OBITUARY

Grey River Argus, 30 September 1949, Page 4

OBITUARY

Mr W« Downie Steward P.A. DUNEDIN, Sept. 29 After a prolonged illness one of Dunedin's best known citizens, Mr William Downie Stewart, died yesterday. Born in Dunedin in 1878, he was educated at Otago Boys’ iHgh School and Otago University, where he graduated LU 8., Fie was elected to the City Council in 1907, and on his fourth term was elected Mayor. Mr Stewart entered Parliament as member for Dunedin West in 1914, his political career being broken for war service. In 1921 he accepted his first Ministerial portfolio, and in successive Cabinets held many Ministerial posts. Tariff agreements between this country and Canada were! negotiated by Mr Stewart, and he also represented New Zealand at various Commonwealth relations conferences. His resignation from the Coalition Ministry in 1933 followed a disagreement with his leaders on the exchange rate policy, and he was defeated when he contested the Dunedin West seat in 1935 as an Independent Nationalist. In his retirement. Mr Stewart devoted himself to authorship. He was a member of the Otago University Council and a Director of the National Insurance Co., Perpetual Trustees Estate and Agency Co., and the Provident Life Assurance Co. Mr~W. L. Ford The death occurred, yesterday, of a well-known Greymouth resident Mr William Flockhart Ford, of 20 Turamaha St., who had, for some time past, been manager of the Greymouth branch of the firm of Robert Francis Ltd. A native of Scotland and 49 years of age, the late Mr Ford, who was an accomplished musician ,was on the staff of the Dunedin mdsical instrument firm of Charles Begg and Coy., and on coming. to Greymouth, started business on his own account as a music dealer. He interested ( himself in amateur musical organisations, and was the leader of an orchestra bearing his name, in which he took the part of first violinist. During the war period he assisted with many entertainments of a patriotic nature and was a popular figure. He leaves a wife and family, to whom the sympathy of many friends will be extended, in their bereavement. The funeral takes place here on Sunday afternoon.

Mr Ford had been,in indifferent health for the past 18 months. Mr Ford was one of the foundation members of the Greymouth Operatic Society of which he had been musical director since its inception. Prior to that he had produced a couple of operettas and pontomines. He formed an orchestra in Greymouth which he readily made available for charitable organisations.

Besides his wife he leaves two sons and a daughter also two brothers and two sisters.