OBITUARY

It is with profound regret that we record the death of Mr James Kerr, of the "Hutt and Petone jChronicle," which occurred at his late residence, 95 Hutt Road,: on Sunday, October Dth. Diiringi his short illness all that raecical skill and loving attention could do was done avail and he passed peacefully away. Mr Kerr, who was 63 years of age, was born at Greymouth, and was t. eldest son of the Hon. James 'M.L.C., and Mrs Kerr. He was educated at the Greymouth District High School and on leaving school joined the "Grey Rivejr Argus" of which his father was proprietor.' He took over the management of the paper at an early age, on the death of his father, and relinquished it when he acquired the "Chronicle" 25 years ago.

All his life he took a keen and active interest in public affairs, and in Greymouth was for ten years a meqiber of the Grey Education Board, holding the chairmanship of that bqdy for three consecutive years. For twelve years he served as a member of the Grey Borough C-uncil, and he was a member of the E.apital and Charitable Aid Board.

In Petone he also took, a very active part in all moveme..cs for "the welfare and advancement of the district. He was connected with practically every organisation in Petone and his sound judgment ana actvice was sought by many. He never spared himself in his eli'orts to help his fellow-men, and waj evei- ready to assist in any worthy cause. During the depression years he did yeoman'service in the commuuity and there are many today who will pay a silent tribute to his memory for the help and assistance rendered them during that trying period.

Among the bodies he was previously connected with were tue Petone Amateur Athletic and Cycling Club of which he was president, the Petone Fire Board of which he waf> chairman, the Petone Beautifying Society, Board of Governors of the Hutt Valley High School, Petone Rugby Football Club, Hutt Valley Cricket Association, Petone Bowling Club, Central Bowling Club, and a vice-

px-esident of numerous other organisations. He was a member of Ulster Lodge, No. 62. Mr Kerr was an ardent church worker and during his long association with St. David's Presbyterian Church did much valuable work. He was an elder of the church and chairman of the finance committee. His passing removes from our midst a highly respected and esteemed citizen whose sterling character, affable and generous disposition endeared him to a large circle of friends. Mr. Kerr is survived by his wife and a family of live, Messrs. James, Robert, and William, and Miss Jessie Kerr and Mrs. Jas. Eadie (all of Petone). Mr Wm. Kerr, of Lower Hutt, is a brother, and there aire five sisters. The sympathy of all will be extended to the bereaved in their time of sorrow. LAST RESPECTS. A wonderful tribute to the memory of the.late Mr James Kerr, J.P., was the large attendance at his funeral on Tuesday afternoon, representatives of many organisations with which he had been conhected being present. There were about 100 cars in the cortege. The services at the house, and at the Taita Cemetery were conducted by the Very Rev. G. Budd, Superintendent of Missions of tne Presbyterian Church of New Zealand and. an ex-Moderator, who was a brother-in-law of the deceased. The pall-bearers from the house were Messrs H. A. Ryder, D. Craig, H. Green, 0. Silbery, H. Firth, A. M. Macfarlane, and P. White, the last-named being from Greymouth. At the cemetery the pall-bearers were the following members of the Masonic craft: Messrs C. R. Nottingham, H. Morgan, F. W. Greenfield, H. Poole, R. Singer, and F. Dunn. Mr Dunn conducted the Masonic service. Also present were the members of the deceased's family, the Leader of the Legislative Council (the Hon. Mark Fagan), the Hon. W. Nash (Minister of Finance), Sir Thomas and Lady Wilford, Mr G. London (Mayor of Petone), Mr P. Robertson (Mayor of Upper Hutt), Mr W. C. Ryan (Department of Internal Affairs), the Revs. A. Stevenson, G. W. Hunt, J. E. Lopdell, and E. E. Sage, the members of St. David's Church Session (Messrs H. A. Morris, J. H. Stewart, J. Nesbit, Y. G. Carver, H. Green, E. H, Marsh), Mr H. B. Burnett (former superintendent oi the Auckland Harbour Board), Mrs R. Tait, Messrs C. J. Ashton and W. C. Gregory (Lower Hutt Borough Council), Mr W. V. Dyer (chairman), and Mr J. Stonehouse (Wellington • Education Board), Messrs E. N. Campbell, J. C. Burns, J. R. Gaynor, W. H. Edwards, and J. Huggan (Petone Borough Council), Mr J. N. Millard (principal of the Hutt Valley High School), Mr W. B. Nicholson (chairman of the Board of Managers) and Mr A. McFadyen (principal, Hutt Valley , Memorial Technical College); Mr W. T. Strand (ex-Mayor of Lower Hutt), Mrs Aitchison, Mr W. G. Lodder (exchairman, Petone and Lower Hutt Gas Lighting Board), Mr J. A. Ash (chairman of Petone Central School Committee), Mr C. Ramsden (manager) and Messrs W. Langridge and T. Dunn (Wellington Woollen Company), Messrs L. Monkman and C. W. Miller (Petone Fire Board), Mr E. F. Hollands (engineer and .general manager,-Hutt Valley Efeetric Poiflrer Board), .Mr H. E. Mcßain (Hutt Rugby Football Club),

