LATE SIR ARTHUR MYERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19965, 6 December 1926, Page 2

LATE SIR ARTHUR MYERS.

AN HONOURED CITIZEN. TRIBUTES FROM FRIENDS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, October 11. All New Zealanders in England learned to-day with very real regret of the death of the Hon, Sir Arthur M. Myers. To most of them he was a personal friend, a man whose friendship was highly valued others who had not a personal acquaintance knew him well by repute, and were aware of his many interests and acts of generosity performed on behalf of the Dominion. For about a year past Sir Arthur had been more or less ill, first with an overstrained heart, due largely to over-prac-tice at golf, and then, this last spring, with a severe attack of double pneumonia during which the utmost anxiety was felt. Under the best medical care, however, and with careful nursing, he recovered sufficiently to have a little change, first at Hove and later at Torquay. A fortnight ago there was a feeling of assurance that the patient would in due course made a gradual, if slow, recovery, with the necessary care. However, these hopes were not calised, for Sir Arthur passed away peacefully on Saturday at noon in the presence of hia brother. Dr Bernard Myers. He will be greatly missed. The utmost sympathy is extended by a to Lady Myers, the Missea E. and B. Myers, and Mr Kenneth Myers. Until his illness last year 6.. Arthur was every day in the City at the National Bank of New Zealand. He was highly honoured three years ago at being invited to serve as a member of the Royal Commission on Local Government —work which was very congenial to him. The leading London papers refer to his career and his benefactions. THE HIGH COMMISSIONER’S TRIBUTE. Sir James Parr last saw Sir Arthur at Hove about three months ago when the latter was spending a few weeks quietly there in search of renewed health, after the second severe illness. This morning Sir James remarked: ‘Although we tdan had a two hours' talk about Auckland ai.d tl old times, and although his mind and memory were as clear as ever, 1 felt that the hand of death was then upon him. We went for an hour’s run in Sir Arthur’s car, and the outing seemed to do him good. When we parted he was brighter and looked better, but he had considerable difficulty in breathing. 1 had a feeling that he had a great longing to see New Zealand again, but he fully realised this was not to be. Yes, I was closely associated with Sir Arthur when I was Mayor of Auckland, and when he was Mayor I was one of his councillors for many years. He was one of the most liberal citizens that Auckland has ever possessed; his private generosity was considerable, too, and its extent will never really be known. I recall one instance of his liberality on If of the public. It was in 1913, when, in my mayoralty I greatly desired to reclaim what was then a slum, and was known as the Grey street slum area. A um of £IO,OOO was neces-

sary. I did not care to burden the city with so large an amount at that time, when there were other big works in pro--gross. So I went to Wellington, where Sir Arthur then was, and laid the project before him. He thought it well oyer for several days and then he said: ‘This is an excellent piece of practical town-planning —please go ahead and purchase the land as quietly as possible, and 1 will find the money. The next week his cheque for £IO,OOO was handed in to the city treasurer, and thus, by the munificence of its former mayor, was erected perhaps one of Auckland’s finest parks. Later, as the citizens of Auckland know, he erected at his own cost in the same park the Myers Kindergarten College, where kindergarten teachers are trained. Sir Arthur had ever deeply at heart the interests of children, and ho was keenly interested in their welfare.” _ On behalf of the Government and citizens of New Zealand the High Commissioner sent Lady Myers a telegram of condolence, in which he said ; “Not only New Zealand, but the British Empire, has sustained a heavy loss in the_ death of so excellent and patriotic a citizen as Sir Arthur Myers.”

MATURED JUDGMENT. Sir Thomas Mackenzie also spoke as. one who had been politically very closely ■ associated with Sir Arthur, but even previous to that time he had formed a very high opinion of his abilities and personal character. “Ho had charge of the rad wavs and was Finance Minister, and the good opinion which I had formed before he joined me was more than confirmed by the excellent work which he performed during the time we were together. “I regarded his withdrawal from New Zealand politics as one of th.e most serious losses that the Parliament had suffered. Sir Arthur was an exceedingly courteous man, who matured his judgment before expressing an opinion and had he remained in New Zealand politics—as I remarked when he read his Paper before the Royal Colonial Institute—no position in New Zealand was outside his grasp. I regard his death, too, as a personal loss. A friendship existed between us which was formed during our earliest days, and that friendship nothing but death could sever. Thera is no need for me to refer to his public generosity The many big things that he did for the Dominion will be lasting monuments to his memory.”