TWO KNIGHTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 679, 3 June 1929, Page 8

TWO KNIGHTS

FIVE NEW ZEALANDERS IN BIRTHDAY LIST HONOURED BY KING Auckland's representative in tfi e King's Birthday honours this year is Mr. Justice Herdman, who, with the general manager of the Bank of New Zealand. Mr. Henry Buckleton, o£ Wellington, has had a knighthood conferred on him. Five New Zealanders have been honoured. Last evening the Governor-General Sir Charles Fergnsson, announced the following honours:— Knight Bachelors The Hon. Alexander Lawrence Herdman. of Auckland. Judge of the Supreme Court. Henry Buckleton, Esq., of Wellington, general manager o£ the Bank of New Zealand. Companions of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George Leonard Cockayne, Esq., Ph.D. F.R.S., F.L.S., of Wellington. Robert Edward Hayes. Esq., 1.5.0., of Wellington, Paymaster-Gen-eral and Secretary of the Treasury. Companion of the Imperial Service Order Forteseue William Thomas Rowley, Esq., Secretary to the Labour Department. ELEVEN YEARS A JUDGE Since 1918, Sir Alexander Herdman has been on the Supreme Court Bench. He holds the position of senior judge. He was born in Dunedin on July 17, 1869, the son of Mr. Alexander Herdman, a bank manager. After education in Dunedin and Oamarn, he was a member of the staff of the National Bank of New Zealand. In 1894 he was admitted to the bar and practised iu the South Island. Sir Alexander became Mayor of Naseby, in 1898, and from 1902 to 1905 he represented the constituency of Mount Ida in the House of Representatives. He removed his professional practice to Wellington and was returned to Parliament in 190 Sas member for Wellington North. He was representative for the electorate until 1918. Sir Alexander took a notable part in the Parliamentary war. fare which ended the long reign of the Seddon-Ward parties, and, when the Reform Party', under Mr. Massey, took office in 1912, he had the portfolio of Justice and Attorney-Generalship. During the strike :in 1913 he had charge of the Justice Department, and he retained his Cabinet rank during the war.

When he resigned from office in 1918 he was appointed to the Supreme Court Bench. During his administrative career he was responsible for the transfer of the Public Service from Ministerial control to independent commissioners. Af.er the death of Sir Charles Skerrett until the appointment of the Hori. M. Myers, K.C., to the Chief Justiceship, he was acting Chief Justice. REMARKABLE RECORD A remarkable .record of singlehanded achievement lies behind Sir Henry Buckleton. who is now 64 years old. He joined the Bank of New Zealand when he was only 13 years of age. Mr. Buckleton was horn in Sydney and was the son of Sir George Buckleton, the journalist. After he had joined the Sydney branch of the Bank of New Zealand he w ent to Melbourne as acting-accountant, and, in a year, came to New Zealand as accountant in Hamilton. A year later he was accountant in Auckland, his first qjanagership was at New Plymouth, and, by' 1905. he was acting-chief inspector at Wellington. Returning in 1906 to Auckland he remained in’ the North until 1920. when he was appointed general manager. Great r search work in connection with the flora of New Zealand and the agricultural problems of the Dominion has been accomplished by Dr. Leonard Cockayne, widely known as ?. botanist and a scientific agriculturist. Born in Derbyshire, England, in 1855, he was educated at Owen’s College. now Manchester University, and went to Australia in 1879 to teach. He later taught and farmed in New Zealand, and has been connected with the Cawthron and New Zealand Institutes. Dr. Cockayne's researches have been of great value to the Government. Born in 1869 in Dunedin, Mr. R. E. Hayes entered the Post and Telegraph Department in 1885. Iu 1903, he he* came accountant to the Tourist and Industries Department. After being registrar of friendly societies and superintendent of the National Provident Fund, he became assistant-secre-tary to the Treasury in 192:2, and secretary two years later. He was then made Companion of the Imperial Service Order. . A long career in the Labour D^P 3 ”' ment is the record of Mr. F. «• low-ley. whose principal office is secretary to the department. en.ereo its service as a cadet in 1393.