MR. JAMES KERR, J.P.

Mr J. B. Grey, Mr H. Todd (Petone Amateur Athletic Club), the superintendent (Mr J. P. Gaynor) and Foreman Selwood (Petone Fire brigade), Mr Q. A, Willia,mson, Mr Loehhead, Mr G. W, Cairns, Mr A. Anderson, Mr A. Coles, SeniorSergeant H) C. D. Wade, Mr G. v, McEwen, Mr W. Fitzgerald, Mr V. B. Jacobson, Mr R. J. Burke, Mr D. M. T.:.kson, Mr B. S. Knox (Town Lower Hutt), Mr E. S. Carey .-xutt Valley 50,000. Club), Mr C.

Matthews (Hutt Valley Cricket Association), Mr E. S< NeilJ, and the following members of the Greymouin Old Boys, Messrs Ben Warneg, P. Skoglund, P. White, R. Taylor, W. Wells, C. Kilgour, Li. White, and M. McCarthy. Mr J. H. McKenzie, editor of "The Katipo," represented the Post and Telegraphic employees. W. Pere and R. G. Hayward (Wellington Trotting Club).

A magnificent array of floral wreaths were received from the Mayor, Councillors and Burgesses of the Borough of Petone, Post and Telegraph Employees' Association, Petone and Lower Hutt Gas Lighting Board, Petone Amateur Athletic and Cycling Club, Elders and Managers St. David's Church, St. David's Ladies' Association, St. David's P.W. M.U., Staff Hutt and Petone Chronicle, Petone Variety Entertainers, Petone Fire Board, Petone Fire Brigade, Petone Hockey Club, Ulster Lodge No. 62, The Horticultural Trades Association, Hutt Valley High School, Petone Central Bowling Club, N.Z. Institute of Horticulture, "Hutt News," Greymouth Old Boys' Association, Campbell's Drapery Store, Sir Thomas and Lady Wilford, Mr and Mrs G. D. McEwen, Mr and Mrs W. Rennie, Dr. and Mrs Morice, Miss Constance Morice, Mr and Mrs J. R. Carey and family, Liebezeit family, Mr and Mrs J. McLean, Mr E. r-i. Campbell, Miss Dora Campbell, Mr and Mrs G. A. Duncan, Mr and Mrs Moss and family, Mr and Mrs J. Allan and family, Mr and Mrs Barton Ginger, Mr and Mrs H. Mcßain, Mr E. J. Conway and family, 'Mr and Mrs O. Silbery, Mrs Thomson, Mrs Burnett, Miss J. Stewart, Miss Arnott, Mrs J. Arcus, Mr and Mrs Anderson, Mr and Mrs H. Hoskin, Mr and Mrs Powell Whyte and family, Mr and Mrs Fuge, Mr W. H. Preston, Mr and Mrs A. Beauchamp, Mr and Mrs <J. Lowcien, Mr and Mrs Yates (Christchurch), Mr and Mrs F. Thompson and family, Mr and Mrs W. V. Dyer, Mr Craig, Miss Whitaker, Rev. and Mrs Stevenson, Mr and Mrs C. Stevenson, Mr and Mrs Norton Smith, Mr. and Mrs D. M. Dickson, Mr and Mrs Aitchison, Mr and Mrs E. S. Neill, Mr and Mrs W. B. Nicholson, Mr and Mrs H. Green and family, Mr and Mrs Thomas Waugh, Mr and 'Mrs J. W. Andrews and family, The Seddon family,'Mr and Mrs C. A. Williamson, Mr and Mrs I. Cody, Miss Rousell, Mr S. Cresswell, Mr and Mrs Hogan, Mr and Mrs Howat and daughter, Mrs McGhie, Mrs Shakespeare, Mrs Manson and sons, Mr Norman Anderson, Messrs Claude and Roy Antiss, Miss Yarrell, Mr Andrew Lees, Mr Chas, Lee and Mr Fritz Dolling.

