OBITUARY.

MR. EDWARD N. LIFFITON. j

There will be widespread regret up ' and down the coast, and particularly in Wanganui, when it is learned that Mr. Edward Nolloth Liffiton passed away at Wanganui. The "deceased gentleman was one of the pioneer settlers of this district, and though he had reached the good old age of 80 years, his death makes a distinct gap in the ranks of* the older generation of public men who still take a keen interest in public affairs. Tlie late Mr. Liffiton was born in Devonshire m 1843, and arrived at Wellington in 1856. As a lad, he went to. Christchurch, where he spent some time before coming to Wanganui. He served with the Wanganui Cavalry during the Maori war,„ and went through both General Cameron and General Chute's campaigns, and was the recipient of the New Zealand War Medal. Mr. Liffiton had considerable experience as a farmer and farm manager in the North of Auckland, but. . as the result of an unfortunate accident near Whangarei, when he and his horse fell over a cliff, he was obliged to relinquish that class of work. He then took up accountancy, and became established in Wanganui as accountant and land agent, which he carried on till the time of his death. It was, however, in connection with his public work that Mr. Liffiton was perhaps best known to the later generation. He was appointed a Justice of the Peace ia 1882, and was the oldest member of the honorary magistracy at the time of his death. Hte was an enthusiast ih acclimatisation work> in which he did immense service as secretary of the Acclimatisation Society oyer a long period of years. He was equally interested in promoting agricultural and pastoral interests, and rendered excellent service in a secretarial capacity for many years to the Wanganui Agricultural and Pastoral Society, and took a leading part in its revival some years later, ln the early days of the Uollegiate School Estate, Mr. Liffiton was secretary to the trustees, and in this capacity also he was well known. i

In local government Mr. Liffiton was an arduous worker. He was for fourteen years county clerk to the Wanganui County Council. But he was not content with acting only in a paid capacity. He sat for six years* on tne Wanganui Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, and becoming a member of the "W anganui Borough Council in 1888, he held his seat, including a short term as Mayor of the town, continuously for nearly thirty years, and was the senior councillor for the great part of that time, having "a record for length of municipal service that is not often equalled. His work as a councillor is too. well known to need lengthy comment, and it will suffice to say that the Borough Council has rarely had a member more interested in its work, more energtic in carrying it out, or more watchful of the citizens' interests than Mr. Liffiton. The late Mr. E. N. Liffiton was appointed visiting Justice of the Peace of H.M. prison in 1888. He continued in that office until 1909, when the prison was take*, over as the police gaol. He was re-appointed in July, 1922, when the gaol was again gazetted as a prison. Mr. Liffiton carried out his duties most faithfully, and visited the prison every Monday morning. Tt was his practice to see every prisoner, and in all his judgments he was very fair and just. Mr. Liffiton leaves a widow, one son (Mr. E. F. Liffiton), and two daughters, Mrs. P. G. Miles (Feilding) anrl Miss Liffiton.—Chronicle.