OBITUARY

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22112, 7 June 1937, Page 10

OBITUARY

DR. A. ROBERTSON (PBESS ASSOCIATION TKLEGRAH.) WELLINGTON. June 5. The death has occurred of Dr. Alexander Robertson, aged 67. Dr. Robertson practised in Wellington for about 25 years. He graduated at Glasgow University and in his youth was attached to the English Civil Service spending some years in the Gilbert and Solomon Islands. . After serving with the British forces, in South Africa as a civil surgeon with the rank of captain. Dr. Robertson settled ini New Zealand, where, in the early part of the Great War, he did important work on one of the medical boards for the examination of recruits. MAJOR C. K. GASQUOINE (PBSSS ASSOCIATION TELEOBAM.) WELLINGTON, June 5. The death occurred in Wellington yesterday of Major Charles Kimbell Gasquoine, of Nelson, aged 48 .He left New Zealand' with the Fifth Wellington Regiment as adjutant in 1914. and was promoted to the rank of captain. With the Rifle Brigade he saw service in Egypt against the Senussi, and later in France, where he was promoted to the rank of major on thefield. He was wounded at Messines in IMVfnd he was invalided home. He is survived by his wife and two children. MR GEORGE BLACK (PBESS ASSOCIATION TEI.EOBAM.) WELLINGTON, June 6. Mr George Black, New Zealand superintendent for Dalgety and Company, Ltd., died suddenly to-day. He was appointed to the position in June last year, having previously been manager of the Dunedin office. LORD KYLSANT UNITED PBSSS ASSOCIATION— COPTBIOHT.) (Received June 6, 10 p.m.) LONDON, June 5. The death has occurred of Lord Kylsant, at the age of 74 years He had led a retired life since his discharge from prison in 1932. Owen Cosby Phillips, the shipping magnate who became Lord Kylsant, was born in Wales in March, 1863, father being Canon Sir James Erasmus Phillips, Bart. He gained his early shipping experience in Newcastle and Glasgow, and bought his first steamer in 1889. In 1902 he became chairman of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, which carries on South American and West Indian mail services. He then bought the important Union-Castle Line, which serves South and East Africa, the price being about £5,000,000. After the death of Sir Alfred Jones he acquired control of the ElderDempster Line, which trades with West Africa, the Nelson Line of South American meat steamers, Lamport and Holt, and other shipping companies. In 1910 he bought the Pacific Steam Navigation Company for £1,500,000. His most important deal was concluded in November, 1926, when he bought the White Star Line, 38 vessels of 526,979 tons, thus bringing the tonjiage under his control up to 2,099,980 and making him the leading figure in the shipping world. In 1924 he accepted the chairmanship of the great shipbuilding firm of Harland and Wolff. In 1906 he entered Parliament as Liberal M.P. for Pembroke and Haverford West. He and his two brothers, all famous for their height, sat in the Commons at that time. Defeated in 1910, he did not enter Parliament again till 1918, when he was elected for Chester as a Conservative, retaining the seat until 1922. He w,as knighted in 1918 for war services, and was raised to the peerage in 1923.

In June, 1930, by which time the market price of the stock was less than a third of ■ the lowest prices ruling in 1928, a committee was appointed to investigate the affairs of the Kylsant group. After the war it had borrowed largely from the Government, and of the total £4,500,000 was soon due to mature. Kylsant said it had been hoped to make a public issue to cover this liability, but the events of 1929 had rendered this impossible. The committee was asked to prepare a rationalisation scheme, and while this was being done the Treasury agreed to stay lis hand. Kylsant hoped to be able to secure the extension of the loan period. Meanwhile the Royal Mail Company had to pass Its preference dividend, but, having guaranteed those of the White Star Line, which had had a bad year, was compelled to provide them. In November, 1930, Kylsant was "granted leave of absence" by the directors of the Royal Mail Company and its associated firms. Meanwhile it was announced in February, 1931, that the losses of the R.M.S.P. group amounted to £15,000,000, and a moratorium was sanctioned by the Court. The next step was the serving of a summons on Kylsant in May, alleging the publication of false statements in the annual reports of the Royal Mail Company for the years 1926 and 1927. He denied the char res and said he would "fight the case to the hilt." Next month he was committed for trial, bail being fixed at £SOOO. The trial began at the Old Bailey in July, and lasted nine days. Seven K.C.'s were engaged, Sir John Simon leading for Lord Kylsant, who was charged, not only in connexion with the balance-sheets, but also with publishing a prospectus "which he knew to be false in a material particular." Kylsant was acquitted on the balancesheets count, but was found guilty of issuing a false prospectus, and on July 30 was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment in the second division. Thousands of people gathered outside the court to await the verdict. He was released from Wormwood Scrubbs Prison on August 10, pending the hearing of his apDeal, bail being fixed at £IO,OOO. The "Court of Criminal Appeal on November 4 held that there was "ample evidence that the prospectus was false and that Lord Kylsant knew of its falsity." An appeal for mitigation of sentence in view of his age (68) and his distinguished public service was also dismissed. The idea of appealing to the House of Lords was abandoned, and Kylsant serveu his sentence at Wormwood Scrubbs, earning the customary remission by good conduct. He was released on August 18, 1932, when his wife met him at the prison. There is no heir to the title.