OBITUARY.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 63, 16 March 1931, Page 4

OBITUARY.

A. J. BENZIE.

Mr Andrew James Benzie, who died last evening after a comparatively short illness, was factory manager of the Christchurch Press Company, Ltd., and president of the Canterbury Commercial Travellers' and Warehousemen’s Association. Mr Benzie was popular in business and other circles. Early on Sunday, March 8, he had a paralytic seizure with haemorrhage of the brain, from the effects of which he did not recover. He was fifty-two j*ears of age. A native of Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Mr Benzie arrived in the Dominion at Dunedin in 1902, and soon after landing was engaged as a compositor on the “Otago Daily Times,” and two years later was married to Miss Gambrel. About 1907 he took up the position of overseer on the “Gisborne Times,” and two years later he was appointed factory manager of the New Zealand Times Company. In June, 1916, Mr Benzie took up his duties as factory manager of the Christchurch Press Company, a position he held at the time of his death. Of the V printing trade in all its branches Mr Benzie possessed a very thorough knowledge. From 1918 to 1922 he was president of the Canterbury Master Printers’ Industrial Union of Employers, and also was a prominent member k of the Council of the Federation of Master Printers, Wellington, on variI ous sub-committees of which, dealing with complex matters, Mr Benzie rendered valuable service \ About ten years ago Mr Benzie became a member of the Canterbury Commercial Travellers’ and Warehousemen’s Association, and by his knowledge and experience of the printing trade he was able to give much expert assistance when the United Commercial Travellers* and Warehousemen’s Association, the Dominion Organisation, decided to publish an official journal, the “New Zealand Traveller.’* Mr Benzie served for some years on the committee of the Canterbury Association and for four years was a vice-president. At the annual meeting on January 30 this year he was elected president unopposed. Mr Benzie was a keen follower of the game of bowls and was himself a good player. Some years ago he was president of the Canterbury Centre, and about three years ago he was president of the Dominion Council. For several years and at the time of his death he was a member of the Linw r ood Bowling Club. Mr Benzie is survived by his widow and two grown-up sons, Messrs Edwin and Arthur Benzie; and by his mother and two sisters, who reside, his mother and one sister in Aberdeen, and the other sister in Glasgow^