THE LATE MR D. D. MACFARLANE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 47, 1 April 1914, Page 6

THE LATE MR D. D. MACFARLANE.

The news of the death last evening of Mr D. D. Macfarlane, the well-known Canterbury pastoralist, came as a great surprise to those of the community who were acquainted with him. It was everywhere received with sincere regret, and it was universally recognised that the whole Dominion had lost a citizen who possessed both the capacity and the will to render valuable service to the country.

Mr Macfarlane was the owner of the Lyndon Estate, near Waiau, in the Amuri County. He was the fifth son of the late Mr John Macfarlane, who was one of the earliest of the Canterbury settlers, and the founcter of tHe family which is ' known to the Canterbury people of to-day. Mr D. D. Macfarlane was born at Loburn in 1860, and was educated at private schools and at Christ's College. He was quite a young man wliisn he first associated himself with loc&l" politics. In 1884 he became a member of the Amuri Road "Board, and since that time he has filled many positions, in which the public got the benefit of .his sound judgment and disinterested assistance. The late Mr Macfarlane was particularly interested in the work of agricultural and pastoral associations. He . was a valued member of the Canterbury A. and . P. Association, in which ' body he had also held the position of president. The esteem in which he was held by the farming community was disclosed by his recent appoint--" ment as the represeifta,tive of the Canterbury associations to the newly constituted Board of Agriculture. His confreres were unanimous in their choice, and when Mr Macfarlane indicated that he would accept nomination ~ there was not the slightest hint of , any opposition. Mr Macfarlane was a man of distinguished appearance, and one had only to chat with him for a few minutes to realise his charm of manner and appreciate his unaffected courtesy and geniality. He gave his services and his help ungrudgingly, and was a generous supporter of movements which were designed to advance theinterests of the province and the Dominion.

Though his particular inclinations and interests were connected with farming and pastoral matters, he did not by any means confine his attention to that sphere of enterprise. He was one </f the promoters and a of the West-port-Stockton Coal Co., a director of the Para Para Rubber Co., and he alsp occupied a seat on the Board of Directors of the Canterbury Publishing Company, the publishers of THE SUN newspaper. His business acumen made him a, valued assistant in the direction of the many enterprises in which he was engaged. It is some years since Mr Macfarlane cut up a largie part of'" his Lyndoh

SUDDEN END TO USEFUL CAREER.

i Estate, and 26 families were settled on the property. This was one of the best examples of voluntary land subdivision which the Dominion had to offer, and Mr Macfarlane's action was commended i by all parties in politics. In the general politics of the country. Mr Macfarlane took a keen and intelligent interest. He stood as the Reform candidate for the Hurunui electorate in 1911, and was unsuccessful, after a keen contest. However, though not in Parliament, Mr Macfarlane was none the less a strong advocate of reforms and movements which would assist the producers of the Dominion. He was closely associated with the enquiries which were made some years ago into the possibility of exploiting the Continental meat market, and the improvement of the conditions under which New Zealand meat was being marketed at Home. On farming and its allied industries he had progressive ideas, some of which have been carried out with advantage to the Dominion. The ca/use of death, we are informed, was heart' failure. Mr Macfarlane came to town yesterday for medical advice, having been more or less indisposed during the past week. His collapse was quite unexpected, and his sudden end was a great shock to his relatives and

friends. Mr Macfarlane married a daughter of Mr Charles Newton, and he is survived by his widow and four sons, three of whom are at Christ's College. His surviving brothers are Mr John Macfarlane (Hawkeswood), Mr James Macfarlane (Hawke's Bay), arid Mr Walter Macfarlane (Kaiwara). He was predeceased by two other brothers —Mr Malcolm Macfarlane (Coldstream) and Mr Alexander Macfarlane (Achray). The funeral takes place to-morrow morning, and the body > will be interred in the Papanui Churchyard.