OBITUARY

Otago Witness, Issue 3099, 6 August 1913, Page 34

OBITUARY

SIR WILLIAM LYNE. SYDNEY, August 4. Sir William Lyne, a former Premier of New South Wales, member of the DeakinCook Federal Ministry, and delegate to the last Imperial Conference, is dead; aged 69 years. The Daily Telegraph says ; “ In the passing of Sir William Lyne death removes one of the most strenuous workers and most popular personalities for whom politics ever provided a career. It is only men of unflagging energy and wide human sympathy, together with that peculiar capacity of anticipating what the majority of the people will think to-morrow, who survive the storm and stress for such a number of years as Sir W. Lyne loomed prominently before the public eye. Sir William ended his i>olitical career a poorer man than he was at the beginning. Men of bis type never enrich themselves bypolitics.” Johns’s Notable Australians states that the Hon. Sir William John Lyne, K.C.M.G., was born at Apslawn, Great Swan port, Tasmania, in 1844. He was the eldest son of Mr John Lyne, for some years M.H.A. for Glamorgan. Sir William went to Queensland in 1864, and travelling overland to the Gulf of Carpentaria became a pioneer settlor in that district. Towards the close of the following year he returned to Tasmania and was council clerk at Glamorgan for 10 years. Later he took up pastoral lands on the Murray River and entered the New South Wales Parliament as member for Hume (1880-1901). Ho was Secretary for Public Works in the Dibbs Ministry, 1885; in the Jennings Ministry, 1886-7, and in the Dibbs Government, 1891 4. Ho was Secretary for Lands in the Dibbs Ministry, 1889; Loader of the Opposition. 1895-9; Premier and Colonial Treasurer, September,

1889-March, 1901. He was a member of the convention which framed the Commonwealth Constitution, 1897-8, and as Premier of New South Wales it fell to ids lot to superintend the arrangements for the inauguration of the Commonwealth. He was commissioned by the first Governor-General, Lord Hopetoun, to form the first Federal Ministry, and on his advice his Excellency sent for Sir Edmund Barton to undertake the task. Elected for Hume to the first House of Representatives, 1901, he retained his seat continuously until his defeat by Mr Patten this year. Ho was Minister for Home Affairs in the first Cabinet; Acting Minister for Defence, 1902; Minister for Trade and Customs, 1903-4, and again 1905-7. Some years ago Sir William Lyne had a disagreement with the Liberal party, and after that ho sat in Parliament as an Independent. MR JAMES HAZLETT. Wo regret to record the death this week of Mr James Hazlett,, for many years a rcsjiectecl citizen of Dunedin and a prominent figure in the mercantile life of this city. For some time past Mr Hazlett had not' been in robust health, but in the end ho passed away very suddenly, death occurring about 6 o’clock on Thursday evening. He was born in 1829 at Maghara, Londonderry, Ireland. Ho was educated partly at his native place and partly at Belfast, and had some experience in mercantile pursuits before he sailed for the colonies in 1854. On his arrival in Victoria he was attracted to the diggings, and he remained for eqmo time in Gippsland, where ho was fairly successful. In 1861 lie came to Otago, and once again was tempted to "the goldfields. Ho opened a store at Clyde, and subsequently extended his business to Cromwell and established branches of it in other portions of the goldfields. His venture was a profitable one, and during this stage in hie career he found time to devote some of his energies to the administration of local affairs. For five years ho held the office of Mayor of Clyde, and he was president of the Dunetan Hospital Board for a number of y°trs. Moreover, ho was elected a member of the Otago Provincial Council for the Clyde district. In 1878 he left Central Otago and removed to Dunedin, joining the late Mr J. T. Mackerras in establishing the business which became wellknown throughout New Zealand as that of Mackerras and Hazlett. With this business ho was actively connected up to the time of his death. A man of great enterprise, ho invested capital in a number of other important ventures, notably concerns directed to the development of the gold mining and coal mining resources of the district. Ho was a shareholder also in various trading and financial companies, and at the time of his death was a director of the Perpetual Trustees, ’ Estate, and ■ Agency Company. Ho was one of the original members of the Dunedin Drainage Board, a member for some years of the Otago Charitable Aid Board, and a trustee for several years of the Otago Benevolent Institution. Mr Hazlett held the commission of the pence for very many years;—there can bo few, if any, justices of the peace in New Zealand who were appointed at nn earlier elate than he was. He took a keen and active interest in horse-racing, and was for about 35 years n member of the Dunedin Jockey Club. For some time ho was president of the club, for a long series of years its vice-president, and quite recently he returned to a place on its committee. His interest in the club was recognised a few years ago by his election to the honour of a life membership. He was not only closely connected with the control of racing in Otago, but was a successful owner of racehorses. The partnership between himself and the late Mr John Stephenson was notable from the fact that a number of horses famous in the history of the turf in New Zealand, such as Htppomenes, ■Occident, Tempest. Gipsy Grand—three of them winners of the Dunedin Cup—ran in their colours. In 1867 Mr Hazlett was married to Miss Coleman, and his wife, together with four sons and three daughters, •survives him. A fifth son died some years ago. MR JOHN FELDWICK. (Feom Our Own Correspondent.) INVERCARGILL, July 31. A private cablegram has been received in Invercargill announcing the death, in London, on Monday last, July 28, of Mr John Feldwick, who for about 30 years was, with his brother, the- late Hon. Henry Feldwick, proprietor of the Southland Daily News. The deceased arrived in New Zealand when a youth, his father having taken up land in Canterbury, and in his young days followed agricultural pursuits. Later he qualified for press work, and was for several years employed on the _ staff of the Timaru Herald. Thirty-six years ago Mr Henry Feldwick became a partner with Mr William Craig in tho News, an] when the latter retired a short time later Mr John Feldwick joined his brother. The business was conducted by them up to 1910, and, though in common with all undertakings it suffered during the period of depression, it became in later years highly prosperous. After the death of the senior partner the family decided to dispose of the paper, which was purchased in 1910 by the Hon. George Jones. The deceased then left for England, but returned in tho summer of 1912. After a few weeks’ stay he again sailed for the Homo Country, intending to return to New Zealand the following year. Beyond taking an active part in tho Invercargill Athenaeum, having been a member of tho committee and president for several years, Mr Feidwick never participated in public life. Ho had boon identified with local musical institutions and tho Masonic order, and he was a conscientious worker in anything ho took in hand. The deceased, who was a bachelor, was about 65 years of age MR J. II ROPE. WELLINGTON. August 3. Mr J. H. Pope, formerly inspector of Native schools, died in Wellington this afternoon, at the age of 76 years. The announcement of Mr Pope’s death at the present juncture, while the festivities in connection with tho Otago Boys’ High School arc in progress, will stir many memeries in tlio hc?o.i*ts of tho old bngade ” now assembled in Dunedin. He was at, one time closely identified with the school, and for a !■’"«' -"tin" fee;,-. It is now more than nine years since Mr Pope retired from tho position of chief inspeetor of Native roheora An enduring monument to his principal lifework is to be found in tho excellent system of Native schools which now extend-; from North Cape to Stewart Island, for that system, as wo have it to day, is Mr Pone’s creation. After making a visit of inspection, to the principal Native districts. Dr Ilislop (the

