SIR EDWIN SPEED

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 82, 31 December 1934, Page 6

SIR EDWIN SPEED

Links With New Zealand Former Chief Justice of Nigeria, brother of Colonel Charles Arney, second in command of the New Zealand forces in the last stage of the Maori War, and also godson of Sir George Arney, New Zealand Chief Justice in the ’seventies, Sir Edwin Arney Speed was a passenger by the Oronsay, which called at Wellington at the week-end in the course of a pleasure cruise. For 20 years Sir Edwin held high official positions in Nigeria, retiring in 19.15. He was Attorney-General at Lagos when that protectorate was a separate colony, and iater he was At-torney-General of. Southern Nigeria. Northern and Southern Nigeria and Lagos were amalgamated in 1914 and ire then, became Chief Justice of United Nigeria. At one time he was Chief Justice of Northern Nigeria and several times. Acting-Chief justice. Colonial Secretary and Deputy-Govcnior of Lagos.

Along with other countries in’ the world, Nigeria lias been through a period of comparative poverty, but even)there things wore beginning to look up, Sir Edwin said when ' interviewed. Giving an instance of the progress made by tile country, he said that when he first went there the revenue of Lagos and Southern Nigeria- amounted to about £400,000 a year, derived almost exclusively from the tax on gin. To-day the revenue was in the vicinity of £10.000,000 and the sale of gin was practically prohibited.