MEMORIAL SERVICE There was a large attendance last Sunday morning at St. David's Presbyterian Church, Petone, for the memorial service .for the late Mr, James Kerr. .The service was conducted by the Rev. P. J. Wainwright, Moderator of the Wellington Presbytery,

Mt. Wainwright based his sermon on the third chapter of the Epistle to Titus in which St. Paul urged on Christians their duty to combine good works with their profession. Mr. Wainwright indicated how in the Christian life there were two extremes —one the life of extreme piety which ever tended to become exclusive and narrow and turning in upon itself in subtle forms of self regard, and the other the extreme of exclusive devotion to good works in the service of man to the neglect of tiro practice in religion. This was illustrated by comparing George Fox, the originator of the Society of Friends, and William Wilberforce, who, for 19 years, devoted himself to the abolition of the slave traffic. Fox, for all his broad, human interests, was inclined toward intolerance to the forms of 'religion prevalent in his day. ■Of Wilberforce it was said "1 never saw one who so touched life at so many points.'' "James Kerr stands rather in the Wilberforce tradition," said Mr. Wainwright. "He touched life at many points," H'C> was a faithful elder in the church, generously sharing its burdens, but also interpreted the Christian life in manifold forms of service on public bodies, in the sphere of physical training and in education. He spent his strength in large and generous ways. Had he devoted all his time and energy to acquiring a fortune he jnight have died a rich man.

"We debate the problem of leisure time these days, but James Kerr was untroubled by that problem as he had no leisure time to speak of, Thus did he seek to interpret 'the Christian life to his age, and there are too few men like him who hear the call to some forms of service which have no reward save in a clear conscience and duty done,'' continued Mr. Wainwright. James Kerr had followed St. Paul in this: that he believed that man's daily business was also of God and thus took his place within society, sharing its burdens and responsibilities. He was doing good— and it was important to remember the sphere within which St". Paul placed such good works—when a man not only lived, as St. Paul said, became a living soul and he could not fulfil his duties properly save as he sought to revere God. Such .faith kept men from worshipping mere physical fitness or money or 'the nation or any form of the prevalent idolatries.

"Man is only safe from the gluttering falsities of life as he finds his destiny in God," said Mr. Wairiwright. This was t a'! difficult command, to bring the whole of one's life within the sphere of deep and true" religion, and

James Kerr, however imperfectly, sought in honesty to do this and so interpret the Christian life to his age. The "Dead March" was played after the sermon, by the organist, Mr. Rennie, and "Lead Kindly Light" was aung .by the choir t