OBITUARY

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 226, 20 June 1936, Page 10

OBITUARY

Sir William Hall-Jones

EX-PREMIER AND HIGH

COMMISSIONER

'Tin: death occurred at. his borne in Burnell Avenue. Thorndon, yesterday of the Hon. Sir William Hall-Jones, K.C.M.G., a member of I lie Legislative Council and a former Premier of New Zealand and High Commissioner for the Dominion in London from 1908 to 1912.

Sir William, who was 85 years of age, was born in Folkestone, England, and was educated at a national school. He arrived in tlie Dominion in 1875, taking up his residence at Timaru, where for many years lie worked nt ills trade at tlie carpenter’s bench, lie took an active part in municipal affairs and sat. on tlie 'Timaru Borough Council and on tlie Levels Road Board. His performances on tlie.se bodies so recommended him to his fellow-settlers that on the death of Mr. R. Turnbull, sitting member for Timaru in 1890, at the beginning of tlie political upheaval Which culminated a few months later in tlie destruction of tlie Atkinson Government, Sir William agreed to stand as an opponent of that Government and was returned.

He was only a member for about a month when Parliament; was prorogued, but. even during that short period he had made many friends among the leaders of the Liberal Partv, including such prominent, men as Mr. Ballance, Mr. J. .McKenzie and Sir George Grey. Tlie next general election saw Sir William ouce more returned as member for Timaru. and when Parliament met in June of the following year he and Sir (then Mr.)

Westby Perceval were appointed whips to the. Liberal Party. As the result; of a disagreement; with bis leaders on a question of principle Sir William resigned the whipship in .1893, and for a number of sessions he became isolated in the unthankful role of a political Isbmaelite, sitting alone and keenly . criticising Government policy. In this attitude he constituted in his own person what was humourously known as the “fourth party.” In 1896 Sir William accepted a seat in the Seddon Ministry as Minister of Justice, and shortly afterward became also Minister of Public Works. Later lie was also entrusted with the administration of the affairs of the railways. When Mr. Seddon died, in June, 1906, Sir Joseph Ward being absent at a postal conference in Rome, Sir William suddenly found himself, as senior Minister, thrust into unexpected eminence as temporary Premier, with additional posts of Colonial Treasurer and Minister of Education and Labour. When Sir Joseph returned and assumed the Premiership, Sir William Hall-Jones took the portfolios of Public Works and Railways in the Ward Ministry, but his health had been so impaired by the enormous pressure of his duties in the interim that he was obliged to take 12 months’ holiday. This vacation was spent in England. Upon his return from tlie Old Country he was warmly welcomed and entertained by the people of Wellington and by his constituents.

In December, 1908, Sir William was appointed as the successor of the Hon. AA 7 . P. Reeves as High Commissioner in London. He represented New Zealand at the Imperial Copyright Conference, the Imperial AA’ireless Committee Conference, and at the Great International Refrigeration Congress at Vienna -in 1910, where, despite much opposition, his resolution protesting against European restrictions against the importation of frozen meats was unanimously agreed to. Sir AVilliam returned to New Zealand in 1913 and upon the recommendation of the Massey Government was appointed to the Legislative' Council. He was reappointed in 1920, in 1927, and again in 1934. He received his Knighthood in 1910.

He is survived by his wife, two sons, Mr. F. G. Hall-Jones, Invercargill, Mr. AV. Hall-Jones, Hamilton, and three daughters, Mrs. E. A. Christie, Mrs. AVilliam Brown, and Miss H. HallJones. all of Wellington. The funeral service will be held at St. Paul’s Pro-Cathedral at 2 p.m. tomorrow. DISTINGUISHED CAREER Prime Minister and Council Leader Tributes to the career of the late Sit AA’iHiam Hall-Jones were paid last evening by the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, and the Leader of the Legislative Council. Hon. Mark Fagan.

