CO129-347 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1908 [4-6] — Page 34

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from the enclosure to Sir F. Piggott's letter of 29th.

February, 1908, he now expresses the contrary opinion. The

"chief argument" however in his view is the question of the

Appeal Court, the other argument appears to be the difficulty

of arranging for transfer of work from one Court to the

other. The enclosures attached to this Despatch deal very

fully with this matter. Mr. Wise's own offer to take all

the Bankruptcy work, and the Chief Justice's refusal to

fall in with that suggestion appear to somewhat deprive it

of force. As Mr. Wise has lately proceeded to England on

leave I would suggest that Your Lordship's legal advisers

should take the opportunity of hearing his views on the

matter at first hand. The Colonial Secretary informs me

that "it is notorious that the time of the Puiane Judge is

not fully occupied. He has not been known to sit in the

afternoons for several years past". He estimates the cost

of a Third Judge including salaries of clerk, interpreter,

usher and perhaps a registrar, together with rent of Court-

-house and chambers at about $25,000 per annum. Mr. May

assures me further that the consensus of un-official

opinion is to the effect that, if the work were so re-

-arranged as to fully utilize the time of the Puisne Judge,

the necessity for a Third Judge has not yet arisen.

8.

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