OBITUARY

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19628, 24 October 1933, Page 2

OBITUARY

SIB JOHN W. FORTESCUE. United Press Association— By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received October 23, 11.30 p.m.) LONDON. October 23. The death is announced of Sir Jonn William Fortescue, aged seventy-four years. SIB VITHALBHAI PATEL. United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright GENEVA, Oc ber 22. The death is announced of Sir Vithalbhai Patel, President of the Indian Legislative Assembly . MR HUGH D. WARNER. By Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, October 23. The death is announced of Mr Hugh D. Warner (52) a well-known member of the "Dominion” literary staff. He was taken ill nine days ago and died after a major operation. MR DUNCAN GILCHRIST. By Telegraph— Press Association GORE, October 23. The death is announced of Mr Duncan Gilchrist v 73 years), a wellknown farmer, writer on agricultural topics and a member of southland public bodies. SIR ALFRED BANKART. The death ocourred at his residence, O'Rorke Street, Auckland, on Saturday evening of Sir Alfred Seymour Bankart, at the age Of 6S years. As the result of an attack of pleurisy. He was bom at Briton Ferry, Glamorganshire, Wale*, in 1870, and Was educated privately and at Hargrave College, London. He came to New Zealand in 1887, and in 1888 joined the firm of Messrs Brown, Campbell, and CO., and later became chairman of the Cornwall Park Club. In 1897 Sir Alfred Was Instrumental in forming the Campbell and Ehrenfried Company, Ltd., of which he became chairman in 1926. He was a trustee of the Auckland Savings Bank for many years, and for two terms was president. At the time of his death he was a director of the New Zealand Insurance Company, the Auckland Gas Company, New Zealand Breweries, Ltd., and New Zealand Newspapers, Ltd. He was also sinking fund commissioner for the Auckland City Council, the Auckland Harbour Board, the Auckland and Suburban Drainage Board, and the Auckland Transport Board, and he was prominently associated with the Auckland Provincial Patriotic and War Relief Association, and the Auckland Citizens’ War Memorial Committee, of which he was chairman from 1927 until the completion ot the memorial in 1929. A knighthood was conferred upon Sir Alfred In the Birthday Honours List of 1930. He was a Wellknown member of the Masonic Order, and at the time of his death was District Grand Master of English Freemasons, and of Mark Master Masons for England, whilst he also held other prominent positions in the Order. Ha was married in 1914 to Miss Alice Gillett, who survives him. There was no family.

Lord Ponsonby, who urged the abolition of the House of Lords at the Labour Party’s conference, is one of the intellectuals of the British Labour Party, and a strong advocate of international arbitration. A famous book of his IS “Falsehood in Wartime.” in which he outlined the many methods which nations employed during the Great War to engender hatred of the enemy. Lord Ponsonby was a Labour member for the Brightside division of Sheffield, having beaten a Liberal member for his seat in 1822, and held it until 1930. He is a son of the late General Sir Henry Ponsonby, who was private secretary to Queen Victoria, while his mother was the granddaughter of the second Earl Grey. He was educated at Eton and Balllol, was a page of honour to Queen Victoria, held various positions in the Diplomatic Service, and was for three years secretary to the late Sir Henry CampbellBannerman. His next official poet was as Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs in the Labour Ministry of 1924, during which he was the storm centre in the tempest of the Zinovieff letter. What a transformation between his childhood and his manhood, from the precincts of the Court to the Labour meeting halls of the industrial towns of England! He came to be numbered among the Socialist Intellectuals who sprinkle the benches of the House of Commons. He has always been preoccupied with Empire affairs, and it was no surprise when Mr Ramsay Macdonald chose him as Under-Secretary for the Dominions Office. Lord Ponsonby reached a high place in the counsels of the Labour Party: he was Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport in 1929-31, and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. He became Lord Ponsonby in 1930. when he received a barony.