OBITUARY

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 226, 20 June 1929, Page 13

OBITUARY

MR. JOSEPH ORCHISTON The death occurred on Tuesday night of Mr. Joseph Orchiston, of Eastbourne, formerly chief telegraph engineer for New Zealand, and an officer of special attainments In more directions than one. He retired from the service on April 1, 1918, when he was succeeded by Mr. E. A. Shrimpton, who, in turn has since been succeeded by Mr. A. Gibbs, the present chief tele-

graph engineer. The late Mr. Orchiston joined the service of the Telegraph Department, Wellington, as a cadet, on January 15, 1874, and was appointed telegraphist and postmaster at Hawera, Taranaki, on April 1 following. After serving as postmaster at Hawera for three years and a half he was transferred to the construction and maintenance branch. He was promoted to be an acting subinspector at the age of 21, and subdnspector at 23, when he was promoted to take charge of the Auckland district in September, 1880. Mr. Orchiston was appointed as telegraph engineer at Dunedin on April 1, 1894. On January 10, 1911, he took up the position of chief telegraph engineer at

Wellington, and occupied this position until May 31,' 1918, When he retired from the service on superannuation. It was in 1878, during his early connection with the telegraph and telephone services, that the telephone was invented and few, if any, were able to envisage the wonderful strides that , would be made in the field of electrical communications during the lifetime of one man. The telegraph and the open wire line afforded the principal means

of communication, and the telephone was, at first, regarded as a toy and useful only for precarious and short distance communication. The growth of telegraph and telephone communications has, therefore, been contemporaneous with his career as a telegraph and telephone engineer. During his term of office as chief telegraph engineer many startling changes in the methods of communication have taken

place and were introduced into the department, such as automatic telephone exchanges, wireless stations, machine printing telegraphs, as well as revolutionary changes in the methods of distribution of telegraph and telephone lines by means of underground ducts and overhead and underground leadcovered cables.

Mr. Orchiston was known throughout his career as a Government officer of the

highest integrity, who was always alive to the need for the greatest efficiency. Of a genial and kindly disposition he is held in affectionate regard by the older officers of the Post and Telegraph service throughout New Zealand with whom he was associated as well as among a much wider circle with whom his various official positions brought him in contact. Mr. Orchiston was for many years local honorary secretary of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, and took a lively interest in all matters connected with the electrical development in New Zealand. He was from early days keenly

interested in the development of the hydro-electric powers of New Zealand, and was one of the pioneers who foresaw its possibilities. He contributed many articles to the Press pointing out the wonderful potentialities of New Zealand in this direction. His investigation into New Zealand water forces as applicable to the manufacture of hydro-electricity, turned his attention to the great possibilities which existed —and still exist — in the manufacture of nitrates from the air, an industry 'Which has assumed considerable dimensions in Norway, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and other countries, which were formerly dependent upon the natural nitrates of Chile. He went into the subject very deeply, closely examining data from all parts of the world as to places suitable for such

an industry, and as the result came to the conclusion that there was no spot on earth more suitable economically to the manufacture of nitrates (and other byproducts) from the air by electrical means than Bowen Falls, on the southwest coast of New Zealand, owing to the presence of abundant water force (from the falls), calm shelter in deep water close to the falls, the presence of limestone near by, and the proximity of the place to such vast an acreage of agricultural lands as Australia and New Zealand offer. He interested several prominent people in the south in the project, and a syndicate attempted to get the desired rights, but objection was raised at

one point to the project, on the ground that it would destroy an aesthetic feature of surpassing beauty. Be that as it may—and the objection sounds somewhat frivolous—the project was never carried to fruition, though Mr. Orchiston secured all data of the Kilburn plant and the cost thereof. Only last year the project I was revived in Wellington, and was placed before Sir Douglas Mawson, the Australian scientist, and explorer, by those interested, and it was understood that

he was to inquire into the possibilities of floating, a company on the London market. Since then, however, the attention of Sir Douglas appears to have been directed to a second Antarctic expedition, and the nitrates from the air scheme is still “in the air.” The late Mr. Orchiston was seventytwo years of age.