MAINLY ABOUT MEN

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12509, 27 July 1926, Page 6

MAINLY ABOUT MEN

Mr J. G. L. Hewitt, chairman of the Railway Appeal Board, left for the north "last evening. An Auckland Press message states that an old resident of New Zealand, Thomas Anderson, of Mount Eden, died on Sunday evening, age nearly 94 years. He had lived for nearly ninety years in New Zealand, and was probably the oldest colonist up to the time of his death. Mr F. H. Toogood, consulting engineer, recently received injuries to his head and face in a motor accident on the Rimutnkas, and had to be removed to a private hospital on Thursday last. His many friends will be glad, however, to know that lie expects to be able to leave the hospital in a week’s time. Captain Maurice Buckley lias been appointed flying instructor at the 'Wigram Aerodrome, and has taken up his duties there. Captain Buckley’s appointment has been brought about through the promotion of Captain J. L. Findlay to the position of officer commanding the Wigram Aerodrome in place of Captain L. M. Isitt, who has been attached to the Air Ministry in England for eighteen months for instruction in seaplane work. During the war Captain Buckley served with the Royal Air Force at Salonika and in France. He was later employed by the Canterbury Aviation Company and by the New Zealand Aero Transport Company, which had its headquarters in Timaru. Captain Buckley was the first aviator to make a trip by air from Greymouth to Christchurch. He had been flying at Hokitika Exhibition in 1923-24, and, accompanied by his mechanic, W. Harrington, flew to Christchurch, passing over 30 miles of country on which it was impossible to land. Mr George Pirie, one of the founders and the oldest member of the Wellington Travellers’ and Warehousemen’s Association, died at his residence, Fercival street, yesterday morning, in his eighty-fifth year. He was horn near Keith, Banffshire, Scotland, and after learning the drapery business in Keith, Glasgow, and Birmingham, he landed in Dunedin in 1863, and was engaged for a time in his trade there. Then the “gold fever” took him to the West Coast, but he had no success, and he eventually started a retail drapery business in Westport, and afterwards at Wanganui and Wellington, where he built, over fifty years ago, the first business premises on the Wesleyan Church property at the corner of Cuba and Manners streets. After carying on suocesfully for some years he sold out and started as a manufacturers’ agent. He represented the Kaiapoi Woollen Company, the Mosgiel Woollen Company, and important British manufactuers for many years. He retired from active business about 12 years ago. He founded the Union Clothing Co., Ltd., and was the senior director of the company. He always took a keen interest in the Commercial Travellers’ Association, and was a life governor, and an ex-president, and was a trustee at the time of his death. He leaves a widow and ono daughter, Mrs J. J. Reich.

The death occurred at the AUctoria Hospital yesterday, at the ago of 70 years, of Mr James Baring Gould, formerly stationmaster at the Wellington station of the AVellington-Manawatu Railway Company. He remained statianraaster of Wellington until 1898, when he left to enter business. The late Mr Gould was keenly interested in Red Cross work of late years. Born at Bayswater, near London, the late Mr Gould was educated in Germany, and he spoke several languages. He came out to New Zealand in the ship Otaki in 1876. He had gained a good deal of railway experience in the German transport service during the Franco-Prussian War, and soon after his arrival in New Zealand joined, the Canterbury provincial railway service. He was rapidly promoted until lie was assistant stationmaster at Christchurch. From this he was promoted to be chief clerk to the Railway Telegraph Department, on the abolition of which he became stationmaster at Halcombe, near Feilding, and resigned after three years on account of illhealth. After 18 months on a Canterbury farm, his health being restored, ha was given the position of Wellington stationmaster under the old company. He was married to Miss Collins, of Christchurch, and had two daughters and one son.