MASTERTON COURTHOUSE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10665, 21 June 1912, Page 5

MASTERTON COURTHOUSE.

OPENED BY THE HON J. A. HANAN. iAN INTERESTING FUNCTION. •y The new Court house in Masterton *$ .was effdally opened yesterday afternoon by -Mie Hon. J. iA. Hrfrunn, Mina&tev of Juistice. The bench was occupied by the Htn. J. A. Hanau,"M:utster of Justice, the Mayor of Miutorton <M.r J. M. Coradine), the Magistrate (Mr L. G. Rekl, S.M), and Mr .G. R. Sykes, M.P. The building wag crowded, amongst tlios? prr-.?.?r.it bemg 'twelve momheirs tf the legal fra-tcrn-iity, many J.'lsP., and a large number of ladies. The .Hon. J. A. Haiiaai eak\ it •.,/* gave lnim til;e greatest pleasure to be present that day to porfu-m such an .important function as the opening of the M ; a stent on. Sr.pr'cime CVnnrt. Tho cstablishmcii't of the Sriprcme Court !ma<rkcdi an epoch in the progress of - MwE(tca'ta:i, a* it indiciited the { adimade in the development cf the tfot.rat, and '(Hie social and -oi'vic.activity of the itown. Fifty-four years iag'o itlvo Cbnrt in. Masterton was held .in a smai'il schiool-room eight feet by .twelve. At that time there was only one r-nvnll shop in the chief street cf Mastorton. The new Oourtlhoui:43 made 'aM realise' rflie grc'iat work ""*, -tlonie by the piiivneers and eitizenis ctf Wh.& dfetniot, ixid the potiple gener■ally should feel grateful to tb'ose who had helped to nsake Masterton tho important tV.'wm it iis to-d'ay, .. Amd which, srecessitated the buildi'mg of c-nch an important .tribunal of justioe. Tho development of the district >wr.is rcfkUted in tihe building, and he ■imighb say itQuat Mastf-'rihc.n- was now Voire vt -the .most up-to-dJate muniicip■ial'itir.s m New Zealand. It had excellent atreet.s, well li'ght'ed, spleiadid public buildings, and handsome dwellinigs, and an. inVliigc nt eominiuuity. iAlfrtliese made it n eccsui ry to build an -up-to-date Courtlwuse, which would ho in keeping with the vctit, of the town'. 'Tlie Cr-urthouse would re•aniain. a .liivinig-'in'oof of tlh-e advauce.raent cf r.n cnligh'tened connmunity, ■and marked ihe advancement of civil•'isation, -i:i' wl;ich men .appealed to have their wrong;-:- righted, not by brute fcrce. but by rvcourse to pure ..justice.. The law M s amid courts- of the ■British Empire miTways stood'as an object Idsson to other icoulntrics. To TOainitein- the ifr.ee .rights and p'rivilegye of tho Bnitifeh j'afles it was necessary to have temples' of jmstice. The ehould remcmheir those who "'had handed dwvn ithese rights, Avhich ivc'r'e embodied in that great charter ttf English liberty, Magr.b Charta. It •Alas the duty of thjt? Bnitklh race to . mphoM these great and glorious rights ■and privileges. This again proved the 'necessity for .inist'itutioii'S' such «s was mow being dedicated to public use. H S&me coiMrkts ait times ignored justice, amid tried to right their grievances by rcoowrse to strike's. Strikes .were lan.tksceial, and gave ( rise to suffierioig, 'and the wcmeni and childtrcn were always tho greatest saiffcrcrs. He (Mr ffanaiii) intended to ™ ' do'his uitmottt to cultivate a spirit iwhicih would! recogniss the poAvear of justice in the satttemenit of disputes, and the promotion of proper relaltions •(between .man and man. En.co\irage'iroeut should he given l 'to 'safeguard public and private dghts, and a guarantee given that wrongs will be (righted. " Thr.t was another important •hui.d'icn .poiiformed by courts of law. 'ln> New Zealand -tllie adminis'trattion of 'uetico Avas in the hands elf' ■sbro-ng and .capable nncn, who had the V- cntirotniyt of ..tsiipce.pl". Tfcssa men carried cut \v.£)\ a higli-mindudir-c's;, and with ccntideration <mly ffdr ithf rights of .the pc'Gpfc. o*ie •'legal prcfec-ion in New Zoa'land. They distrust and conniption which were prevalent- in) otlictr Kiiu.lirifo. They 3i'ad every reason to lie pvoucl of tlio llegal Tji-ofession in Newc Zalnnd. They Qiad men who were a .credit to the Bar .of New Zealand, and who wore a Valuable and necessary- adjunct to the purity of justice. They were well , qualified Ho uphold the traditions of % ithe Bar. "It is mot the profession • (that makes the main," Said Mr Haitian; "it is the standard «f character 'of the man .thnib makes the profes.sion." He was quite sure that the '■scales Klf jru.sti.ee would he serupulbusly held 'even in l this new Courthouse. - Ho wished every .success to the distridt, and ccngratuliated tflie Wairariapa- on. itß iprosperity , and success, which resulted in this splendid building being erected. The 'building was a credit 'to the Department, the con%acitars, ah:d itho prcgressiveiness of ithe town. Greater prosperity created <■ -a .need for ca suitable CbrJrt-hou.se anv :tlife towar. He .congratufoted Mr ißeid S.M., on. the 1 .insrtttuti'on. of so important ia building, and he also congratulated the district m -Waving euch an Mo man, as iMr Reid admin-

