ARBITRATION COURT JUDGE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 101, 15 May 1937, Page 4

ARBITRATION COURT JUDGE

Presg Associatibh.)

Temporary Appointment Made MR. P. J. O'REGAN

(By Telegraph—

WELLINGTON, This Day. Mr P. J. O'Regan, of Wellington, is to be appointed a temporary Judge for six months and he will fill the vaeancy resulting from the illness of Mr Justice Page. Mr O'Regan is likely to take up his new duties at an early date. Since the present administration came into office and even before that time, there has been much discussion as to whether a single Judge could cope with the work of the Arbitration Court, that it is believed that the Government may have in view the possibility of a division of the work of the Court in sueh a manner as to ntilise the services of two judges. This, however, would be a matter for legislation. . , One of the ieadxng experts in New Zealand on industrial law, Mr O'Eegan is eminently quaiified for the position oi judge of the Arbitration Court. Not only his exten^ive experience in industrial matters and in the handling of disputes under the Workers' Compensation Act, but also his sound jucigment in dealing with awaxds, combined with his strength of character and personality, should prove invaluable in the exaeting worx to which he is ealled. *Sixty-eight years of age, Mr O'Regan has had a varied career. Mainly selfeducated, he entered the law late in life but by study and hard work quiekly make his mark in the profession. As a young man he was a gold digger and subsequently a farmer. "When aged 21 he left his father's farm in the Inangahua Valley, and for a time engaged in journalism as editor of the Guaxdian, Reefton, and later the Inangahua Times.' ' In 1893 he was elected member of Parliament for Inanghua, and in 1896 was elected to r'epresent Buller. Losing his seat in Parliamnet in 1899, at the age of 30, he turned his attention to the law, matriculated end studied at Victoria University College, Tn, 1902 he, was again a candidate for Parliament, contesting the Wellington City poll, but was fourth 011 the polL His legal, career really began in 1905 when he entered into practice in Wellington. "While in Parliament Mr, O'Eegan Identified hinxself with a group of singie-taxers, ineluding the late Sir George Fowlds, and was a vigorous advocate of rating and taxation on land values. He also gave his support to the cause of proportional repxes.eptation. In his efforts to secure a reform of the method of representation in Pailiament, Mr O'Eegan three times inffoduced- a Proportional Representation Bill, and in 1899 enlisted ( considerable support when his bill was carried through the second reading. Over the past 30 years Mr O'Eegan has been prominent in all the most celer brated compensation cases heard in the Arbitration Court, and has been frequently engaged to appear for the coal,jainers of the. Auckland distrxct ^ in claims brought nixder the Compensation Aet.