The Manawatu Herald. Thursday, May 4, 1911. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 987, 4 May 1911, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Thursday, May 4, 1911. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

A concur!' was held in Shannon last night at which one or two Foxton residents assisted. The function was to raise lunds to meet certain liabilities in connection with the library, which a few leading citizens have kept going with commendable praiseworthiness. Mr Gibson occupied the chair and explained what had been done. He hoped that when the new Post Office was erected the Government would transform the old building into a public reading room. It is hoped the efforts made in this connection will be successful. Shannon should provide an institution such as a few enterprising spirits are endeavouring to keep going in a modest way, where a profitable hour could be spent not only by the young men in the town, but by so many of the flaxmtlls employees, who are compelled to seek other counter attractions. Messrs Judd, Gibson, and Alex. Saunders are taking an active interest in the movement and deserve the thanks of the Shannon community.

Mr E. J. Riddiford, the wellknown run-holder, died suddenly at his Longburn residence on Tuesday afternoon. The deceased was born at Lower Hutt sixty-eight years ago, and was the first child baptised in New Zealand by Bishop Selvvyn. He was a son of Mr Daniel Riddiford, who arrived by the ship Adelaide in 1839 and brought, in sections, the first house to be erected at Pipitea Point. In 1879 Mr E. J. Riddiford married a daughter of the late Mr Henry Bunny, who for twenty years represented Wairarapa in Parliament. He owned the Te Awaite estate, of 60,000 acres, on the East Coast; the Orongorongo estate, of 7600 acres, between Port Nicholson and Palliser Bay, and several hundred acres of valuable land in the Hutt valley. His large holdings of land brought him under

the higher classes of the graduated land tax, and he was reported to be the biggest contributor to the revenue under this heading in New Zealand. In the early days the late Mr Riddiford, or, as he was familiarly known, “ King Riddiford,” was a Lieutenant of Militia under Colonel Gorton. He was for some time a member of the Wairarapa County Council, and held other public positions. He leaves three daughters; one is Mrs Lindsay, of Hutt, and two are unmarried. Oue son, Lionel, predeceased him only a month ago, and the remaining members of his family are Mr Reginald Riddiford, of Lower Hutt, Mr Daniel Riddiford, of Martinborough, and Mr Fric L. Riddilord, of Orongorongo. A.mong the relatives residing on this coast are his sister, Mrs Capt. Hewitt; his nieces, Mrs Foster-Pratt, Mrs R. L. Levien, and Mrs Norman Gorton (Feilding), and nephews, Mr Harold Cooper and Dr. Willis, Feilding.