ABOUT PEOPLE

Southland Times, Issue 21197, 25 September 1930, Page 6

ABOUT PEOPLE

At a meeting of the directors of the Otautau Dairy Factory last night, Mr W. Carswell, of Invercargill, was appointed secretary. There were 17 applicants for the position.

At yesterday’s meeting of the New Zealand Meat Producers Board Mr David Jones, M.P., was unanimously re-elected chairman of the board for the ensuing twelve months, states a Wellington Press Association message. The sudden death of Mr Charles Edmund Fabian at the age of 75 years at his residence, Tinakori road, Wellington, on Friday (states the Dominion) removed the. last of a very old family of pioneers. The father of the deceased, Alexander Fabian, came to this country from the Island of Jersey in 1864, bringing with him his wife and a family of four boys and one girl. The late Mr C. E. Fabian, who was the youngest of the family, led a varied and interesting life during the 66 years that he spent in the Dominion. As a youth he was attached to the Bank of New Zealand at Blenheim, later leaving this for a position in the post office at Havelock, subsequently receiving an appointment as postmaster at Gore. Farming, however, was Mr Fabian's chief interest, and he left Blenheim for Greytown to engage in his favourite occupation in conjunction with his two brothers, Alexander and John Fabian. The late- Mr Fabian entered into business in Wellington as a stockbroker and land agent; from this to farming again, in the Waikato, and finally to a position in the Justice Department, from which he retired two years ago. Mr Fabian leaves a widow and six children —Mr Alexander J. Fabian, Melbourne; Mr J. C. K. Fabian, Mrs J. A. Roseingrave, Mrs Alexander Heron, Miss Nancy Fabian (Wellington), and Mrs Pat Mallon (New York). Many Southlanders will regret to hear of the death of Major Donald Polson, D. 5.0., which occurred at Blenheim last week. The son of Scottish parents, the late Major Polson was born at Christchurch in 1871, and received his education at Oamaru and at Christchurch. Later he went into the grocery business and he made his first acquaintance with Blenheim as a member of the staff of Messrs Clouston and Co. He took a keen interest in defence matters, as a member of the old volunteers, and he had served six years with them when the South African War gave him an opportunity for active service. He left with the Fifth Contingent with the rank of lieutenant, and returned to New Zealand invalided, but again left with the Eighth Contingent, this time as a captain. He was mentioned in dispatches and was awarded the D.S.O. in 1900. On the conclusion of hostilities, Major Polson returned to New Zealand for his discharge, but was soon on his way to South Africa once more, joining Baden-Powell’s Cape Police. On the disbandment of this force, he became interested in transport and mining matters in Africa until the advent of the compulsory military training system in New Zealand when he was offered a position on the permanent staff. He was appointed adjutant in charge of the Whangarei district, but ill-health compelled his retirement. However, the Great War found him again eager for service, and, despite his age, he succeeded in getting away in 1917 with the rank of sergeant, seeing service in Palestine and Mesopotamia. He returned in 1919 with his health very much impaired by his war service, and since then had been more or less an invalid. for a time he was employed in the Seeds Department of the N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., in Christchurch, and in recent years he returned to Marlborough, where he managed the Molesworth run for a time. For the last couple of years-he had been employed by Mrs G. M. Gunn, at Marathon, Seddon. Major Polson never married, but he leaves three brothers— Messrs W. A. Polson, Christchurch; J. G. Polson, Christchurch; and A. G. Polson, Auckland, who was invalided home from France as a lieutenant- Another brother, Lieutenant C. Polson, was killed in trance, and a fifth brother, Sergeant George Polson, who had seen service in South Africa, died at Invercargill about three years ago.