MR T. C. LIST

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21246, 18 August 1934, Page 16

MR T. C. LIST

NEW PLYMOUTH. August 17. The dtjuth occurred in Wellington his afternoon, after n very brief ill•.ess. of Mr ,Thoinu» Currio List, pro>rietor of tho "Tnranaki Dally News," „ tnd one ot the best-known citizens of Faranaki. Mr List was visiUng Welington in Ins capacity as Actingr.ovornor of ltotary in New Zealand, o attend a Rotary conference on Ihursdav. Ho boeainw suddenly mdis- rc Hised, and was removed to a private . lospitul. an urttent operation being ound necessary. His condition proven. " ;o be serious, and In spite of a blood ai ran&fusion this morning he failed to n rally and died at 4.30 p.m. u Mr List wan born at Guidepost, r j vjorthuinbwlaiu). in 1879. As a child t l if three, he came to Now Zealand with pi us parents, the lato Mr and Mrs W. A. n List, and spent his early years in the si south island, residing at Lyttelton, d tCaiapoi, and Hungiora. His school f( lavs wero spent at Rangiora and si Southbrook, and only this year he rensited Knnglorn for tho jubilee cele- U .nations of his old school at which tl ic was one of the principal speakers. « As n bov of 14 he moved to Petone ,vith liis puronts. and was apprenticed st :o tho "Petone Chronicle." then owned P ;>y Mr* Burns, There he showed tliat v - Opacity for keen study and hard work .vhieh was to stand him in good stead F n later life, and which remained with r tim to tho end, for he devoted oil iiis spare time to study and also attended business talks and classes conlueted by the Von. Archdeacon J. D. Russell, vicnr cf Oamnru, with whom ■io maintained n lifelong friendship. While at Petone. Mr List frequently j reported the late Sir Josoph Ward, who *J paid him tho cjmpliment of stating ~ that Mr List was the only .reporter j*' ivho could keep pace with him. ° Mr List became joint proprietor » when the "Petone Chronicle" was »■ laken over by Mr George Lundon. Subsequently he went to Australia, where he Rained further experience f< mi the Melbourne "Age" and a Syd- v. ney newspaper. Returning to New Zealand, he was again associated with Mr Lundon, who endeavoured to establish another newspaper at Wellington. The time, however, was not opportune, and the venture did not succeed. Mr List was for a time on the Pahiatua "Herald." In 1900 he aurchased the "Waimate Witness," at Manaia, and ever since he has played a very prominent part in the development of Taranaki. He established a branch at Kaponga. where his brother. Mr C. H List, had charge. Finding that the "Waimate Witness" did not afford sufficient scope for his ener- j pes and ambitions, he investigated - other opportunities. He considered the establishment of a morning newspaper £ at Hawcra. but at that time the c "Tatanaki Da.ly News" was placed c under offer, and he accepted that offer, and moved to New Plymouth in t 1905. at the age of 25. With indozEat- -; able energy and determination, be * steadily improved the standard Of th€ € "Daily'Ncws," and widened its sphere," -, until it bee?me what it is to-diy. j - A reercn::i<-,n of Mr List's abiiitfej j > came uv.h his election to the importan*, efhees m t.ic United Press At* soc.ation s.r,d the Newspaper Proprietors' As--oc:ation. also his appoint- . r t* *. as a delecate to the Imperial' ' Pri--- Cor.fe:er.ee in England in 192 i A be,.-;. :r:" .:: his own newspaper!; .-p:.cre. I>'r L-tt >ct found time to de- * \"o*e t) th" .:.terest.s of his fellow- j c.'.ztn- L'nf. fc'-fore he becarrae as-; .-"- -.:ct v.-.--. P.-'.ary. he was promir.- i < "■;> :Gcr.*:f:ed v."th a successful move j '. r the ;ti rcan.Ration of the New i P.yrr.uth. H-pn Schools. As president; ;r-d „- r. :r,c—,ber of the contar.ittee \ ■ ' the Taranr-k: Chamber cf Com- j • tree, he d.c *j-cd work, particularly i •1 a j.jcl f" boys" immigration ' ilici-.c whiin he inaugurated. That, i i!ickc was responsible for succesi-! .'jiiy ftf.i • z :r. the Dominion a large '•.umber of public school boys. ;-:<> «' ch-i::rran of the Egmont , Nat,or.~l P..rk Board from 1925 until ' • ' ocatb. Lr.c took a very live inter- « c=t i . i;ie> pic-trvation of flora on the ■; —.ountiin He was a prime mover in the afforestation cf the Kaitake ranges. ] He was aho chairman of the Young i Women's Christian Association advis- 3 cry board since its inception in 1921. 1 It wus, perhaps, in his work in the ■, T.otary movemei.t that Mr List was 1 ... ; k"ow." He was one of the foun- ( e.„*.ion :r-'rrii'L-:* of the New Plymouth * ;.'t'~:y C'.mo -.. iiei it was established fa.r Ge ir«e Fowids, whose i.. atr. v.?s :.l-o announced to-day. He ] t .re.. - j..;: .-e'.f wnolehcartedly into the ' itovirei.t a'.d his steadfastness of ' ; jrposc icsultcd in his attaining the ! t.-rhes* honours his fellow Rotarians i e ,a'.d co-.fer m New Zealand. He was ] p .-cedent of the New Plymouth Rotary ( Club and later District Governor of F.oiary in New Zealand. How • \.orth.ly he upheld the honour of New Zealand i-t the Rotary International < c-nvention m America last year was < well kr.rv.n, and he was still engaged : • ct'ri;.: i out the duties of his office, ; t, - \\ .: c' n h m <iwir.» to the illness • ■. .-.'s i„ccess ol ' Mr J. M. A. liott, ' ie %as stricken down by his , M- L ■=* .'as a member of the Nga- ( - o*a Ma-onic Lodge. He had travelled w deh „i d was oi a keenly observant ] i a-• Fc had been a justice of the ■ i e ee cc 190". With his marked ] ric*% ibbty, his descriptive impres- ■ o t people and scenes abroad tee gt-ly read, including also his : e *Briton at Home." In the " -e ciu world he played a very r<.- i li jjart, being chairman or a c. -ee'e c* rumerous concerns, includc, tr>° E„mont Collieries, Taranaki Phono Films, and others. -is a joung man he took a prominent ps-t ai the athletic field, having been e p*a i of the Petone Thursday fifrcu. v hile he had also won cups for ' n?ni, k ,_ T.Mr L.st 4-s survived by his widow Miss A. J. Bremer, a daugherof t K ela*eMrF. A. Bremer, ofOkai\a) nd two daughters. Miss Rauma .nd M Betty List. His only son c a .übout six years £tgo. There are *-ee bo hers. Mr J. W. C List Mr C. S. List 'lnglewood), a Mr \ E. List "stationmastcr at \ iNgaruawahia) and W. T ate Ham Ton). One brother, Mr C. S Ls' t. Ed at Kaponga. and another, • t " J G L st, was killed at the war. The t c-al will be held at New %n cu h i* 2.50 on Monday afternoon. _ o-r»cifl\ s Theatre, of which he had fojmr.ii since its inception, was oeo'o £'nt as a mark of respect. Tc'cEra-"'- of sympathy have been rec ~*r all parts of the Dominion. FROM GOVERNORGENERAL ' e r tary Club yesterday, the Gi c lur General. Lord Bledisloe, io h > Vr List, was the most zealous l»o j* ' e hid ever met, and a man 'wh-i h u a realised the enormous impor ~i ce ef smoothing over those difi cuhies be ween different sections that , ,-e\ i tirose in any civilised comn i sLRMCES TO ROTARY TRIBITE FROM CHRISTCIH'BCiI PRESIDENT A tribute to the work of Mr T. C List for Rotary ' n New Zealand was paid last evening by Mr J. Maweon Stewart, president of the Christchurch branch of the Rotary Club. Mr Stewart said: "Rotary in New Zealand has suffered a very groat lone. indeed through the sudden death of Mr T. C List, of New Plymouth. Mr List's term of office as a district gov-

