OBITUARY

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 262, 1 August 1933, Page 9

OBITUARY

Mr. A. G. Hill The death occurred suddenly In Wellington yesterday of Mr. A. G. Hill, a member of the firm of Hill and Plummer, Auckland. Mr. Hill was walking in Customhouse Quay when he suddenly collapsed and expired almost immedi ately. Born in Auckland, Mr. Hill had been associated with the firm of Hill and Plummer Limited since his youth. He was the fourth son of the late Mr. C. G. Hill, one of the founders of the firm. The late Mr. Hill is survived by his wife and two sons. Mr. Hill returned to Auckland from Wellington on Saturday and left again for Wellington by the Limited express on Sunday evening, intending to be absent from Auckland on business for several weeks. Mr. J. D. Ritchie Mr. John Douglas Ritchie, ex-Cofl-troller of Land Purchases, died at his home, 244 The Terrace, on Sunday, night. He was in his 80th year. Mr. Ritchie was born in Scotland, and was educated at the Cargill Parish School and the Perth Academy. He arrived in New Zealand in 1877, taking up farming. In 1891 he was appointed chief inspector of stock in the agricultural branch of the Department of Lands and Survey. In the following year a Department of Agriculture was constituted by the late Sir John McKenzie, and Mr. Ritchie was selected for its control as Secretary of Agriculture. He held this position until 1909. when he was appointed to take over the Land for Settlements Department. During his term as Land Purchase Officer he was responsible for the acquisition by the Crown of no fewer than 463 estates, comprising 809,000 acres, at a cost of over £8,000,000. He retired on superannuation in 1927. In the early days land problems were verv formidable, and later, when Mr. Ritchie was engaged in the purchase of lands for soldiers. On the retirement of Mr. Ritchie the then Minister of Lands (the Hon. A. D. McLeod) said that Mr. Ritchie’s practical experience as a farmer and his work as the head of the Department of Agriculture had been of the greatest value to the Government in carrying out its policy of closer settlement. The Minister added that probably no othei person in the Dominion had a better knowledge of New Zealand land.

Mr. Ritchie married Miss Margaret McKerrow. daughter of the late‘Sir. James McKerrow, a former SurveyorGeneral. Mrs. Ritchie survives her husband. There are two children. Mrs. J. W. Ward, of Wellington, and Mr. J. Ritchie.