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Chairman of the Board of Land Purchase Commissioners for over two years, until the work became too heavy to be carried out without detriment to his other work. He was also for two years Chairman of the Urewera Native Reserves Board, and in conjuction with Judge Maekay has had for some years the duty of allocating lands to the landless Natives of the South Island. During his career as Surveyor-General he has acted as a member of the Boards of the Government Life Insurance Investment Board and the Public Trustee, besides acting as Chairman of the Board of Examiners for Surveyors.

JAMES PILLANS MAITLAND. In January of the present year, owing to a sharp attack of illness, which rendered him quite incapable of continuing to perform his duties as Commissioner of Crown Lands for Otago, Mr. Mainland sought retirement on his well-earned pension. Mr. Maitland is a member of the well-known family of that name in Kirkcudbrightshire, and two of his uncles attained distinction as Judges under the titles of Lord Dundrennan and Lord Barcaple. He is the eldest son of Mr. Joseph Maitland, and was born in Eegent Terrace, Edinburgh, on the 13th December, 1830, educated at Loretto under the Eev. Mr. Langham, and at the Edinburgh Institution, conducted by the Eev. Mr. Little. He entered the office of Mr. Cunningham Borthwick to learn the profession of accountant and actuary, and he remained there until his departure for New Zealand with his brother George in 1851, in the barque " Slams Castle," 450 tons, Captain Andrews, carrying 185 passengers. Among them were Major the Hon. Sir John L. C. Eichardson (then Captain Eichardson, Bengal Horse Artillery), Mr. John Gillies and family (one of whom became Judge Gillies), Messrs. Oldham and Pearson, of Nelson, a Maori chief, Tamahana te Eauparaha, Thomas Birch, afterwards Mayor of Dunedin. On landing at Port Chalmers, Mr. Maitland walked with Sir John Eichardson to the Molyneux, a rough expedition in those days, and met his uncle, the Hon. Francis Pillans, at that time settled at Myers, Inch Clutha. He and his brother purchased land at Inch Clutha, on the Koau branch of the Molyneux Eiver, opposite Mr. John Shaw, of Finegahd, and which they sold to Mr. Bowler on the arrival of his father, mother, and brothers David and William in the " Stately," Captain Leslie, 1854. The Crescent property, near Kaitangata, on the Molyneux, was then purchased, and the Hillend Station, Waitahuna, was taken up, which latter Mr. Maitland managed till 1861. At that time the Otago gold-discoveries occurred, and Sir John Eichardson, then Superintendent,, appointed him Eesident Magistrate of the Clutha and Tokomairiro districts, which appointment he retained with satisfaction to the public and credit to himself till transferred to Dunedin as Commissioner of Crown Lands on the abolition of the provinces, on the 28th December, 1876, succeeding Mr. J. T. Thomson on his becoming Surveyor-General. While engaged in the prosecution of his duty, classifying runs, he met with a serious buggy accident at Tapanui from which he received a shock to his nervous system which he never quite recovered. An injury to his back, caused by his horse stumbling with him while on a land valuation trip in the Oamaru district, seriously aggravated the malady. From the consequences of these two accidents arise his present condition of shattered health and nervous prostration. As a Magistrate he was at all times highly respected and trusted as an honourable and upright man, and his decisions were invariably characterized by sound common-sense and strictest impartiality. As Commissioner of Crown Lands he was employed on many special Commissions, and the Government of the day always relied on his sagacity as a capable, confidential, and trusted servant. Mr. Maitland always took a keen interest in all matters of sport and acclimatisation. In the earlier days lie was a good shot, and up to quite recently a most enthusiastic fisherman. He was an active president of the Acclimatisation Society for over twenty years, and together with Mr. A. C. Begg, and the late Mr. Arthur, was the mainstay of the Society, and put it in the position it at present occupies ; and it is being successfully conducted at the present time on the lines these pioneers laid down. Amongst other activities, Mr. Maitland was for many years president of the Otago Eugby Football Union, also of the Carisbrook Cricket Club, as well as chairman of the board of directors of the Carisbrook Amateur Athletic Ground, for which healthful acquisition the sportsloving public of Dunedin have mainly to thank the late Mr. Henry Eose and Mr. Maitland. In 1855 Mr. Maitland married Ann, eldest daughter of the late Dr. Eobert Williams, and has five sons and four daughters living. In the report of the present Commissioner will be found a resolution of the Otago Land Board, of which he was chairman for twenty-five years, expressing their sentiments regarding his qualities as an administrator and Government officer, with which opinion all who know Mr. Maitland heartily join. They also join in the hope that he may for a good many years yet enjoy such measure of health as is possible with advancing years, and the infirmities which are thereby inevitable.

JAMBS BALDWIN BEDWARD. In October last, in consequence of a serious illness, Mr. Eedward was obliged to retire from the Service, receiving an allowance for his long and faithful work. Mr. Eedward arrived in the colony in December, 1850, by the ship " Phoebe Dunbar," and settled in Hawke's Bay, and assisted to bring the first lot of wool over the Eimutakas on packhorses. In 1872 Mr. Eedward was appointed Depot-master, and in 1877 Immigration Officer for the Port of Wellington, and had charge of the numerous immigrants who came to the colony from that time, as many as six hundred arriving in one ship, and at one time three ships arrived within

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