OBITUARY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11222, 30 May 1922, Page 3

OBITUARY

LATE B. J. VON DADELSZEN. Mr Edward John, von Dadelszen (formevly Registrar-General), who died at Wellington on Sunday, aged v 7, had spent a long life in the public service of the Dominion, and great sympathy will he felt for his sorrowing relatives. Born in Liverpool, England, in 1845, the late Mr von Dadelszen passed in 1859 the Oxford middle-class examination for juniors, and shortly afterwards left for Auckland by the ship Bed Jacket, with Mr (afterwards Sir «> .>lan) Gorst. His first situation was with Bishop Selwyn, who employed him in printing works for the Melanesian Mission. Jn 1562 Mr Gorst was appointed ; Civil Commissioner for the .Waikato, and sent up to Te Awamutu. His duties included the management of an industrial school for the education of Maori youths, by influencing whom, and in various other ways, it was proposed to introduce into the Waikato the thin edge of the wedge of civilisation. At this time the Xing movement was at its height. There wa© a Maori Parliament, with all the accessories of self-govern-ment, including an official organ called the “Hokioi”—the name of a Maori mythological bird of great ferocity. Mr Gorst started an opposition paper named the ‘'Pi hoi hoi” —Maori for the insignificant little sparrow, and employed his young friend von Dadelszen in the capacities of printer and publisher. The school was doing good work; and the •little proved more than a match for the “Hokioi." The Maori® therefore resolved to destroy the “Pihoihoi.” Returning one evening from his headquarters, Mr Gorst found his printing office seized and his staff prisoners. The Maoris wore determined that there should be no further Lou© of the “Pihoihoi,** ana destroyed the type. However, the natives allowed the Commissioner and lids staff to leave the King Countryi but no sooner were they away than the war with the Waikatos began. On returning to Auckland, Mr von Dnlolezon lived at Sir George Grey’s island home, the Kawair,, for about three months with other refugees After that, ho ioined the post office at Auckland as cleric, remaining in that service till September, 1864-. wlieri, he entered the Re-gistrar-General's department. In 1880 ho was promoted to the chief clerkship, and four years later was appointed Deputy Registrar-General. In February, 1890, he was selected by the Government as delegate to the conference of Australasian Statisticians held at Hobart in March of that year to consider questions in reference to the census. He wag raised to the position of RegistrarGeneral in May, 1892. but relinquished that position on superannuation some thirteen years ago. A funeral service 'is to he held at St. Paul's Pro-Cathedral thi9 morning at 11 o'clock.