the counsel who ventured to cross swords with him in a battle of words. His repartee was so goodhumoured that deadly as it was it left no liting, and there was probably no one more popular at the Christchurch: Bar than our deceased friend. “He was elevated to the Bench, the first Dane to become one of His Majesty’s Judges. Wfe gladly welcomed his coming and looked forward to many years of pleasant and useful collaboration on the Bench. Within a week of his death sentence, while still in bed, he started, with the assistance of his devoted wife, to dictate the story of his life. In his race -with death he was able to complete it and it was now being published in England. “Before leaving Wellington I called on my late friend,” went on his Honour, “to say good-bye. We both knew it was a long farewell, but weak and hardly able to speak, he could not resist a final jest, “Had he lived; I believe he would have made a great name on the Bench. He was a close student of human nature and had a great contempt for cant and hypocrisy. On the Bench we . shall miss him sorely. Our sincere l sympathies go out in full measure to his sorrowing widow and young ■ family.” «Mr. J. B. Johnston, president of the i Auckland Law Society, endorsed his L Honour’s tribute. > “We are sorry to lose a distinguished Judge and a great man,” lie said. j From all centres in New Zealand » tributes are being paid by members of the legal profession to the late Mr. t Justice Alpers. r “I was impressed with his charming 3 personality, his great ability and his i wonderful versatility,” said Mr. Justice > Adams at Christchurch. “Pie was a i man of great industry.” t Prior to the commencement of the Supreme Court business at Dunedin ■ reference was made to the death of 5 Mr. Justice Alpers by the president l of the Law Society, who said that the • late judge was a cultured gentleman, [ charming and delightful and highly r esteemed.” “The Bench has suffered a serious loss,” said Mr. Justice Sim. “In bis ■ brief judicial career Mr. Justice Alpers gained the respect and affection of all his colleagues on the Bench.” At the opening of the Supreme Court sessions at New Plymouth, Mr. Justice Ostler presiding, feeling reference was made by Bench and Bar to the death of Mr. Justice Alpers, also to the loss the local Bar had suffered by the death of Mr. F. E. Wilson to whom Mr. Justice Ostler paid tribute.