OBITUARY.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19841, 31 January 1930, Page 11

OBITUARY.

MR NORMAN E. BURTON

[THE PRESS Special Scnrie* 1

AUCKLAND. January 30

The death occurred late, hist moiling of Mr Norman K. Burton, well known throughout New Zealand us ■' journalist, and oven moro widely known for the notablo sorvi.v ho has rendered' to (lie Anglnaii Church in New *V•> land. Mr Hurt on passed "Hay at In* homo at Croat. South road attor a. lingering illness at tho ano ot frj yearv Ho was horn in Shortland stri-ei, Auckland, in I*l7, hi* I«Hi;t hem* Mr Charlos Hurtoii, who had arnvcu | in the oolonv .seven years earlier a- , a hov. Ho attend-.! Wei!, ok', on strict i and Newton East Schools, and at C><' latter ho won a scholarship which *'«'■> him to the Auckland Crannnar .school. Thence lie entered the service ol tno "Ncv Zealand Herald" as an appro.'- 1 tico in tho printing depart inetit. "' , , became a I'rool reader, then a re porter, and later S uh-oditor. ami toi ;, considerable period lie roprcM-.il.ed the- ii;iikt in the Parliamentary I Calhrv. Over a quarter ol a century ' i,.ro he lclt Auckland and joined the BiT.fF of the '•Ota-o Dail.v I mirs, Iblliodin. as chief sub-editor , When tho •Donvmon" IU'W-paP''' ' u,.s founded in Wellington ho become , ~s lirst suh-cditor. and later was loader wn!or and assistant e-tiloi . ,;,ki,m charge .liinim the alisomo "I [ tho editor in Europe* vn 101*. ' In tho follow inc vonr Mr Hurtoii !<•- j tired from dailv journalism on account ( of ill-health, and returned to Aurl, land, whete he bogmi to take an netivo part in chun h affairs. Lan of his voluntary work lor the c inr. i. | was the editorship ol the Auckland j "Church Gii/.elte," which ho coiuiue- , tr-d for some nine year*, ami i" , which he Rave an outstanding; ' l, « , ; i '' i | tor among publication* erf its kind ' served on Synod and on the Standing Committee of diocese until about >' j vcar before his death, and was » j Auckland rei.rr-scntat ivo at Ihe >e Zealand </onernl synods m UJA '•-'■ , and 1028. ..,. | Mr Burton had an enpfH-ing st.o' , as writer, to which ho added know ■ lod"o of current relations question* I exceptional in a lavman H«* was no allied to anv partisan school ol tliongni mi tlie Church of England, hut was a true exponent of what has Ix-n termed "ventral" churohmanship. He was an adept in the art of B ood huniourcd religious controversy, and letters from ihis pen which appeared in daily newspapers nave enjoyment to many. The biblo in sohools movement nini liquor relorm wvre two questions in which Mr Hurton took much interest. Ho was one of tho four original promoters of corporate control movement . tho otbvr three being Canon Pcroival James, and the Revs. V. T. Williams, and (J. Cordon Bell. Mr Burton is survived bv his widow, formorlv Miss Sarah Fauldcr, and >y four brothers and three sisters. I lie brothers are Messrs Krodern k rind Charles Burton, of Tauranea. Mr \\ ■ H. Burton, of Auckland, and Mr Gerald Burton, of Kaitaia. The sisters nre Mrs E. Latimer. ot Bllerslie. Mrs J. Novell, of I>Monport. nnd Miss Burton, of Devonport. MR W. W. CHARTERS. In the death of Mr William Womb well Charters, aged T4 years, after a prolonged illness, the Canterbury Maim faeturers' Association has lost it* old est living member, and one whose record of service will ho remembered for many years. Mr Charters*!* connexion with" the Association dates from July oth, 1379, when the Canterbury lndu« trial Association was founded at » meeting at which the late Mr Robert Allan was elected chairman, and Mr Charters secretary and treasurer. On September 3rd of the Mine year, n gen oral meeting of the Association M» held when tho rules were adopted, nnd the officers were elected Although for a few years Mr Charters w-ns president of the Association, it was as its trra surer that he was chiefly known, and that was the position he held right up till the time of his death, lie was the last foundation member of Hie Associa tion.

It was only on November 20th of lust venr that the Association celebrated it* jubilee,' and on that occasion npportu nity wai taken to pay a tribute to the long record of Mr Charters, who, even at that time was laid aside with tho illness from which he whs never to recover. The retiring President (Mr 11. Hrndlevi announced at the function that he had called on Mr Charter* only thai morning, and conveyed the bed wishes of the Association, Other apeak crs, including Mr I>. Jones, M.r.. alao commented upon Mr Charters's remark able record.

