OBITUARY.

JOHN STALLWORTHY. The death took -place on Saturday of Mr John Stallworthy, of Te Kopuru, I the causo of death being heart trouble. ! Mr Stallworthy, who was 70 years of age, leaves, besides his widow, who is in a critical state of health, a family of eight, four sons and'four daughters, together with forty grandchildren and j a number of great-grandchildren. | Mr Stallworthy was born at Samoa in the year 1854, his father being a I member of one of the Missionary Soi cieties. He arrived in New Zealand in the ship Auckland about 1872 ind was taken into employment by one of the Auckland business firms. In 1880 he becamo teacher of the Aratnpu ' school, and in 1884 he entered i'lto journalism. He produced by cyclostyle the "Aratapu Gazette," and subsequently purchased the "Te Kopxru Bell," when he relinquished the te idling profession. He became member of Parliament for Kaipara in 1905 and held the seat until 1911. During th.it time he took an active interest organising the Timber Workers' Union in Aratapu and Te Kopuru and was responsible for having several improvements in the Union's affairs effected by statute. Some 1 ten years ago he beca <13 blind, but he was a man of sturdy temperament and did not allow this disability to interfere with his activities. He learned to use the typewriter and conducted all his own correspondence, and for that matter retained all his mental faculties, right up till the last. At the time of his death he was chairman of the Kaipara Hospital Board, charman of the local branch of the Farmers' Union, and chairman of directors of the Te Kopuru Bus Company. One of the deceased's sons, Mr A. J. Stallworthy, is proprietor of the "Wairoa Bell and Northern Advertiser" at Dargaville.