ernor of Rotary had earairetL but owing to the illness to the United States of the new governaMMCt, Mr J. M. A. Ilott who & still in America, Mr List kindly agreed to carry on the work till Mr Ilott recovered sufficiently to return to New Zealand and take up his duties. On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week Mr List presided over an assembly of presidents and secretaries of all the.Rotary clubs in New Zealand, held in Wellington. Mr List during his term of office as governor of Rotary put practically the whole of his time into the work: he loved so well. It was a labour of love for him. and he did not spare himself. Rotarians all over New Zealand, and, indeed, in other parts of the world, will be shocked to hear of his sudden death. He was of a most kindly disposition, respected, esteemed, and loved by all his friends, and particuiarlv those in the Rotary movement His" death •will be a great lews to Rotary. MR J. B. FERGUSSON Mr James B. Fergusaon, prominent in musical circles at Oamaru tince 1800. died suddenly yesterday, at the age of 66 years. He was born at Dundee, Scotlaad, where he received his early education. In 1881 he emigrated to Sydney, where he followed commercial pursuits for about four years. Having studied music in Dundee he continued his studies in Svdney and in 1886 was appointed organist at St. David's Presbyterian Church at Ashfield. New South Wales, where he was very successful in training choirs for musical festivals and concerts. 111-health caused him to relinquish his studies for a time, and he travelled for about two rears. In 1890 he went to Dunedin, "and from 1803 to I®6 he was musical director of the Dunedin Bums Club. After leaving the club he carried out propaganda for the sol-fa system and took a prominent part In forming institutions at Mosgiel and Momington. In 1900 he went to Oamaru to the position of organist and choirmaster at Columba Presbyterian Church Largely due to his enthusiasm a pipe- < organ was installed in the church in 1003. and the choir came to hold one of the first places in North Otago. Mr Fergusson retired about six year? ago, but he continued his interest in musical matters, taking a prominent part in the Oamaru Institute of Musicians. At one time he was music master at Waitaki Boys' High School j He had a great many friends, who will j regret his death. \ He is survived by Mrs Fergusson. I MR FRANCIS JOSEPH LYONS i j ixLEOEAra— carman?.) I | VANCOUVER, August 15. Mr Francis Joseph Lyons, 04 year:' of age, who was bora at Maryborough. Queensland, died to-day. He practised law in Sydney, and arrived in the United States in 1&0 S. engaging in aviation work during its pioneer stage. In 1911 he arrived in Vancouver, and r-htablished a law practice. He was one of the outstanding criminal lawyers in British Columbia.