Auckland, December 14: After 27 years as Chief Justice of the Dominion, Sir Robert Stout took his place on the bench at the Supreme Court this morning for the last time in Auckland.
The courtroom was crowded with members of the legal profession, who had come to bid farewell to their chief. Sir Robert Stout said he would like to say a few words, especially to younger members of the Bar. If they wished to succeed, they would have to study with much care. His Honor briefly sketched his life work. He commenced working at the age of 12 years and had been 70 years at work. He had taken pleasure in his profession, and if the younger members of the Bar spent their time in the study of law, they would find it very interesting and of great use in life. He had always felt that the position he held was one of the highest that could be given, and he thought the basis of all civilisation was to see that justice was done. If it were not done their civilisation would fall. He admitted that he had made many mistakes, but he had always tried to do what he thought was right. Other civilisations had passed away, and he believed that such was because justice had not been done. To-day they were faced with a number of great problems, amongst them the growth in many countries of people intellectually poor. Many of these were found in the prisons, and nearly one-third of the prisoners were mentally defective. He did not pretend to say he knew what the remedy was to be. They must keep their eyes open and fight for the preservation of justice. Sir Robert said he had received infinite kindness from the members of the Bar, and he could never forget that. It was his hope that they would be the same to his successor.
Taonga added to collection
In the Maori and Moriori sections of the Otago Museum, which are shown in the Hocken Wing, the incorporation of the Fels collection and of more recent gifts has involved considerable changes and improvements. Perhaps the most notable is a greenstone gouge which was dug up at Manakau, Chatham Islands. It is a perfect piece, eight inches in length and circular in cross-section, the hollow grinding being still incomplete. It is, of course, possible that this piece was taken to the Chathams by the Maori conquerors in the thirties, but it is more probable that it was taken there by the Moriori ancestors when they colonised the group many centuries ago. Sir Maui Pomare has presented a perforated shark-tooth and an unfinished fish-hook showing the process of manufacture. A series of rare Moriori pieces presented by Dr E.P. Ellison includes two large adzes, a bone needle, beautifully perforated, a double-sided "picker" of Otago type, a barbed bone bird-spear point, some fish-hooks, and a whale-bone fish-hook point of immense size. Two unique pieces, a scraper or spoon made from whale vertebra and a carved piece of wood, complete Dr Ellison’s gift.
— ODT, 15.12.1925 (Compiled by Peter Dowden)
