OBITUARY

MR. T. A. H. FIELD

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) NELSON, This Day. The death occurred suddenly at his office this morning of Mr. T. A. H. Field, of the firm of Wilkins and Field. Mr. Field was a former Mayor of Nelson, and he represented Nelson in Parliament from 1914 to 1919. He was one of the' original trustees of the Cawthron Institute, and a past president of the Chamber of Commerce and the Philosophical Society. He took a keen interest in the early history of Nelson. In his younger days he was a prominent cyclist, and was one of the first to ride from end to end of New Zealand.

He leaves a widow and two sons, Messrs. A. N. and L. W. Field, Nelson, and two daughters, Miss F. Field, Nelson, and Dr. Violet Hastings, Auckland.

MR. W. F. HEALY

Mr. William Francis Healy, wlio for many years up till his retirement in 1915 was a well-known Harbour Board official, died yesterday at the residence of his son, 51 Mornington Road, Wellington; aged 83 years. j Mr. Healy was one of the first officers of the Wellington Harbour Board, and retired from that body in 1915, after earning the name of being one of Wellington's most prominent, familiar, and capable officials. He arrived in New Zealand in 1875 by the steamer Rodney, and entered the service of Mr. James O'Shea, who carried on business as a merchant in what was known as Harbour Street. In 1876 he commenced his acquaintance with the wharves

and he saw them grow from a puny little pier to the magnificent stretches of berthing and loading and unloading accommodation that now exist. In those days the City Corporation controller the wharf (the Queen's Wharf), and Mr. H. E. Nicholls was secretary. The wharfinger was Mr. Edward Reeves. The Harbour Board took over control of the wharves in 1881.

Mr. Healy enjoyed a reputation for energy, ability, and clean administration of highly-responsible duties which constituted a record of which those who were associated with him were proud. As an old "wharf hand" he had only one competitor, Mr. H. E. Nicholls, the secretary to the board, who joined the service two years earlier than he did. Some idea of the growth of the business at the port of Wellington up to the time of his retirement, can be gained from a few brief figures. In the year that Mr. Healy entered on wharf service the foreign inward cargo was 24,688 tons; the year he left it was 160,288 tons. His first year's colonial cargo was 23,412 tons; his last was 194,431 tons. During his period of service the.amount of coal passing over the wharves r&se from over 12,000 tons to over 173,000 tons, and the transhipments increased from 8883 tons to 168,310 tons. For some time prior to his retirement Mr. Healy was in charge of the King's Wharf and discharged his duties to the entire satisfaction of the board and the public. Mr. Healy lost two sons in the Great War and is survived by his daughter, Sister Mary, of the Sisters of Mercy, Christchurch, and three sons. Messrs. E. J., P. D., and R. E. Healy, all of Wellington. The, funeral will be held tomorrow after a Requiem Mass at.St. Mary of the Angels Church, Boulcott Street