A VETERAN POLITICIAN

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2417, 24 March 1915, Page 6

A VETERAN POLITICIAN

DEATH OF MR. JOHN BOLLARD. (Br Teleer&Db.—Press Aosoclatlon.) Auokland, March 23. _ Mr. John Bollard, ex-member for Eden, died this afternoon, aged 75 years, after an operation which took place on Sunday. Deceased leaves a widow, five 6ons, and five daughters. 'I he late Mr. Bollard had been in indifferent health for some time, and on Sunday he was taken' 4 to a private hospital suffering from a serious internal ccmplaint. An operation was necessary, nnd it was successfully performed, but yesterday morning the patient showed alarming signs of collapse, and died during the afternoon. The late Mr. Bollard was born in ■(-ounty Wicklow, Ireland, in 1839. He arrived in New Zealand in 1860, and in his earliest days of colonial life ho served with the Auckland Militia in quelling tho Native rebellion. In all his adult life Mr. Bollard took ail active interest in the affairs of his district and of his country. His first publio position was that of chairman of the Mount Eden School Committee, a position which he held until his death through more than 50 years, while Mount Eden district grew from being a Tittle rural community outside a comparatively small town, into a populous suburb of a big city. He was for soma years chairman of the Auckland Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, and a member of the Eden Licensing Committee. He entered the House in 1896 a» member for Eden, defeating Mr. Jackeon Palmer. This 6eat he held continuously' for 18 years, retiring only at the expiry, of tho last Parliament, when, owing to advancing years and failing health lie decided not to contest thp seat again. In" politics ho was a membar of the Reform Party, a sturdy advocate of the freehold tenure when the tenure issue was one of the greatest before the country, and generally he was a stout friend of the man making his living on the land. Indeed, on the subject of agriculture, Mr. Bollard wa» acknowledged an expert. He was also keenly interested in primary education, .and from tho inception of the workers' homes scheme he advocated the establishment of rural workers' homes. While ho was an unswerving supporter of his party and its principles, the party contacts in the House had no charms for bim, and he kept almost entirely out of the arena when party wrangles wore being fought out. So it happened that however bitter the feeling might be against the party, Mr. Bollard was by common consent excluded. He had no single enemy in the House, and his honest and straightforward character 'won him universal esteem. Mr. R. F. Bollard, member for Raglan in the last, and in the present House, is a son of the deceased gentleman.