OBITUARY.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20413, 7 December 1931, Page 13

OBITUARY.

SIR ARCHIBALD MA1.1.. The '..tenth occurred at Wellington on '1 hursday ol : Air Archibald Hall, who as a young man was au important figure in New Zealand's coaching days.' lie was horn in SuthcrJandsliire, Scotland, in 1842, and as a lad spent homo years in Victoria before coming over to Mew Zealand and the WcsL Coast in 1872. Ho took up coaching, but believing that there was moro scope in the North lslan,d, came to Wellington in the early 'eighties and ni n over tlio coach lino, between Wellington and Fox ton, when tho long .stretch of beach beyond Paekakariki was tho only i'qasible route. During the days of To AVhiti's insurrection he was driving Lis coach between Wanganni and Mew 'Plymouth, through the troubled district, using a primitive lorm of passport from ono of tho chiefs. His next coach lino was between Wellington and Longburn, but by this time tho Wellington-Aianawa-tu railway line was under construction, and later he went back to the West Coast and operated between Ncison and Reefton.

When on a visit to Wellington Mr Hall was offered a lease of tho old horee-drawn trains and acoepted it for a term of eight years, 1890 to 1898, when the company took tlicim over again and ran them for a couple of years, after which it sold tho whole system to the Wellington City Corporation. On tho expiration of tho tramway lease Mr ITall retired and settled down in Wellington. He leaves a widow, Mrs Catherine Hall, and nn adult family. Tho Jiving sons are Messrs Frederick Hall, far! of „ i!'°„ WcstCCoa t, and Mr Hoy Wall, of Wellington. There were three other sons. Air Arthur Hall, who was vr cfi ,n , Fra "co in the Great "War, Mr Stanley Hall, who made the khProme sacrifico at Gallipoli, and Mr John Hall, who, after serving at the liont with tho Australian forces, returned to die on tho West Coast. The 01 s arn: Mrs R. O. Petersen, oi : Hill street, Wellington, Mrs J. Young, of Oiiau, and Misses Winnie and Dorothy Hall, of Wellington. There are also nine grandchildren and two great grandchildren. AIR T. S. RONALDSON. Mr 'I liomas Sherriff Ronaldson, who »vas, when lie retired from the Government service. Assistant Public Trustee, died at Wellington on Friday, in his 76th year. Mr Ronaldson was born in Cork, Ireland, and was educated at Dublin University. Ho came to New Zealand in 1875. Ho spent 35 years in tho Public Trust Oflico, from which he iotired about ten voars ago. Tic was it incmlwr of tho Wellington J''ootball Club and Wellington Cricket Club, in their early days, and was also a member of tho Thorndon Bowling Club. Ho is survived by his widow, three sons—Afr Alan Ronaldson, Wellington, and Messrs Stanley and Neil Ronaldson, of 'Io Kniti--and two daughters. Misses Shftclah and Nam.y Ronaldson, Wellington. DR. T. J. MACNAMARA. (BRITISH orriClAl, WIBELESB.) (Received December Oth, 5.5 p.m.) IJI7GI3Y. December 4. 1 lie death occurred this morning after a severe illness of Dr. T. J. Macnamara, cx-Liberal and Coalition Minister. During the war he was Financial Secretary to tho Admiralty and afterwards for some time was a Labour Minister. Ho previously had boon president of tho National Union of Teachers and was an authority on education. * [Dr. Thomas James" Macnamara, P.C., was born at Montreal on August 23rd, 1861. 110 was educated in England, and becamo a school-toacher at 'Exeter. He entered Parliament in 1900, and was Liboral AI.P. for North Camberwell for 38 years. He was an honorary LL.D. of St. Andrew's University. He was Parliamentary Secretary to the Local Government Board, 1907-8; Financial Secretary to the Admiralty 1908-20; and Alinister for Labour 1920-22. His publications include "Schools and Schoolmasters"; "School-Room Humour"; and "Tariff Reform and tho Working Man."] °