OBITUARY

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 53, 26 November 1926, Page 10

OBITUARY

MR. A. P. POLKINGHORNE

Qu Tuesday the death, occurred suddenly and at a comparatively early age of Air. A. P. Polkinghorne, who, for seme rears had occupied an important position on the engineering staff of the Post and Telegraph Department at Wellington. Mr. Polkinghorne was wellknown through the Post and Telegraph Service as a most capable engineer, and an officer who had every prospect of advancing far on the engineering side. Unfortunately, Mr. Polkinghorne, during his term of service, had more than his share of physical ailments, requiring him to overcome, in the course of his caieer, adversities that would . have daunted many a man; but by his ambition, ability and grit he rose from a modest beginning to a position high in the ranks of the department. In latter years, Air. Polkinghorne specialised . m the engineering problems . confronting tlie department in connection with the installation and operations of the ma-chine-printing telegraph system; and the measure of success he attained in grappling with its highly technical problems may be gauged from the fact that right from its inception in New Zealand tho svstem—probably the most revolutionary iii tho annals of telegraphy—has worked admirably and done p.ll that was claimed for it. For this achievement, the credit is in the main Mr. Polkinghorno's; and his name will go down in the history of the department as that of the engineer who laid in New Zealand the successful foundation of tho machineprinting system of telegraphy. Much sympathy will be felt for Mrs., horne and her two little children in their loss. . . Evidence of the esteem in which the late Mr. Polkinghorne was held was given on Wednesday morning, when a large number of his fellow officers of the Post and Telegraph Department and his friends in private life attended his funeral. The officers of tho department present included Messrs. G. McNamara (secretary), J. Robertson (first assistant secretary), AL B. Esson (second assistant secretary), C. S. Plank (deputy-chief telegraph engineer, representing also Mr. A. Gibbs, chief telegraph engineer, who was absent from Wellington), Cummings (inspecting engineer), and Mr. J McDermott (district telegraph engineer. Wellington). Tho chief mourner at the graveside was Air. J. Milburn (brother-in-law of tho deceased). Many beautiful floral tributes and numerous telegrams were received conveying to Mrs. polkinghorne and the children messages of sympathy from officers in all branches of tho department as well as from his other personal friends. Iho funeral service was conducted by the Rev. E. S. Emmitt.