MR WARDEN STRATFORD:

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 169, 11 September 1886, Page 2

MR WARDEN STRATFORD:

Mr H. Aldborough Stratford, the newly. appointed It.M. and Warden is a barrister- in-iaw, and was, in early life a lieutenant in the R.N. He is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, of the New Zealand goldtields" officials, his appointment as sue' 1 , dating as far back as tl c Hartley and liiley — better known now-a-days as the Dunstan (Otago) — rush. j Prior to that Mr Stratford was con- ! nected with the Government service, as ; secretary to the Marine Board, a Board which, by the way, had but a very brief term of existence. When the Dunstan rush broke out, he was sent to the goldfields as warden's clerk and shortly afterwards, in the year 1863, was appointed gold receiver at Clyde | the principal township then in exis- : tence on the Danstan. In the following year, on the retirement of Mr Warden Hardcastle, Mr Stratford was promoted to the office of Warden, in virtue of which he acted successsively at Kawaru, Mount Benger, Mount Ida, the Nokomai, and Lake Wakatip ; at ! the latter for a period of eight years. j Between 1880 and 1884 he had charge of Greymouth and Kumarua districts, on the Westland goldfields, a position which was exchanged for the Resident Magistracy of the Wairarapa, the locality from which he last hailed. The members of the bar at Masterton on Tuesday last the 31st ult., assembled at the Court House to bidd good-bye to Mr H. A. Stratford, R.M., who was about to leave the district to take up his appointment as R.M. and Warden at the Thames- Through their representatives Messrs Bunny, Parker, and Skipper, the members of the bar stated that during the time Mr Stratford had occupied the Bench, they had always experienced every courtesy that could be expected by members of the profession. They were all agreed in saying that Mr Stratford's administration of the the law had been above suspicion, and that justice had been dealt out with the strictest impartiality. In losing him they felt they were losing one whorri it would be very difficult indeed to replace. They would only add that Mr Stratford was leaving the district carrying with him the hearty good-will and esteem of the bar and of the people of Masterton, who all joined in wishing him every happiness and prosperity in the place to which he was going. Mr Stratford, in reply, said that though he had been a recipient of compliments fr< m members"of the bar in other places where he had been longer than in Masterton, he valued highly the sentiments of exteem just expressed, and that during his stay at Masterton, he

had been largely assisted in bis work by the members of the profession, from whom he had learned leßsons that had made him a better lawyer, and a better Magistrate. He was sorry he was going away from the district, fr ix months ago, when he was jrtiU.unsettled he should noi'have regretted the change so much; but since he had known the people, he hoped to have made his home with them. In conclusion, Mr Stratford warmly acknowledged " the great assistance and courtesy ho had received from the officers of the Court, who had made his duties as light' and agreeable as possible. Mr Freeth briefly, but in graceful terms, thanked MrStratford, for his compliment on behalf of the officers, and cordially endorsed the sentiment of regret and good wishes that had been expressed.