OBITUARY

CHARLES ALLISOf

Mr Charles Allison, who - vr&a Mayor jof Clmstchurch from 1908 to 1910, died yesterday afternoon a-, bis residence in Wordsworth Stre-•: : y, Sprcvdon, alter an illness exte-<t(iii?y "over, six months. The late Mr JiUirioii, who was born in Mansfield, lu;ttiughamshire, seventy-four years ago, came to. New Zealand as a boy of ten in the ship Isabella Hercus, along with his parents, and first set foot in Christchurch on January I, 1856. After being engaged in various trades, Mr Allison worked for a time in the Bank of New Zealand, and then started on his own account as. an architect and civil engineer. In 1880^ he was appointed Town Clerk ,to the first Sydenhain Borough Council, and in that position he remained continuously till 1903, when the district became merged into Greater Cliristchurch. This important change in civic government brought Mr Allison into contact : with wider public interests. He became a member of the City Council, and in 1908 was elected as Mayor, holding office until the return of Mr T. E-. Taylor. At the general election of 1911 he contested' without success the Christ- | church South seat in the House of Representatives. At various times he was a member of the North Canterbury Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, the Lytbeiton Harbour Board and the Technical College; Board of Governors. He was a strong advocate of the ship canal proposal, and worked energetically on behalf of the Port Cliristchurch League. Mr Allison was married on June 2, 1868, in St Luke's Church, and his wife, who is seventyone years of .age, survives him..