JUDGE GILFEDDER

Hokitika Guardian, 28 June 1933, Page 2

JUDGE GILFEDDER

RET 1 REMEN T l'R OM N ATI V E LAND COURT.

INVERCARGILL, June 24. After 261 years on the bench of thfe Native Land Court, Judge GiUedder retires at the end of June. When the sitting of the Land Court concluded at Invercargill on Friday afternoon Judge Gilfedder made reference to his retirement, a very warm tribute thereupon being paid him by one of the Maori race, Mere Karetai (Mrs Fovrler), of Bluff. “It is with gratitude to you,” she said, “that 1 speak on behalf of my race and thank you for all you have done for. us. You have fought a good fight for us and won. May I say ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter now into thy rest.’ Our only tokens to you are our kind and grateful hearts and our Jove. Kia Ora.” Mere Karetai then sang a waiata. Judge Gilfedder, in reply, thanked Mrs Fowler for her generous expressions of gratitude. He recalled that in his 26} years on the Bench he had travelled almost from North Cape t,o Bluff and had met natives of every canoe and every tribe. The South Island Maoris lie found had a better knowledge of the native laws and of procedure than some of the less educated tribes in the North Inland. Many different dialects and customs were to hr? found among the natives. With those lie had in his quarter of a century on the Bench grown very famili.To, He had done hid best to keep tins scales of justice held evenly between litigants and had made full allowance for the disadvantages under which natives were placed in court proceedings as compared! wiLi Europeans. He referred brieily to native land claims and expressed regret that finality had not yet been reached in the Ngaitahu claim, Tho Government realised that some compensation sffould be made, and when better times came no doubt some redress would be given. The Judge concluded by thanking the Southland natives for the consideration and attentive hearing he had always received from them. He would ever cherish the warmest feelings for the Marv-i race and hoped the years would deal kindly with thorn,