lister in g the law. •T'lieymntet look upon the building as riiie people's, aaid he was sure itlra-t justice would bo 1 meted out to the poor mUnn.v and the rich alike. He knew Hint often, the man

wiifch .'the long jpui'&o won, because the poor man co'uld not afford to go to the higher Counts. E'ux now oases •could bs cl'eaQ'fc witfh in the new Courthouse, and ,the poor man would meet the ft'ich upon cquail (terms. To have good justice it was necce&ary to have the heist talent, and for that reason they should always strive to have ohe aorvicoy (.if 'Olio best men. Cheapest justice was .iret 'always iho best,

land ito 'have the be&t tailcnt r'liey must pay for it. For that- reason he would like to see the 'salaricr; of Mngisitra'tes raised, so as to procure the best b.ra.in'.s .possible. Lcgisl'ai':'r:n in New Zealand had -bcon- mr.fcle' on human ita•rian lines. Mere humainiturian laws, were Ji'eeceeary. There were strikes' iat the present time all over the world, and also in N'ew Zealand. Unless a feitrikc h'ad the support of [be public it could not be a success. So unless the Courts of Justice were upheld iby the public, and had the confidence of the piiibEc, 't'hc main/tain ing . of justice could not be a .Micco-is. fie was glad to 'see that tho n'ew Courthouse wa« to be equipped with a hbrary, which lie considered a, necessary adjunct. Ma.ny changes were /taking piiaee an all .'branches cf life. 'New laws 'had to be made to suit new oor.ditions. There wafe o'ne thing tiiat did niot change, tlnat wee the charge-. made Tor law. (Laughter)'. Th?r> was teitilil the 6s Sd to be pa":d. But. a<3 be s'aid .before, chenp law is dear Slaw, and if the best advice is to be gained it must be paid for. Laws woro now being simplified, so that 'ho .man of average education could uncleretuand them. There wore many points of law ton' which advice was not now required, £.o the people could read and comprehend them for thom-K-elvc's. People were given a good idea of the statutes iby the .yammaris- . ing of laws. He concluded by thanking them for icheir attentive hearing, ■and for the honour .conferred by asking him to open their new Courthouse, (Applause.) Mr J. M. Conidiiie (Mayor of -Mus'tcrton) ecr.'grr.itul'atod tho people of tho town on ibeing able Si at day to attend the opening cercfmo'ny cf th?ir new Courthouse... It was many ye ire since he had first heard of Master-ton having a new .Courthouse, and the present splendid ,bu!:ildi-ng was the ■ecmlt of many deputat:or:>s and vbc work of their ex-member (Mr A. \V. Hogg), "ho had .made numerous r->p-rosenitation-s to the .Government for the necessity of s uch a building. He thanked -Mr Handn, on .behalf of -he people cf Masterton, for being present that day to open tho new building. Courts of law we're (for those who Hid not 'always agree, but that day the proceedings were of .a hai-moniions la'luire, a«d all were pleased with ihe 'splendid new building. ■Mr H-eid, .3.M., .:aid he Wc-irkl al'ways con'siider it 'his duty to carry out his path of office, to do right to ail 'men, high and low. It was 'his duty to hold the brianVe fairly between infill sad -man. Ho daimed to know something e ! f law, ibut" a magistral's: 'diuty was not that elf a. lawyer. A Imiaglstrate must 'bring 'himself to the 'level of all who came before him, a-d givo his de.ciis.ioin to the host of his Ability, and in aecordalnce with la.v. 'He thanked the legal profession for 'the assistance they had given h.msince he came to ■Maston'ton. The dis>tric.t was ito be •congratulated on having rjii'c-h table men- fto attend to its legal affairs. He thanked Mr Han an

for ibeing present What day, and lie Svas pleased that i.bw they would be able to carry oil iCouir.t hteiness under ■nibre favourable conditions.

Mr .G. It. Sykce, M.P., said that ■tikis -was the second occasion- within a (few weeks ithfat he had pleasure in "ivelooiiriiii'g Mir'iF'aK'aai .to Mastertmi, ■on ibeihailif cf tlie people cf the d'e-. t'l-ict. .They ishould highly approcuice' Mr Hanan's presence, as the work of a Cabinet .Minister did mot permit <;f .'him ibeing away f.roin his work foi 4imy. length of time. If a Minisrer 'wished ito master the intricacies of Ins Department he must (StUck closely to 'his work. He was sure that Mr Kalian was that .man, and they should he /the .more grateful. to him for being present to open their new Courthouse. He rernomibered, somo thirty years ago, 'ilhe firc.tt Courthouse in Mastcrton. He thcufeflut then that tyio building iwas large 'an'd,commochbra enough for all timie. But' tho district h.ad developed and become most populous, and with its development came increased 'litigation. He aga/!n ; thankeid Mr Haanam for being present, and asked those present t.i accord -the Minister a hearty vote of th'alu'ks, which was carried by acclamation .

Mt Hainan', in thanking the people fox iihcOr vote,-■expressed the hope tintvery ff.ew .of .those present would have occasion to go to law.