OBITUARY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22481, 27 July 1936, Page 12

OBITUARY

ME. 0. S. WATKINS

WELLINGTON ACCOUNTANT PROMINENT SPORTSMAN [BY TELEGRAPIl —I'RESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Sunday The death occurred in hospital this afternoon of Mr. Oswald S. Watkins, head of the firm of Watkins, Hull, Wheeler and Johnston, accountants, aged 73. Mr. A\ atkins, who was boin at Akaroa in 1862, commenced his business career as an accountant in a merchant's office in 1877. He was clerk and treasurer of the Akaroa County Council from 1880 to 1888. In tho latter year lie joined the staff of the Colonial Bank of New Zealand, Christchurch, later becoming accountant at tho Wellington office of the bank. After tho amalgamation of the Colonial Bank with the Bank of New Zealand in 1889 Mr. Watkins retained the post of accountant with tho latter institution until 1899, when lie resigned to found the firm of accountants of which he was head. Ho was chairman of directors of tho Kelburn Tramway Company, Limited, C. and A. Odlin, Limited, National Mutual Life Assurance, Victoria Laundry Company, Limited, a director of the 'Wellington 1 rust Loan and Agency Company, local director of the Guardian Trust and Executors, commissioner of sinking funds to tho Wellington Harbour Board and trustee of W. B. Rhodes' estate. He was also a vice-president of the Wellington Racing Club and a former president of the Racing Conference of which he was also a life member.

MR. S. SCARBOROUGH The death occurred 011 Saturday evening of Mr. Samuel Scarborough, of Mount Roskill, in his 70th year. He was a well-known resident of Auckland, where lie had spent all his life. I or the past 20 years he had been a member of the Mount Roskill Road Board, and at the time of his death was chairman of its Works Committee and a member of several other committees. For a period of a year lie was chairman of the board. Before his retirement a few years ago Mr. Scarborough was a carrier and before the introduction of tramcars he was very well known as a driver of buses between Retnuera and Parnell and the citv. He devoted a great deal of time during the last 20 years to the interests of the district, and his recreation was bowls. He was a keen member of tho Hillsborough Bowling Club. He is survived by a daughter.

MR. J. W. B. LeC. WILLIAMS A man who installed some of the first telephones in Auckland, Mr. Joseph Walter Bernard Le Caron Williams, of Northeote, died on Friday at the age of 8o years. Leaving England in 1877 in the barque Crownthorpe, Mr. Williams took up surveying work in the Tararua Ranges on his arrival in New Zealand. After a period of school teaching at Opunake, then a backblocks settlement, he arrived in Auckland and was engaged in the installing of the City's first telephones in premises in Queen Street and Newmarket. After this he secured employment as a farmer, lawyer's clerk, bandmaster, commission agent and private tutor in Canterbury, the Chatham Islands, Tauranga and Ahipara. Mr. Williams was gazetted a lieutenant in the territorials in 1912. Since 1922 he had been living in retirement in Auckland. Ho leaves, a widow.

MR. WILLIAM MACALISTER [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION*] INVERCARGILL, Sunday The death occurred this morning of Mr. William Maealister, a former Crown solicitor and chairman of directors of the Southland Times Company, Limited, aged 76. Mr. Maealister joined his brother, who was practising as a barrister and solicitor, in 1896, and in 1909 he was appointed Crown solicitor, a position he held until 1925, when his son, Mr. Horace Maealister, succeeded him.' He was a member of the Southland Education Board from 1897 to 1914, and was chairman in 1899 and 1905. He was a member of the High Schools Board from 1897 to 1914 and was chairman from 1902 to 1914. He also served a term on the Invereargill Borough Council. The Southland electric power scheme was also enthusiastically supported by him. The Ohai Railway Board, which to-day is in a flourishing state and which has done much for the development of the district in which its line operates, benefited considerably from Mr. Maealister's advice and experience in local body legislation. As solicitor to the Southland County Council he framed the Southland Land Drainage Act, which was entirely new legislation and which overcame u great many legal difficulties relating to the drainage of farm lands. He was the foundation president of the. Invereargill Rotary Club, a foundation member of the Southland League, and in more recent years he founded the Society for the Study of Economics. The League of Nations and the League of Nations Union also had his enthusiastic support. Ho is survived by Mrs. Maealister, one daughter and five sons.

MRS. I. CHAPMAN The death occurred at Sydney yesterday of Mrs. Isaac Chapman, aged 76 years. Mrs. Chapman was the youngest daughter of the Rev. Samuel Ironside, one of the first Wesleyan missionaries in New Zealand, who landed from the barque James at Hokianga in 1539, and was a witness to tho signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. Mrs. Chapman was born in Sydney. Mr. N. R. Chapman, secretary of the Auckland Metropolitan Milk Council, is her son.

MRS. FLORENCE REID [BY TKLEGRAFH —I'KKSS ASSOCIATION] HASTINGS, Saturday The death lias occurred of Mrs. Florence lteiil, widow of the late Mr. Alfred lleid, whom she survived by only a few months. Mrs. Reid was the fourth daughter of the late Major David S. Dtirio, of Wangauui, where ho was resident magistrate for many years. Of his large family only one member is now living, Mrs. Keid's younger sister. Lady Nolan, of Wellington. Ever since her marriage, some 10 years ago, Mrs. Reid had lived at Hastings, and was known for her kindly, generous and hospitable nature. She was always a keen sportswoman, with especial fondness for horses. She had no children.