The Prime Minister said : “Sir AVilliam Hall Jones had a long and distinguished career of public service. He entered Parliament 45 years ago. and except for tiie period during which he was High Commissioner, he has been a Parliamentarian. He is perhaps remembered chiefly as the last surviving member of Hie Seddon Ministry. AVhen Mr. Seddou died. Sir Joseph AVard was in Europe, ami Sir AVilliam Hall-Jones, as senior Minister, took office as Premier. He cabled to Sir Joseph that he was holding the place for him, and several months’ later resigned and resumed his old portfolio of Minister of I’ublie Works in the new AVard Ministry. “As Minister of Public AA’orks from 1896 to BIOS, be was responsible for extensive developments in New Zealand. He was a practical builder, and applied his knowledge to the administration of his department. “He was a most conscientious and hardworking Minister, and a thoroughly honest administrator. He had the reputation for fearless expression of his own opinion, r.ot only in the Seddon Cabinet but later as High Commissioner in Court circles, lie endeared himself to friends and political foes alike by his great honesty and unassuming manner, and perhaps also by his light-hearted philosophy of life. The older generation in New Zealand will no doubt recall many of his achievements unknown to mo. and they will honour his passing ns fhal of an old friend as sincerely and deeply as I. do.” The Hon. Mark Fagan said: — “On behalf of th® membera of the

Legislative Council I wish to express sincere and heartfelt sorrow at the passing of Sir William Hall-Jones. He was a colleague whom we greatly esteemed and greatly loved. With a record of Parliamentary service dating back to 1890 and as the last survivor of the Seddon Ministry he possessed an extraordinary fund of political knowledge and wisdom. The fullness of this knowledge and counsel was never better displayed than in the committee work with which the Legislative Council is so very largely concerned. On these occasions his familiarity with the many laws which he himself had helped for so many years to frame made him a critic of the greatest worth. “His public career was characterised by the highest sense of public duty. He never hesitated to state his opinions and never lost his sympathy for the underdog. As a member of the old LiberalLabour Ministry he played a big part in the passing of tlie labour and humanitarian legislation of the ’nineties, and recently when the - Government was engaged in passing measures, which must have sounded very familiar to a veteran of Sir William Hall-Jones’s political experience, I was proud to know that he was gladly co-operating with us. “I admired him greatly; he was always pleasant and always kind and he never failed to greet people with a most refreshing lightness of heart. He. was 41 great New Zealander and the Legislative Council is the poorer for his loss.”

Mr. W. F. Morrison The death occurred ou Thursday evening of Mr. William Farnie Morrison, secretary of Armstrong and Springhall, Limited. Mr. Morrison was taken suddenly ill at his office in the morning and taken to hospital, but never regained consciousness. He took a keen interest in accountancy matters and was a fellow of the New Zealand Society of Accountants, the London Association of Accountants, Federal Institute'of Accounts (Australia) and the New Zealand Association of Accountants,and Auditors. He was also a fellow of the Australasian Institute of Secretaries and’was secretary of the AVellington branch of that institute. For many years a member of the Commercial Travellers’ Club, he will be missed by a large circle of business friends. In his earlier years he was a keen bowler. He was educated at the Otago Boys’ High School and spent the early part of his life in Dunedin. Prior to joining the staff of Armstrong and Springhall, Ltd., Mr. Morrison held important executive positions with Hallenstein Bros., Ltd., the Southland Farmers’ Co-operative Association, and the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., inspection department.

Mr. Morrison was 48 years of age and is survived by his wife and two sons.

Mr. J. F. Wallis The death occurred at his residence at Oriental Parade on Thursday of Mr. John Francis Wallis, an old resident of AVellington, aged 65. Mr. AVallis, who was a son of the late Mr. AVilliam Wallis, was born in AVellington and on leaving Te Aro School served his apprenticeship as an engineer at S. Luke and Sons’ foundry. He subsequently went to Glasgow for further experience, and also to sea as a marine engineer. He returned to New Zealand, and joined the signalling and electrical branch of the Railway Department, from which he retired ou superannuation. about five years ago. Mr. AVallis leaves a wife (nee Miss C. M. Eglinton, daughter of Mr. Henry Eglinton, formerly of the AVairarapa and the Hutt Valley). Messrs. F. AV. and A. AVallis. of AVellington, are brothers of the deceased, and Miss AVallis, Mesdames Turner, Gilbert. R. Ramsay, and A. Ramsay are sisters. Mr. AVallis was a member of the A’ictoria Bowling Club, the Savage Club, and the Institute of Marine Engineers.

Mrs. A. W. W. Curtis The funeral of Mrs. Lilian Ethel AVllmer Curtis, wife of Mr. A. W. AV. Curtis, took place on Thursday morning at the Karori Cemetery. Mrs. Curtis was the youngest daughter of the late Mr. Thomas AVllmer McKenzie, one of Wellington's earliest settlers. Archdeacon Bullock officiated at the service at St. Peter's Church and afterward at Ihe graveside. The sixpa 11 bearers were nephews of Mrs. Curtis, who is survived by her husoaud, two (tens and a daughter.