ACTING GOVERNOR-GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 31 January 1930, Page 9

ACTING GOVERNOR-GENERAL

SIR M. MYERS APPOINTED. By Telejrapli —Press Association Wellington, Last Night. Some weeks will elapse between the departure from New z Zealand of the present Governor-General,- Sir Charles Fergusson, and the arrival of hie successor, Lord Bledisloe. In the interim the Chief Justice (the Hon. ' Sir Michael Myers, K.C.) will, in accordance with the dormant Commission, act as administrator for New Zealand, exercising all the’powers and functions of a Governor-General. Following the departure of Sir Charles Fergusson on February 8, Sir Michael Myers will be sworn in as administrator by a senior judge of the Supreme Court, whose name has not yet been announced, and will continue to hold office until the arrival of the new Governor-General. Among other duties, Sir Michael will preside at meetings of the Executive Council. The dormant commission passed under the Royal sign manual was issued at the Court of St. James on July 23, 1917, and remains in force. It appoints the Chief Justice or senior Judge for the time being of New Zealand as administrator of New Zealand in the event of the death, incapacity, removal, departure or absence of the GovernorGeneral. The last occasion on which a Chief Justice acted as administrator was in 1924, when the Rt. Hon. Sir Robert Stout was appointed to act between the departure of Viisconnt' Jellicoe and the arrival of Sir Charles Fergusson. There are no instances on record when during an interregnum a Chief Justice has been absent from New Zealand and a senior Judge has been called upon to act as administrator.