Obituary MR T. JEAL

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29222, 4 June 1960, Page 15

Obituary MR T. JEAL

Mr Thomas Jeal. who had a wide knowledge of the Waimakariri river and was employed by 4 local bodies concerned with river u control for 42 years, died last < week. He was 75.

In 1905. he started work with o the South Waimakariri River ' Board and in 1914, succeeded his , father as overseer. In 1923. he ~ was appointed works superintend- G ent under the Waimakariri River « Trust. -fl Before the river trust was formed. Mr Jeal was responsible «- for the design and construction •f protective works as well as »• the control of thousands of acres of reserves. lul i

His practical knowledge of shingle rivers and means of control was widely recognised and. he was often called upon for assistance and advice in other i parts of Canterbury.' 1 • In 1946, when the Waimakariri River Trust was absorbed by the North Canterbury Catchment : Board, Mr Jeal was retained in _ an advisory capacity on a parttime basis, before resigning this position in 1947. He is survived by his wife, a son and two daughter*

MR H. W. WILLS ‘ “Th* Press" Special Sendee NAPIER, June I. 1 Mr Harold Webster Wills, a national authority on the Maori language, has died at Napier, aged 71. He taught Maori at both Te „ Aute and Hukarere Colleges and wrote a text book and reader for students of the language. h He had almost completed a new textbook at the time of his death, n Mr Wills matriculated at Ta

Aute College, attended the Auck- 4 land University, and returned “ Hawke’s Bay to teach at the Port , M Ahuriri School, Napier. «•» After teaching at Te Aute College, Mr Wills became headmaates .1 of the Otaki Maori College, which “ closed shortly before World War

n. He came out of retirement to u spend another eight years teach- m tag Maori and other subjects at ,2 the Te Aute .and Hukarero Col- .r. X Wills’s life was devoted to..* the social and educational better- « ment of the Maori people. T In recognition of his work, he.,u ' was “adopted" into the Ngati- ■ Raukawa, tribe. While a student, Mr Wills was a Rugby representative tu Te.rx Aute College and the Auckland « University. —————— (11 . u