Yesterday Mr Denye lloare (seere- i t.uv of tli" Assneintirmi showed a Pto.» | reporter an interesting link between Mr Charters and the early days of the Association. It was an illuminated address presented to Mr Robert Allan by his colleagues, on the occasion of his retirement from the Presidency in 1881. There were l\6 signatories to the testimonial and these include such no. abilities as Sir Julius von Haast, Professor Bickerton, and others. The last to sign was Mr Charters, who was not present at the function, and his signature, for which a space was left, was made quite recently, so that the ink stands out clear and llaek from that of the faded script of his colleagues. Mr Charters was the last of those signatories to die. Mr Charters was president in 1H99 and in 1905, 100G, and the latter part of 1907. It was during his presidency in 1907 that the Joint Committee of the Industrial Association and the Agricul tural Implement Board was doing good work, and Mr Charters was Ihe representative of the Association on that Board, which consisted of three mem hers representing labour, the fanner, and'the manufacturer, and presided over by the late Mr Justice Sim.

"The biography of Mr Charters is really the history of the Manufactiir crs'"Association." said Mr A. W. B<\i veil, a, veteran member of the- Asso<ia lion, yesterday. "My first recollection of him was in 1884 or IflS.I, v. hen I found him an acthc member, and one who always took a keen interest in the work of the Association, csp*-einlh in the Exhibitions, when he ran prae tic-ally the whole of the flnnnoi.nl end of the Exhibitions. His advice was always accessible to the Association, and was always very sane in character. To Mr Robert Allan, .Mr H. B. Kirk, Mr A. G. ITowland. Mr .T. A. Frost ick. and Mr W. W. Charters, the Association undoubtedly owes the position it occupies at the present time more especially in deed to Mr Charters, who was mainiv responsible for building up the finan cial reserves which amount to £7000." Up till two years ago, when he re tired, Mr Charters was accountant for Messrs Kinsoy and Co.

A keen supporter of the Presbyterian Church, ho was for many ysars a mem tier of the congregation of Ht. Peter's, although he attended other churches also according to the district he was living in from time to time. He was also a member of the Sydenham Bo rough Council, an early member of the Scottish Kifles, and nn early mem ber of the Fire Brigade, in the votun teer daVs. He was connected with several school committees, and for many years was a member of the, Onle. donian Society. Mr Charters was born in London in 1855, and w&i educated at Cheltenham.

He nrrhed n New Ze»Sa»4 i* !*fa» and han 1m ed in Chrtstr»yr«-» •**» since. Hr |en\r* a widow an 4 a '•■* ily of thre-< sens, and three .laiif'kl Ma. One sou is Mr T. M. Charters. atajaafar of the A.P.A. I"ninn Asa»ira«ft W«ela4y t Ltd. The funeral will lra\e Mr (. fcartaraflslale residence this afteraoaa fwr IW Bromley cemeli rv EMMY DaWTIIfN. \isirao rm<i »s*o<i*Ttoa -*» ai-B* IM TBLBOxira) - comaioajf.i I-OMHIN, January ?». The death ta annoaneed a>f Fjamy l>estinn, the famous nj>*ratir anpraam. Kmmy l>#*l»nn, the a*p**a% waa born at Prague m Kr*»r»ar*. 1*71» her maiden name hfinjr KH*l la •** early days she studio! tb«« n**ta wrt* I.achner and later took «H|P«I Ir—wawi from Mme l.ncur lV«tins, wh«*» «a»a* she took for prffesaioisat rnarpwra tw order t« shew In r appreria(t'>« "f k*r t rsfhi" Nhe first »(.|.r ;i r#-t or 11 --- f *«# '»'" stage «t Berlin \n !•»'•"* »» •»■.-»»» s» *» "(;m aller.a Kn«t,, ,-»n"' •■•-! v «•• ■ • regular >»• i.h.r.'tt I. . » t >,-fi tiin. I --*ir ■ •- -• v;.-4f-.- ■ ■ - ■■*■ 1.. mug >' I't > !• ■►' ! ' l "K t *«■'■» ii.nn'" i.l ll.t>r. nl». 't, I'.K'l. >(.t .fce »•■ ii Un -telr-ted »■ hVhsrd Vi'ssw *»" Hie Pari* ii.riiie'e. of »•■• "**!»»" In t:»ll.'. (.he ma<ir hj, • (Jr«* a (•!"*• r*me* in I ondon :t» tl-r hero.re i- "Waat*m« Mutterll* ."' ;i I>a r * »♦>>»•» »*•• r-r++**A-ninl -tie :(!.■<" «»nc I' ,jna •"• *"?■"« i iitini" ant al-> .ip;**""' .» * \t<la" Three \r«r« liter *i> ««' *■• %«"••« ;i.s a niei.it.er ..f •t» M,■-.■.*. Sitaa Opera. New \.ik. .'i-l »i.r.« Ikrre t.' 1 I'iJ*. ereat'isg fr- r«»'e e* \l ■* t<* t* I'lieeinr- "t.!-' ' ,! '" rt •** *» 101«'