AN APPRECIATION

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2254, 14 September 1914, Page 3

AN APPRECIATION

iiATE MR. STUART RICHARD--'r, . SON, M.1.E.E.. "From a technical point of view Mr. Stuart Richardson had no rivals in . New" Zealand—iione -in Australasia," local electrical engineer, in speaking about tho late City Electrical Engineer on Saturday. He would, it was said, have been, far more noted in his profession had •lie not'been handicapped by . a retiring disposition. He was modest, unostentatious, and retiring' almost to,a fault, and had a thorough detestation of the "limelight" that so-many less:talented men cultivate. '.Mr. Richardson was loved and respected ,by every member of his staff, and:,held..the ro? spect and esteem of the, different. Mayors and councils under which, hd has served as [engineer anil: .tramways' manager.-': Good health, had'not been his portion for , ECine years pasty, but save for |an 'occasion bad' "spell ho. was never really seriously ill; up till'..Friday last; He attended a meeting of the' Tramway Board between ; 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.' on Thiirs T day,', jrhon he complained of feeling unwell, and on Friday he became rapid-' ly .woTse, and-he'"died from heart fait- . uro late that night. ■ ' • The late Mr. Richardson was. born at Swansea on January 9, 1863. . After leaving school ho studied law for a time, Diit finding that profession uncongenial he thought he would try the colonies, and several years were spent in gaining experience : in- Australia. When yet a young man he returned to England and began the study of electrical engineering. ' This proved to be his vocation, for lie had a distinguished career, as' a student, succeeding: in winning the. City and Guild's gold medal as the result of the honours examination, open to all England. He served his time with the British Company, at Loughborough, and later was appointed electrical engineer to the City Corporation of Leicester.- 1n,1889 he left that city to take up the position of engineer to the New Zealand Electrical Syndicate, and before leaving was presented with an address testifying, to the value that was placed on his services' in Leicester. Ho came here under a three-years' engagement to the syndicate (then controlling the private lighting of the city), and at the termination of that period was appointed assistant tramways engineer','under Mr. AVright (engineer for the contractors,. who were responsible for tho laying out of the electric tramways ssstem). In that , capacity he' designed tho tramways power-houso and plant, and greatly assisted in - getting the system into working order. When the late. Mr. Wright returned to England ho was succeeded by Mr. Richardson, who held tho dual position of tramways engineer and manager up to the time of his death, though : his duties havo been considerably lightened during the past year by the appointment of the Tramways Board of Management (of which Mr. W. H. Morton is the chairman). Since Mr: - Richardson assumed tho major position he 'Tias;.' practically cleared out the wholo of; the syndicate 3 plant, and installed two huge Parson s turbines, and Babcock boilers on a plan that will permit of still, further extension in the future/ Considerable alterations have also been made to tho tramways power-house tb accommodate the extra plant which had to bo provided to keep level with the growth of the system. , '• „ " c Mr. Richardson, who was 51 years or a"c, leaves a wife and four young children. . ' ' ~-, The Mayor (Mr. J. T. Luke) has re- ' fccived the following -Tho chairman and members of the Christohurch Tramway Board extend their doepest sympathy to the' family of the late Mr. Stuart Richardson. You have lost a valuable officer.—-J. A. Fleshcr. Prior to the commencement of the programme of the Tramways Band co'i- . cert at His Majesty's Theatre last night, tho band played the Dead March in "Saul" as a mark of rcspect to the memory of the late Mr. Richardson, City Electrical Engineer.