NEW YEAR HONOURS

Taranaki Daily News, 4 January 1927, Page 9

NEW YEAR HONOURS

RECOGNITION OF SERVICES SNAPSHOTS OF RECIPIENTS. SIR CHARLES SKERRETT. Sir Charles Skerrett, who assumed the reins of Chief Justice upon the retirement of Sir Robert Stout last February, earns, by his knighthood, fitting recognition of his able and efficient administration of justice, and receives a high honour to which the dignity of his office entitles him. Born in India 61 years ago, ho came to New Zealand as a youth, and studied diligently for the law while he was a clerk in the Magistrate’s Court in Wellington. These studies ho pursued after he had been articled to the legal firm of Bell, Gully and Izard until he was admitted to the Bar in 1885.

Two years later the firm of Brown. Skerrett and Dean was established. Mr. Skerret retired in 1’893, and a year later was joined in partnership by Mr. A. Wylie. His ability as a legal practitioner was proclaimed convincingly in the next few years, and in 1907 he was made one of the first King's Counsel in New Zealand. He subsequently became senior partner in the Wellington firm of Chapman, Skerrett, Wylie and Tripp. He has made several trips to England to take cases before the Privy Council, earning a high reputation for the distinguished manner in which he conducted his pleading. Among various positions he has held in semi-public life, Sir Charles was at one time president of the Wellington Law Society and has been president of the New Zealand Law Society ever since Sh - Francis Bell joined the Ministry in 1912. He was also president of the New Zealand Welfare League. In several branches' of sport he has been keenly interested. He is an enthusiastic angler and a good marksman, and enjoys deerstalking before every otjier sport. He was* captain of the Wellington Polo Club before it was dissolved in 1906, and was recognised as a first-class player. He is a prominent member of the Wellington Racing Club. Sir Charles is a bachelor. SIR ROBERT MeLEAN. Sir Robert Donald Douglas McLean Is the son of the late Sir Donald McLean, for many years one of New Zealand’s foremost politicians and Minister of Native Affairs in the 70’s. Sir Robert was born in Wellington in 1852, but most of his early years were spent in Napier. He was educated at the Auckland Grammar School and subsequently at Clifton College, England, afterwards being articled to Messrs. Hart Buckley, barristers and solicitors, of Wellington. Proceeding again to England, he became a barrister of the Middle Temple in 1882. He did not practice on his return to New Zealand, but entered upon pastoral pursuits at Maraekakaho, Hawke’s Bay. His station there is regarded as the model sheep station and stud farm in the Dominion. In public affairs Sir Robert has taken a keen practical interest, representing Napier in the House of Representatives from 1896 to 1899 and serving on numerous public bodies, including the Hawke s Bay County Council and the Hawke’s Bay Hospital Board. He has also been president of the Hawke’s Bay Agricultural and Pastoral Society. On ail national questions he is a staunch Imperialist. During the war he and Lady McLean were engaged in various patriotic activities in London. Sir Robert was a member of the executive committees of Walton Hospital and the New Zealand War Contingent Association; he was chairman of the executive committee of the New Zealand Soldiers’ Hostel and was a member of the executive council of the Royal Colonial Institute. With Lady McLean he returned to his estate after the peace was signed. Sir Robert hasbeen a strong supporter of the Navy League, was president of the Hawke’s Bay branch for many years and is now its patron; he was also vice-chairman of the executive in London. His sou, Captain Alistair McLean, died a year or two ago. MR. C. W. EARLE, C.M.G. Mr. Charles Westwood Earle is managing director of the Wellington Publishing Company, which issues the Dominion newspaper. He w r as born in Wellington in 1871, and was educated at Thorndon School and Wellington College. He entered the journalistic profession in Wellington in 1887 and occupied various posts before he became editor of the Referee in 1901. He was the founder of the Dominion, of which he was the first editor, and became managing director in 1912. He has been president of the New Zealand Institute of Journalists on several occasions, and has been president of the New Zealand Newspaper Proprietors’ Association since 1921. MR. JOHN ALEXANDER, C.M.G. Mr. John Alexander, senior partner in the legal firm of Messrs. Alexander, Bennett and Sutherland, was born at Belfast, Ulster, his father being Mr. Robert Alexander, a merchant of that city. He finished his education at Prince Albert College, Auckland. As official visitor to the Auckland Mental Hospital he has given close and thorough attention to the problem of the housing and care of mental patients and has been closely concerned in the great improvement in mental hospital conditions evidenced since Sir Truby King became the permanent head of the department, and which Is being continued under the able and enthusiastic direction of the Minister, the Hon. J. A. Young. Mr. Alexander’s public life has centred principally in social welfare, his keen interest and sympathy in the unfortunate and distressed earning an appointment this year to a seat on the Prisons Board. As a young man Mr. Alexander was a prominent yachtsman, and held the positions of rear-commodore and vice-commodore of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. He is an expresident of the Auckland Law Society, and is now one of the senior members of its council. He is also president of the Auckland Club and president of the Auckland branch of the Navy League, and is one of the trustees of the Auckland Savings Bank.