OBITUARY.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 11600, 8 November 1901, Page 2

OBITUARY.

THE HON. J. A. BONAR, M.L.C,

Per Press Association.

WELLINGTON, November 7. The Hon. J. A. Bonar, member of the Legislative Council, who was seized by an apopletic stroke yesterday, died this afternoon.

[The Hon. James Alexander Bonar was the younger of the two sons of the late Mr Archibald Bonar, who was for a long tiiTO manager of one of the ieading banks in Edinburgh. The family, consisting of the father, mother, two sons, and two daughters, came out to Victoria in the early fifties, the future Legislative Councillor being then a small boy. The family moved to New Zealand about the time of the great rush to Gabriel's Gully, and first took up their abode in Invercargill. In 1865, when population was crowding on to the 1 West Coast of this Island in consequence of the enormously rich gold discoveries, the Bonar family made one more move, and settled in Hokitika, the sons immediately entering into business relations with the. at that time, well known and flourishing firm of Royse, Mudie and Co. Subsequently Mr James Alexander Bonar took over the business, which embraced that of general merchants and shipping agents. As long iis the steamers of Messrs McMeekan. Blackwood and Co. visited Westhmd, Mr Bonar was their agent, and when the Union Steam Ship Company came on to the scene he acted in the same capacity for them, and continued so to act till last year. Mr Bonar also had the principal interest iu

ihe s.s. Waipara, which. for a very l°ng ■while traded between the various West Coast ports, doing almost the who*e ol tne ■water-bome business -with the places soutn of HoMtitar- From "the very commencemerit of his \V est Coast career, Mx • * Boaar took a very active and very useful part in public affairs. Though quite a young man, hq was chosen first Mayor o± Holdtika, and in 1566 Sir George Grey, •who was then Governor of the colony, called him to the Legislative Council, a position which he occupied up to the time of his death- When the eliorts of the people of Westland to obtain separaaoa from Canterbury proved successful (thougil the Government of the day at that time declined to create another Province, but made Westland a " County" with half-and-half legislative and other self-governing powers), the Hon. J. A. Bonar was appointed Chairman of the County, the duties of which office he discharged with diligence and ability. Subsequently when ; Westland became a Province he held the office of Superintendent, and again gave great satisfaction. There was" more than one reason for his success in public life. He was an excellent business man; he .was thoroughly straightforward -and honourable ; he was from the outset of his career a facile and impressive speaker; he was gifted with a sound judgment; and last, but perhaps not least, he had a happy manner, a genial disposition, and a warm landly heart. TTic death will be greatly regretted by crowds of sincere friends in ■various parts of the colony, and nowhere win he be more missed and mourned than in Hokitika, which was his home for thirtyfive years. The deceased gentleman leaves a widow and three sons, two of whom are carrying on their father's business. The third son is a Lieutenant in a leading Scots regiment now at the front in South Africa.}