OBITUARY

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 42, 13 November 1920, Page 8

OBITUARY

MR. ROBERT TRIGGS

DEATH OF THE PUBLIC TRUSTEE

It was with considerable surprise and koeu regret that the Jiews of tho death of ilr. Jtobert Triggs, Public Trustee, was received in the city yesterday morning. Por «imo years past Mr. Triggs had sufl'erccjjfroin ail internal complaint. Jle went to Sydney on leave early jn the present year, and whilst there' was medically examined, and tho nature of liis affection was disclosed. Since then he had been'living on a 6trict diet,- but even that was not able to cffcct (ill improvement. As late as Saturday last ho was slroljinj over the links' at Heretaunga in ji cheerful in'ood, but on Sunday morning ho took a bad' turn, and had to be motored in. to tho Daniel Street private hospital. He. was operated i)Don'on Monday, and again on Thursday. Prom." tlie. last openition lie failed to rally, and passed away about 8 a.m. yesterday at the age of Gl years. ■As a public servant.Mr. Triggs'made his presence felt wherever his lot was cast. Jfo believed in thoroughness" and made almost a fetish of.system, but that system which ho insisted upon was alw;aya moulded on broad and up-to-date methods. He Was born in Wigan, Lancashire, and came out to New Zealand with his parents as a child. He was educated .at a provincial.- Government) .school and >at Christ's: College,. .CJiristchiirch. In, 1873 ho, entered commercial life, and in duly, 1877, joined the < New •Zealand )! nil way Department) shortly afterwards being promoted- to the position of chief clerk and accountant to tho Chief Mechanical Engineer's- bianch in the South Island. He was subsequently promoted to tho position of chief clerk and accountant in the Chief Mechanical Engineer's branch- .at, the Hend. Office in Wellington. In. May, 1900, Mr. Trig's was appointed chief clerk and accountant .in the .Chief Mechanical Engineer's branch,- West Australian Government liailways, a position he held until 1910. Towards, the end of that year he was appointed to tho pnsition of chief accountant in the Post-master-General's Department, Commonwealth of Australia. - In January, 1913, Mr. Triggs was appointed to the -position of Assistant Public Service Commissioner, Mew Zealand. In March, 1915, he took charge of tho business management ennnectod with the requisitioning by ths Imperial Government of the whole of the New Zealand meat supply ..available for export. Later he was appointed as Government representative on tho Oversea Shipowners' Committee. In 1915, a period of shortage of ilour and wheat, Mr. Triggs carried out the negotiations in connection with tho 6upply and delivery of the '-quantities of wheat which were purchased both from the ' New South Wales' Government 1 and also from tho Dominion of Canada. Several other matters have received Mr. Trigg's attention, namely, the requisitioning of cheese on behalf of the Imperial Government; the commandeering of schoelitc on behalf of the Imperial Government; the "Control of the kauri gum production of the Dominion; while in connection with the butter-fat scheme, Mr. Triggs was appointed by Government, as the licensing authority under the equalisation' scheme, and. supervised tlie 'collection' of the •whole of the levy. Mr. Triggs also assumed complole.control of all the shipping and financial operations'in connection with the requisitioning of wool for the Imperial Government, together with, all the transactions connected with the purchase of sheepskins, ' fellmongering, and disposition of wool arising therefrom, and also, the administration of the purchase of slipe w ; ool and hides on behalf of the Imperial Government. His worl; in that connection stands as a monument to his memory. . Within a period of five years ho controlled the payment of tho enormous sum of ,£148,000,000 to producers in this country. He-resigned liis post as Assistant Public, Service Commissioner four and a half years ago to become Public Trustee in, succession to Dr.: Pitchett. -

A[r. Trjggs. leaves a widow, but no children. His chief recreation wa6 a muiot game of ifolf, and he was liked and. respected as n member of the Wellington and Miramar clubs. The funeral will stnrt from Wilson's Mortuary Chapel in Willis Street at 9 a.m. to-day for the Karon Cemetery. . • Flags were flown at "lialf-iiiast from public buildings yesterday as a mark of respect to tho deceased.

COLONEL T. W. PORTER,, C.B.

Another'-•veteran of_ the Maori wars passed away in Wellington yesterday morning in tho person of Colonel T. W. Porter, C.8., an officer who had a distinguished career during those troublous times. The late Colonel Porter was the sou, of Major: Porter, of. !abulpur,_ India, and a ndphew of the' lntn; fconl Stratluiairn and tho late Karl of Ho emerod the Navy as a midshipman, and l served in naval operations jii 1858. He 1 left the Navy in the following year, and became attached, to the 70th IJeginient, serving with it in New Zealand from 1860 to 18(13. He then became attached to the Colonial Defence Cavalry, commanding friendly Native contingents. He commanded a blockhouse at Mohaka, and distinguished himself by assisting the wound.ed under fire at Waerengn-a-liika (Gistiorne). On the disbandmcnt of the Coloninl Forces, he joined thfc. New .Zealand Arnifd Constabulary, serving with that bodv from 18fifi to 1871. In the first of that term he was entrusted ■ with wrotiations with the Ngatiporous ; (Last Coast), and was successful in his mission. In lECiS, when the • notorious lo ICooti rscancd from custody, and went on.th :0 warpath,, Colonel Poi-ter went after him and saw active service in the Poverty liav district. I'or gallantry m scaling the outer works at Ngatapa. lie was recommended for promotion to sub-inspector, and given thO'command of No'. S Urnsinn (Arawas), which he took to AAanganui. and with flying columns was present at Turanga-ikn. Weraron. Otnutu, Manutahi. and l'e Ngaire He later retamd to the East Coast, and with Ropata chn.«ed Te Kooti to tho TJrowcm Country, He surprised tho pa at Mnungnpohatu. and captured Sfl prisoners, and was several ■ times under fire in that wild district. Tie was in command of the forees ia«t. engagement of the war at To Hapun in 1871, and was wounded on' sions. Colonel Porter remvAl XJOOO le ward for the capturo of 1 of whatu, tho murderer of •; th'S sum ho retained oiiiy £¥>, tho bntanoe being sharol with those asroointad with him. ■ As ~, <7,,.?? 1669 he commanded a nclu that was orgauised to put down a-inniiti-cal rising in the Bay of Plenlx. Ho became Sl-nff Adjutant of the East CoftSt militia district, vher& lus local Knowledge, was of great value, and later was Native lands purchase olficcr .for tho • East Coast district. When t.io you™ African war broke out Colone 1 oitei • again sought active service, and left Ney Zealand as commandant of the Smonth Contingent, which in 1902 operated in the Transvaal, Orange l'reo State, and Zululand. He wore-the Oiicen s modal (foui clasp*), and was created a Commander oH the liath in 1002. He. was four times Mnvor of Gisbornc, and was for a period Acting Under-Secretary for Defence. When the last war broke out Colonel Por-, ter took an active interest ill the formation of- tli(> National Reserve. _ Ho was twice married, and leaves a widow and several so.ns. For the last ten years Colonel Porter resided in Wellington.