OBITUARY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXII, Issue 15557, 6 March 1911, Page 7

OBITUARY.

HON W. C. SMITH, M.L.C [Pee Press Association.]

NAPIER, March 5.

The Hon W. 0. Smith, M.L.C., who had been suffering from an attack of pneumonia during the last ten days, died at Waipukurau this afternoon at 1.30. He was sixty-seven years of age.

(The late William Cowper Smith was born in London on December 28, 1843, and was educated at the Royal Grammar School, Barnet. He arrived in New Zealand in July, 1862, and shortly afterwards commenced business in the Hawke’s Bay district, with which lie was closely asociated up to the time of his death. From 1877 to. 1895 ho occupied a seat on the Waipukurau Road Board, and from 1879 to 1895 was a member of the Waipawa County Council, occupying the chair from 1886 to 1894. For fifteen years from 1880 he held a seat on the Waipawa Hospital Board, and was chairman fram 1886 to 1804. In 1831 he acceded to a request to stand in the Liberal interest for the Waipawa seat in opposition to the sitting member, the Hon J. f). Ormond. He was elected, and continued to represent that district till 1893, when ho retired. He was Government Whip for the Ballance Government, 1891-93. He was called to the Legislative Council in 1895, and was reappointed in 1902 and 1909. He was Chairman of Committees of the Council iu 1902, 1905 and 1907,