OBITUARY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 167, 14 June 1940, Page 2

OBITUARY.

MR J. D. WILSON. There passed away yesterday, at his residence at Pahiatua, Mr James Donald Wilson, a former Mayor of the town and for many years a prominent resident to whom the town owes much for his toresight and energy in bygone years. Mr Wilson, who was 77 years of age, was a member of the Pahiatua Borough Council for 36 years. The deceased gentleman was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1863, and arrived in his early years with his parents in Canterbury. It was from Ashburton that Mr Wilson left home for Pahiatua in June, ; 1885, taking up lmsh-felling,. fencing, shearing, carpentering, building and contracting. Latterly lie undertook architectural work, and secured several architectural agencies. Four years after his arrival at Pahiatua Mr Wilson married, and there were live children of the mar-

riage. Mr Wilson’s first wife prede- : ceased him many years ago. 1 Mr Wilson’s long and outstanding ; record of service to the community as a member of various, public bodies ' began with his membership of the i Pahiatua Licensing Committee, the School Committee and the Town Board, i In 1892 Pahiatua was raised to the status of a borough and he was among the councillors elected to the first Borough Council; In 1897 he was elected Mayor and held office for three consecutive terms. Prom 1921 to 1925 he was again Mayor, and occupied the same position from 1929 to 1936. In addition, Mr Wilson rvas a councillor | for several terms. He was one of the I foundation members of the Tararua Power Board, formed in 1922, and the following year assumed the chairmanship, a position lie held for 17 consecutive years. For several -years he was also a member of the Pahiatua Hospital Board. In -1889 he took the first step toward the establishment of a hospital in Pahiatua, moving at a meeting of the board that £2OO be set aside for the purchase of a site # for a cottage hospital and £4OO for the building. The foresight and energy of Mr Wilson were responsible for the lay-out of the main street in Pahiatua, with its greatly admired town squares, and it was in his first terms as Mayor that lie proposed the undertaking of a loan of £SOOO to fence the squares, form back streets and carry out other imnrnvflmonlfi Til 1R 10*111 W<IS

carried. Mr "Wilson was also instrumental in securing the Pahiatna Recreation ground for the town. He was appointed the Government representative on the first Fire Board in Pahiatua, and was also responsible for the formation of the first public library in the town. In other directions, also, Mr Wilson gave yeoman service. He was chairman of the Pahiatua School Committee for a number of years, chairman of the Technical High School Board, president of . the Forty Mile Bush Caledonian Society, of the Pahiatua Literary and Debating

Society, and president of the Pahiatua Horticultural Society. For a long period he was a Justice of the Peace and was Deputy Official Assignee, and at the late King George’s Coronation •was a recipient of the Jubilee Medal. The flag on the fiag-nole in the main street was flown at half-mast, yesterdav as a mark of respect to the deceased gentleman. , . , ~ Left to mourn their loss are the widow. Mrs J. D: Wilson! and his sons. Messrs G. D., J. D.. "W* Wi and K S Wilson, and daughters. Mesdames J. Cox A. Beard, E. Styles and Miss E. Wilson.