SIR THOMAS WILFORD

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 3, 4 July 1939, Page 15

SIR THOMAS WILFORD

SERVICE TO MOTORING ,

The many years of service given to the interests of motoring by the late Sir Thomas Wilford were referred to by the chairman of the executive of the Automobile Association (Wellington), Mr. E. A. Batt, at a meeting of the executive last evening. Mr. Batt said Sir Thomas was a foundation member of the association, having been appointed a vice-president on July 28, 1905. Since then he had retained his membership, a period of 33 years. Sir Thomas, said Mr. Batt, was appointed president on July 3, 1913, and held office until October, 1915. The membership of the association when it was formed was 30, but it fell considerably. In the three months between April, 1913, when Sir Thomas set out to reorganise the assodiation, and July, 1913, when he was appointed president, 60 members were enrolled. He also saw in 19^3 the possibility of creating a defence fund with the association for defending motorists against the application of the law, which was administered in the direction of restricting- the activities of motorists. The legal defence scheme! was one of the most important activities of the association today, said Mr.! Batt, although it was not inaugurated) until 1930. "I think we are all agreed that we have lost a.very good friend, a very worthy New Zealander, and a great enthusiast of the-cause we are' engaged in," he said.