OBITUARY.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19447, 22 October 1928, Page 8

OBITUARY.

MR R. M. MACDONALD.

Deep regret will be felt in business, motoring, and other circles at the death of Mr Ranald Macintosh Macdonald, which occurred yesterday afternoon at "Hambleden," Bealey avenue. Mr Macdonald was confined to his home only during the past fortnight and the end came somewhat suddenly. The late Mr Macdonald was closely connected with the business, municipal, and social life of the City for very many years. From his earliest youth he took an absorbing interest in mechanical traction, and was a pioneer of motoring- in Canterbury. He was the eldest son of the late Mr \\. &. Macdonald, who took up the Oran Station in the earlv 'fifties, and was a member of the Provincial Council of Canterbury. Mr R. M. Macdonald was born in 1860, and after serving an apprenticeship as a mechanical engineer at the Aldington Railway Workshops he became a partner in the engineering firm of Messrs Booth, Macdonald, and Co. (now Messrs Booth, Macdonald and Co., Ltd ) In 1884, he married a daughter of the late Mr George Gould, who predeceased him. He became a member of the firm of Messrs McLaren and Macdonald, but retired from it in 1889. While a member of the last-mentnoned firm Mr Macdonald accomplished a feat that caused considerable favourable comment at the time on account of its difficulty. This was the driving of a traction engine with three trucks loaded with coal from Lyttelton up the Zig-Zag to Christchuroh. It wag not possible to negotiate the abrupt turnings and steep grades of the Zig-Zag with the three trucks attached, so each was hauled up separately to the top. Mr Macdonald joined the directorate of the Christchurch Press Company, Ltd in August, 1891, and since then, at different periods, was chairman of directors. In 1909 Be attended the Imperial Press Conference, held in London in June of that year, as one of the representatives of New Zealand. About 1892 Mr Macdonald became interested in the then Canterbury Tramway Company, which had been operating certain of the lines since 1879, but at the end of twelve or thirteen years was almost bankrupt. Mr Macdonald acquired a controlling interest in the company which he reconstructed in 1893 under the name of the Christchurch Tramway Company, and by his business acumen, energy, and enterprise converted an undertaking bordering on financial collapse, and made it an outstanding commercial success. Mr Macdonald continued as managing director till the company's lines, with those of other companies were taken over in 1902-3 by the Christchurch Tramway Board. . In 1901 Mr Macdonald was elected to the Christchnrch City Council as a.representative of the North-West sUrd and was appointed chairman of the Works Committee, a position ho was well qualified to fill. Mr Macdonald for many yearsi was.one of the partners in the stock and station agency firm of Gould. Beauraontjmd Company, which became later JPyne, Gould, Guinness, Ltd. He was also a valued member of the General Committee of the Canterbury A. and P. Association for several years. - As already stated Mr Macdonald was a pioneer in motoring in Canterbury and was particularly interested in the mechanism of motor-cars and investigated each new development very keenly. He was the fourth president of the Canterbury Automobile Association and held office in 1906-7. Under his preaij dency the membership increased from 94 to 139, and the Association held its first reliability trial. The route; was to Ashley Gorge and, ba* andl the trial took place on April 18th, 1907. During the Great War, Mr Macdonald was residing in England, and took a very active part in the war. work of the New Zealand Red. Cross and War Contingent Association, for Which he received the C B,E. Amongst his War activities were the organising of the Stores Depot at Southampton, of which Captain Greenstreet took charge, and the organising oil the motor transport of the New Zealand War Contingent Association. Mr Macdonald, with characteristic energy «*~ thoroughness, did not spare himself in this 'work, and there were few trains that arrived with New Zealanders from France that he did not meet. Latterly, Mr Macdonald has interested himself chiefly in his duties as & .director of the Press Company, Ltd., and his work connected with the committee of the Canterbury Jockey Chih, of which he was a member for many years.. ■'-.•' ... ; j j Two sons and two daughters survive Mr Macdonald. His eldest f son,, the j J late Mr G. K. Macdonald, served in : the Great War, and took part in much i of the actual fighting. ' He died) tihortily after peace was proclaimed. The other sons are Messrs G. R. Macdonald. of Lowry Hills, and Tan Jfl. Macdonald. of Fnrorata. The pldor daushter is Mrs Bbkemore. of London; and the younger, Miss Mary Macdontrtd. The funeral is to take plac e at 2.80 to-morrow afternoon. MR JOHN SPILLER. The death of a well-known and respected eitizen, Mr John Spiller, took place yesterday at the Christchurch Hospital. He was bora at Broadway, Somerset, in 1850 and lived for some time at Exeter and later at Tunbridge Wells, Kent In 1876 he married a Miss Hunt, of the latter place, and shortly afterwards left wijth his bride' for New f Zealand, arriving at Lyttelton to the sailing ship Waimate on September Brd, 1877. For a few years he was engaged as assistant to a Mr Cherrill, but entered into business as a photographer on his own account in 1880. Pot nine years he occupied premises in Colombo street (opposite the City Hotel), and then removed to Oxford terrace, where he continued to carry on his profession until his retirement in 1920. Mr Spiller took a keen interest in public affairs, and was a prominent member of several bodies. He was a member of the Canterbury Chess Club, for nearly thirty years, being preiiident during the International Chess Congress held in Christchurch in 190607. He was a member of the committee of the club for twenty years, and was made-a life member 1915. A, member of the Addington School Committee for many years, he occupied the position of chairman in 1904. He was also a member of the executive of the Slchool Committees' Association, being its president in 1906, and when he resigned from the Association he was elected a life member. He was one of the original members of the Sydenham Bowling Club when that body was founded in 1899, and was for many years on the committee and was. president in 1909. In 1922 he was elected a life member. In addition to being on the committee of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for a great number of years, he was for some time a member of the Philosophical Institute and also of the Industrial Association. He leaves a widow and four sons—Harry, of Christchurch, Walter, of Auckland, Bertram, of London, and Leonard, of Wellington—to mourn their loss.