IN THE PUBLIC EYE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17462, 13 February 1925, Page 6

IN THE PUBLIC EYE.

NOTES AND ANECDOTES. £JHIEF .Justice and oldest .Judge on the Supreme Court Bench, Sir Robert Stout is one of the most widely known and esteemed men in the legal world in New Zealand. Sir Robert, who is now eighty-one years of age. is as active and as keen as ever he lias been and hopes to continue his judicial duties for some time vet. He was born in the Shetland Islands and immigrated to New Zealand in 1863, where he took up a position as a school teacher, but studied law and was admitted to the Bar in 18/1. Ho became Raw Lecturer at Otago University in 1873 and later was appointed Provincial Solicitor for Otago. His first judicial appointment was to the Land Claims Court, a position which he held for two years. Then be was selected to represent Cav.ersham in the House of Representatives and later became Attorney-General and Minister of Lands and Immigration in Sir George Grey’s Ministry in 1878, but was forced to resign owing to the. illhealtli of bis partner. He returned to public life in 1884, being returned to Parliament for the Dunedin seat, and joined Sir Julius Vogel in organising the Stout-Vogel Ministry, becoming Prime Minister, Attorney-Gen-eral and Minister of Education. When this Government was defeated he withdrew from politics for a few years, but returned in 1893. representing Inangahua in the Balia nee Ministry. lu 1899 he was appointed Chief Justice, a position which he has since held. Sir Robert is also Chancellor of the University of New Zealand. 9 9 CHOI'LD Labour decide to nominate a candidate for the Mayoralty will the choice fall on Edwin J. Howard, M.P. ?. Tins is the question that many Christchurch citizens are enunciating. Mr Howard lias made no anself. it- is considered probable that Labour’s choice will -fall on him should .it he decoded to contest the election. Mr Howard is one of the most popular Labour men in the House, and is noted for his ready wit in debate. He has been member for Christchurch South for two terms and has been a Labour representative on the City Council. Harbour Board, Repatriation Board and school committees. He has held almost every position in the Labour movement from secretary of the Political League to president of the United Federation of Labour. For some years he was secretary ef the General Labourers’ Union and was the first secretary of the Canterbury branch of the W.E.A. IT was on 1 v in January, 1924, that J Dr C. S. Hicks (Dunedin) took up Iris research work at Cambridge under the Beit Fellowship Trust, and already he has had offered to him an important position in the United States a posiwliich has not been filled for five years. This Dr Hicks has accepted. and he will become Chemical Physiologist on the Research Staff of the Mavo Foundation for Medical Research, at Rochester. Minnesota. U.S.A. The position was offered hiin as the result of his work on the Chemical Aspect of Goitre at the Sir William Dunn Bio-chemical Institute, Cambridge, under Professor F. Gowland Hopkins, F.R.K. The selection of the New Zealander may he considered as a great compliment to Otago Medical School. Dr Hicks received bis appointment whilst visiting the United States on behalf of Sir William Dunn Bio-chemistry School, his object being to bring back a special strain of mice that spontaneously develop cancer, He visited the Mayo Institute and there came into personal touch with the principals of the Mavo Foundation for Medical Research "and this may have had a good deal to do with his selection for the post of Chemical Physiologist. 9 9 U fTBIi YfNTi hotfoot back to Persia to save his throne, the Shah last year was .just in time to sway popular opinion and to keep his position as head of the State in his native land. Now. however, t b e. throne is again in danger, the Premier, Reza Khan Sardar Sepah, having delivered an ultimatum to Parliament demanding that they choose between himself and the Shah. The Shah has had no say in the Government of Persia for the past two years and has not endeared himself to the people of his country, having absented himself from the country for long periods. It was while paying an extended visit to Europe last year, where he earned the reputation for himself of being enamoured of the excitements of life in Continental cities, that he was recalled to Persia to restore his house to order. Reza Khan is a powerful military man whose prestige has recently beep increased by a victorious campaign he waged against the rebels of the south.