OBITUARY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 7 August 1945, Page 3

OBITUARY

DR. JOHN NEILL KEITH The death of Dr. John Neill Keith, a former School Medical Officer in the Nelson district, occurred at his home, "Blair Athol," Wakapuaka, last week. Dr. Keith, who was 78 years of age, was born in Ceylon and educated in England, graduating at Edinburgh as a doctor of medicine. He served with the Scottish Red Cross and the Royal Army Medical Corps as a civil surgeon during the South African War. During the war of 1914-18 he served with the New Zealand Medical Corps. In his student days Dr. Keith took a keen interest in athletics, winning a number of trophies. Coming to New Zealand in 1908, Dr. Keith settled in Auckland, where he practised his profession up to the time of the first world war. On his return from service he took the position of School Medical Officer for the NelsonMarlborough district, a post which he held until his retirement, due to illhealth, in 1930. In 1903, at Pretoria. Dr. Keith married Miss Anne Robertson Mclntosh, who. with their two daughters, Mrs J. Mercer, of Wellington, and Mrs Hamilton Gibbs, of Nelson, survives him. MR WALTER NEWTON The death of Mr J. T. W. (Walter) Newton, a former well-known Conciliation Commissioner and later permanent head of the Labour Department, occurred in Nelson recently. He had been in failing health for some months. Mr Newton, who was 77 years of age, was born in Leicester. England, and came to New Zealand as a young man, settling in Christchurch. For about 20 years he was connected with the furniture trade in Christchurch, and was a prominent member of the trade union movement in the nineties and early years of this century. In 1899 he attended the annual conference of the Trades and Labour Councils of New Zealand as one of the thi-ee Canterbury delegates. He was the first secretary of the Christchurch Furniture Union, and was a member of the old Conciliation Board. He also filled the positions of secretary and president of the Canterbury Trades and Labour Council. Mr Newton joined the Labour Department in 1905, and saw service at Masterton, Dunedin, Christchurch, Auckland and Wellington. In 1918 he was appointed a Conciliation Commissioner, operating chiefly in the Wellington. Marlborough, Nelson, and Westland districts, and in that capacity he became very well known and respected. After occupying the positions of deputy chief- inspector of factories, deputy chief inspector of weights and measures. and deputy registrar of industrial unions, he succeeded Mr F. W. Rowley in 1930 as secretary and permanent head of the Department of Labour, from which he retired about eight or nine years ago. Until his wife’s death some three or four months ago, Mr Newton lived at Lyall Bay, but he subsequently left to live with his daughter at Wakefield, Nelson. He leaves three sons, Mr Walter Newton, manager of the Union Bank. Dunedin; Mr E. B. Newton, secretary of the Clothing Trades Union; and Mr H. Newton, of Wellington; and three daughters, Mrs H. E. Goldsbro’ (Auckland), Mrs F. C. Pinckney (Wakefield), and Mrs W. A. Sheat (Hawera).