Obituary MR W. G. BELTON

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28539, 19 March 1958, Page 14

Obituary MR W. G. BELTON

itaiana Preu Astocianrmi NEW PLYMOUTH. March 18. Mr W. G. Belton, a former vice* prezident of the New Zealand Counties’ Association, died in Patea yesterday. He was chairman of the Patea County Council from 1929 to 1958. Mr Belton was 77 Mr Belton was born at Brookside, Canterbury, in 1881. He was awarded the 08-E. ip, 1950. He was a < ctor Of the Farmers Co-operative Organisations Society, and as wcH- as being a Justice of the Peach, held various positions of authority in local body organisations.

COLONEL R. T. HARPER

Lieutenant-Colonel R. Tnstam Harper, 0.8. K., died in England recently. He was 82. Colonel Harper was a younger brother of Mr A. P. Harper and of Vice-Admiral J. E. T. Harper, and g frandson of*, Bishop Harper. U«SR MiS'JiJ'SS! dent of the branch of the Old Boys’ Association in London for many years after he left' New Zealand. He lljred.for many years at Cranleigf), Surrey, after he had retired from his sharebroking business in London. He served in the South African War and in World War I.

MR R. J. THOMPSON

Mr Robert John Thompson, who was principal of the Ashburton Technical College for 20 years, died recently in Auckland, aged 78.

Entering teaching at the age of 14. Mr Thompson taught pupils as old as himself and studied after school. At 19, he went to training college and studied at Canterbury University College. Later he went as chief commercial instructor to Seddon Memorial Technical College, from where he went to Ashburton. He retired in 1938. For many years he was either president or secretary of the Technical Teachers’ Association. He saw the advantages of technical education for non-academic students, and his interest in their education and welfare was almost a passion with him.

He is survived by his wife and a daughter.