OBITUARY

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20928, 6 January 1938, Page 9

OBITUARY

MR HUGH POLAND A former member of Parliament, Mr Hugh Poland, who represented the old Ohinemuri electorate for 20 years, died at Paeroa on Monday afternoon. Mr Poland, who was born at Tuakau in 1868, was educated at the Auckland Grammar School and then he was a teacher from 1886 to 1890. He then engaged in storekeeping and flaxmilling, eventually coming to Paeroa. He was elected to the Ohinemuri County Council in 1898 and was chairman from 1901 to 1905, retiring in 1908. When he defeated the Hon. E. G. B. Moss in 1905 for the Ohinemuri seat, which is now merged with Thames, Mr Poland became an outstanding political figure. While in the House he occupied a position between the Labour Party and the Liberal Opposition, never identifying himself with Labour, but always advocating the interests of the miners, and urging the leberalisation of the law relating to workmen’s compensation. The sobriquet of “the miners’ advocate” was applied to him on this account, and particularly for his work in securing the phthisis pension. He assisted backblocks’ settlers and much of the success of the settlement of the Piako and Hauraki Plains was due to his influence. Mr Poland, who retired from politics in 1925, when he was defeated at the General Election by Mr A. M. Samuel, was a keen sportsman and was an Auckland Rugby representative from 1887 to 1894. He was also the donor of the Poland Memorial Cup for the Thames Valley Memorial Cup for the Thames Valley Sub-union’s competition. and an officer of the Thames Valley Rugby Union for many years. For more than 30 years Mr Poland was secretary of the Ohinemuri Jockey Club. He is survived by his wife, seven sons, and four daughters, one son having been killed in the Great War.

SIR GEORGE PERLEY United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, January 4. An Ottawa message announces the death of Sir George Perley, aged 80, a former Canadian High Commissioner in London and a member of the Imperial War Council during the Great War. He was found dead in bed. Sir George was a traditional Conservative, and steadfastly declined a senatorship and opportunities for the Prime Ministry. He was a lumber millionaire and a philantropist as regards health matters. He established three hospitals.