LAND PURCHASE OFFICER.

Otago Witness, Issue 3804, 8 February 1927, Page 14

LAND PURCHASE OFFICER.

SUCCEEDED BY MR R. A. RODGER. ■ WELLINGTON, January 31. An esteemed member of the public service, Mr John Douglas Ritchie, who for the past 18 years has been Land Purchase Officer and chairman of the Land Purchase Board, is about to retire on superannuation. Born in Coupar Angus, Scotland, on Octoger 9, 1853, and a son of Mr Alexander Ritchie, farmer, of Whitefield, Perthshire. Mr Ritchie, who was educated at the Cargill Parish School and the Perth Academy, arrived in New Zealand in 1877, and took up pastoral pursuits. In 1891 he joined the Public Service as chief inspector of stock. The following year the Stock Department was absorbed in the newlycreated Department of Agriculture, and Mr Ritchie became the first Secretary of Agriculture. He held this position until 1909, when he was appointed Land Purchase Officer, and chairman of the Land Purchase Board.

"There are few men,” said the Hon. A. D. M‘Leod, “with such an intimate knowledge of the lands of the Dominion as that possessed by Mr Ritchie. At a very early age he engaged in agricultural pursuits, and ever since has been closely connected with rural activities. During his term as Land Purchase Controller he was responsible for the acquisition by the Crown of no fewer than 463 estates, comprising 809,000 acres, at a cost of over £8,000,000. That work entailed a tremendous responsibility, and I have no hesitation in saying that Mr Ritchie’s practical experience as a farmer, and his work as head of the Department of Agriculture were of the greatest value to the Government in the carrying out of its-closer settlement policy.” The Minister of Lands (the Hon. A D. M’Leod) announced this afternoon that Mr R. A. Rodger, of Tapanui, had been

appointed to succeed Mr Ritchie as land purchase officer. Mr Rodger was born at Tapanui in 1870, and educated at *the Tapanui Public School. At the age of 13 he went into the office of the late Mr W. Quin, who had just started a stock and station business at Tapanui. In 1894 he joined as a partner in the business, and when, in 1907. Mr Quin retired, Mr Rodger acquired the whole interest in the partnership, and carried on until 1919, when he sold out to Messrs Dalgety and Co. (Ltd.). Besides being in a business which was necessarily closely identified with all classes of farming operations, Mr Rodger personally engaged in farming propositions, and at present owns an agrieultral farm at "The Flodden,” Tapanui. Mr Rodger was a member and chairman of the Otago Inquiry Board, and later, when the Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Amendment Act, 1923, was passed, providing for the constitution of a Dominion Revaluation Board, he received an appointment on the board. Up to this time he had been closely identified with local bodies, and represented the Tapanui Riding on the Tuapeka County Council, filling a term as chairman. He represented Otago on the New Zealand Counties’ Association’s Executive. He also represented Tuapeka on the Otago Hospital Board, and was an original member of the Southland Electric Power Board. These offices were relinquished after the appointment was made to the Dominion Revaluation Board. He has been associated with the South Otago Freezing Company as a director for many years, and at one time handled considerable quantities of freezing stock.