OBITUARY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 465, 25 March 1909, Page 4

OBITUARY.

MR, CHARLES HUDSON. Private news was received liy calilo yesterday stating tliat Mr. Charles Hudson, Victorian Railways Commissioner, and formoily Assistant General Manager of New Zealand Government .Railways, died yesterday morning in Melbourne. The late Mr. Hudson was horn on January 22, 1853, and saw some, service with the Great Western Railway, and Metropolitan Railway, England. Ho joined the. New Zealand Government railway scrvico at Wanganui in 18S0, and was afterwards Iransferrocf to the Head Office. Later on he was made audit inspector, in 1881 ho was appointed district trallic manager at Auckland, and for a few months in 1890 he was district trallic manager at Invorcargill, returning from there to Auckland. In January, 1895, when tho Government resumed control of tho railways from commissioners, ho was appointed Assistant-Gen-eral Manager, and held that position until 1901, when ho resigned to take an appointment as General Manager of tho Tasmanian Government railways. About scvon years ago ho resigned that position, to necolno a member of tho Hoard of Railway Commissioners of Victoria, which oilico lie held until his death. Somo months ago ho was seized Willi a sovero attack of illness, and his condition had sinco caused' much anxiety to his friends. Whilo ho was in the Now Zealand Government Railway Department, the lato Mr. Hudson was closely associated with tho reorganisation schemes, and took a great interest in the proposals that were ultimately embodied in the Government Railways Classification Act, ISO 6. Ho was regarded as a very capablo oflicor, and his selection as General Manager of Tasmanian Government and afterwards as a Commissioner of Victorian Railways, was considered to bo a very great compliment to tho Now Zealand Department, in which ho had acquired the greater part of his experience and training. The news of his death was received with very deep regret by the officers of tho Railway Department, especially those who had been intimately associated with Mr. Hudson when ho was Assistant-General Manager. Telegrams of condolence woro sent; on behalf .of tho Department, to Mr. Tait, Chief Railway Commissioner of Victoria, and to the family of deceased. It is a coincidence that an old friend of tho lato Mr. Hudson in tho Railway Department, received a letter from him yesterday, in which the following rcferenco was mado to his illness:—"My medical man says he is confident that I shall recover, but tho process is very slow, and tho pains aro very severe. I beliovo a trip to New Zealand would do mo good, and especially tho society of my old friends, but until tho pains ceaso and my heart is stronger, such a journey will ho out of tho question." Mr. W. B: Hudson, Secretary of tho New Zealand Government Insurance Department, Mr. G. V. Hudson, of tho Postal Department, and Dr. Hudson, of Nelson, aro brothers of tho lato Mr. Hudson. Tho wifo of the lato Mr. Hudson died whilo her husband was in New Zealand. Tho deceased leaves a family of live, of .whom tho eldest son holds a position in tho engineering branch of the Now South Wales railways, and tho second son has a position in a mercantile firm in Victoria.

Sir Joseph Ward has cabled his condolences to tho late commissioner's family, and also to Mr. Tait, Chief Commissioner of Railways, Victoria.