OBITUARY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22101, 3 November 1933, Page 9

OBITUARY

MR ROBERT FERGUSON A. groat deal of regret will be felt at the death of Mr Robert Ferguson, which occurred yesterday at his residence at the corner of Duke and George streets. Mr Ferguson was born on May 28, 1864. His parents arrived in the ship Southern Cross in 1856, migrating from Scotland shortly after they were married. After landing in the Dominion they stayed a short time in Dunedin, but the call of country life was strong, and they trekked south, finding a congenial atmosphere on the Tokomairiro Plain. After living a short time near Milton, they eventually secured a farm “down the river,” in the' vicinity of the Waronui coal mining area. There Mr Ferguson was born. He was brought up to a country life, which in those early days was hard and strenuous. He first attended the Akatore school, then in charge of Mr F. A. Joseph, who was afterwards a reporter ,on -the Otago Daily Times staff, and was killed in a ■ blasting accident at the Otago Heads while on official duty. When he was 10 years of age Mr Ferguson’s parents took up a farm nearer Milton, where he attended the Sout.hbridgo' (afterwards called Moneymore) school. Another shift within a _ year brought him into the town of Milton. There he attended the Milton District

High * School, of which Mr t William Malcolm was rector, and on the school staff were Mr Thomas Brown (first assistant), Mr Charles Macan, Mr Carrington (father of the present secretary of the Education Board), who is residing with a son in the Oamaru-Kurow district, and Mr William M'Elrca, Dunedin, retired rector of the Normal School. On finishing his school days, Mr Ferguson went into the pottery works, where he stayed a short time, later securing a position in the Bruce Standard-,^at that time a contemporary of the Bruce Herald. After a precarious existence of about four years the Standard was bought out .by Mr Donald Reid, solicitor,' who then owned the Herald. This necessitated another shift for Mr Ferguson. After being out of employment for a considerable time in. the early eighties Mr Ferguson got a position in the Mataura Ensign office at Gore. He migrated from there to the Tuapeka Times at Lawrence, where he stayed for some three years. He then joined the composing staff of the Otago Daily Times, Dunedin, and remained in the employ of the company for over 40 years, retiring a few years ago. While in Dunedin Mr Ferguson took an active part in the Labour movement, school committee work, and many other activities. He served on the George Street School Committee for over 30 years, being a number of terms chairman and many times secretary of the committee. He was also president ,of the School Committees’ Association, and he undoubtedly did his share in this class of work. For over 40 years he served on the Typographical Association, during 18 years of which he was secretary of the organisation, and it is no exaggeration to say that he was held in high regard by his fellow co-workers and by the employers with whom he was frequently brought into contact. Many times he was selected to represent his union at conferences. Until he retired in 1932 he attended more conferences than any other member of the Dominion typographical organisations. For one term of two, years he was selected as president of the Dominion Typographical Federation, and also for four years as secretary of the same body. For many years he also held the position of secretary of the Dunedin Related Printing Trades Union. He was a hard fighter for his side, but the employers -recognised that he was an honourable one, and respected him accordingly. He was for 12 years secretary of the Dunedin Journalists’ Union, and on retiring from that position in 1932 he received a splendid testimonial from it. He served for about 23 years as a member of the Otago Labour Council, and he did his part in endeavouring to ameliorate the lot of the worker. Mr. Ferguson was prominent in assisting to obtain a permanent home for the council in Moray place (opposite the First Church), then' occupied by the Y.W.C.A. After lengthy negotiations the building was purchased, and occupied by the Trades and Labour Council for over 20 years, from its purchase in July, 1901. The building became too small for the requirements of Labour, and a new home was sought. Again Mr Ferguson was instrumental in securing the present home for Labour in Moray place, retiring shortly afterwards from active participation in council work. In 1924 he was honoured by being appointed to the Commission of the Peace. In his earlier days he took a keen interest in cricket, and was one of the founders of the Dunedin Cricket Club in the nineties, and for many years he continued to be a member. In latter ye&rs he was instrumental in helping to form the Leith Bowling Club, and in 1929-30 he was elected president of the club, in which he always took a live interest. His wife predeceased him in 1915. He had three children —two sons " and one daughter. The elder sou, Mr B. K. Ferguson, is manager of a grocery business in Dunedin North; the daughter was for many years attached to Messrs Hogg and Co.’s timber merchants’ business in Dunedinand the younger son, Mr Ernest Ferguson, is manager o| the Atlas Insurance Company, Dunedin. MRS, WILLIAM HIGGINSON The death occurred at her residence at St. Hilda on Monday morning of Mrs William Higginson, in her seventy-ninth year. Born at Blockloy, England, Mrs Higginson sailed for New Zealand on the ship Hindustan, and landed at Port Chalmers in 1874. Mrs Higginson had been a resident of St. Hilda for over 50 years, and she and Mr Higginson celebrated their golden wedding eight years ago. An ardent worker for the Church of England, Mrs Higginson was one of the pioneers of Holy Cross Church, St. Hilda, and was a member of the Mothers’ Union and the Ladies’ Guild. She is survived by her husband and a family of eight.