HON. JOHN RYALL, M.L.C.

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 November 1944, Page 4

HON. JOHN RYALL, M.L.C.

FORTY YEARS ON COUNCIL.

Mr. John Ryall, M.L.C., of Barrytown, last month completed 40 years continuous service as a member of the Grey County Council. A tribute to his work as a member of the Council is the fact that in that time he has not once been opposed at elections. Mr. Ryall was elected to the County Council on October 6, 1904, and attended his first meeting on October 11 as representative of the Cobden Riding. Cobden, with Barrytown and Punakaiki, was part of his riding for his first 18 years and Runanga for 12 years from 1905, though at the time he was first elected to the Council Runanga was only in the initial stages of its development. The district of which Mr. Ryall is the representative on the County Council is now known as the North Riding. Cobden dropped out when it became a town district and Runanga when it became a borough. Mr. Ryall has been chairman of the Council for several terms during his association with that body.

“In those early days,” said Mr. Ryall sneaking to a “Star” representative, to-day, “I was five days away from h om e—that has always been Barrytown —attending the monthly meeting of the Council. It was an eight-hour journey along the beach by dray from Barrytown to Greymouth and over three on horseback. Then the County meeting lasted two days. On the next day we had the meeting of the Hospital Board, which comprised appointed representatives of the Grey County Council, the Grey Borough and the Brunner Borough. So it was three days for the meetings and two for the journeys to and from Greymouth.” It was in recent years that motor travel became the practice between Barrytown and Greymouth. Mr. Ryall is the only surviving member of the County Council of 1904, but the then Engineer (Mr. John Higgins) is still with the Council. Mr. Ryall’s first colleagues on the Council were Messrs Robert Harris (Hohonu), James Fynm (Marsden), William McKechnie (Maori Creek), Michael Hannan (Paroa), Richard Larkin (Nelson Creek) Jeremiah McCarthy (Red Jacks), James Hargreaves (Brunnerton), and James Marshall, M.L.C. (Totara Flat). The County Clerk was the late Michael Phillips. . . - In addition to his association with the County Council, Mr. Ryall was a member of the old Grey Education Board, from 1906 until its abolition about 10 years later, as elected member for the Northern Ward. He was a member of the Westland Land Board’from 1926 until 1940, when his appointment to the Legislative Council caused his retirement. He was appointed as a representative of the County on the Greymouth Harbour Board” in February, 1916, and has served on that body since. 1 When the Board became elective in 1937 he was the first chairman, and he has been elected as a member at each succeeding election. The Grey County Council, to-day, placed on record appreciation of Cr. Ryall’s long service and decided to send him a letter of congratulation.