Secretary of Education) and the Rev. W i. Habens (Inspector-general) made a recommendation to the Minister of the day (the Hon. W. Rolloston), as the result of which Mr Pope, who had till then been the senior mate teacher of the Otago Girls’ High School, was offered the jx>sition of organising inspector of Native schools. Mr Pope accepted die appointment, and thereupon set out upon the establishment of properlybrganisad prnnarlv schools for the principal Native settlements of the colony, with the To Auto Native College, Hawke's Bay, as its culminating point in secondary education- To this position he applied himself with characteristic self-devotion. h:s work involving serious hardships the difficulties of travelling on the rough roads of the Far North and the extreme Eastern districts of the North Island, and being at times attended with actual danger, as was proved by more than one accident and illness. Of .the admirable qualtiy of the foundations laid by Mr Pope, and the superstructure which he reared upon them before the end of his official career, the records of the department and the affection in which he came to be held bv the Maoris in every corner of the dominion amply testify. Later on lie wa - joined in the work of inspection by Mr H. B Kirk, now Professor of Biology at Victoria College, and by Mr W. W. Bird, the present chief inspector, who has admirably carried on the system established by Mr Pope. In 1904 Mr Pope was compelled by failing health to retire from official life, and ho has since lived quietly in Wellington, always retaining touch with his old colleagues of the department. Mr Pone was a native of St. Holier, in the Channel Islands, and cams to Victoria in early manhood. There he entered upon the work of school teaching and in 1863, | on the establishment of the Otago High j School, he resigned the head mastership of j a primary school at Ba.lla.nat to become an assistant master of the Boys’ High School, 1 and he held that position until 1871, filling for a short period the post of act ng rector. In 1872 he transferred to the Girls’ High School as senior assistant master. In 1876 he was appointed head master of the Ballarat College, but ill-health shortly afterwards compelled him to abandon that post. On recovery he was again appointed to the staff of the Otago 'Girls’ High School as senior male teacher, Mrs M. (5. Burn being principal. As already stated, it was this position that ho quitted in order to take up work in connection with the Native schools. In his scholastic career Mr I< po had as his pupils many of the most prominent people in Now Zealand to-day, notably Mr H. H. Bell (Minister of Internal Affairs), Mr Justice Edwards, the Hon. T. W Hislop. Mr J. F. AX. Fraser (Crown Prosecutor at Dunedin), Mr S. Solomon, K.C.. mid Lady, Stout. Apart from his official work, Mr Pope Was known to a wide circle in Wellington as a gentleman well versed in many departments of scholarship, and of singularly modest bearing. He was an excellent linguist as regards Greek. Latin. French, and German, and had a working knowledge of Hebrew, while in his acquaintance with Maori he had few equals. Music and astro- j nomy were his special hobbies, botany was also one of his favourite pursuits, and his knowledge of mental science was deep and wide. Wldle in the Education Department j he prepared several books for use in the j Native schools Chief amongst those were | “ Health for the Maori it may be noted | that the cultivation of sanitary methods :n the kainga was equally, with 'lit rtirv edu- j cation, one of the purposes of his Native | school scheme— “ Tiie State.” designed to j teach the rudiments of soc ; o!ogy "to the , young Maori and the various ' 'text-books ' now in use in the schools. It is also under- ! stood that in his years of recent leisure lie i wrote a history of the Native school movement, and also a collection of Maori fables, neither of which has yet been published. Most of the members of Mr Pope’s family are at present occupying prominent positions in official or busno.-s life. His oldest son (Mr R. J. Pope) is head master of the Kanvarra School; Mr R. 11. Pope is inspector in charge of special schools I under the Education Denartmont; Mr F. j S. Pope is secretary of the Department of! Agriculture; Mr F. IT. Pone is district I manager of the State Fire Office in Auckland; Mr J. C. Pope is one of the mastcis of Nelson College, Mr P. S. Pope is accountant to Messrs Ccdcrhoim and Son; and his daughters are Mis F. G. Stuckey, wife of one of the Wellington inspectors of schools, and Mrs C. D. Morpeth, wife of a well-known Wellington accountant.