OBITUARY

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12614, 26 November 1926, Page 3

OBITUARY

MR A. P. POLKINGHORNE PROMISING CAREER CUT SHORT. On November 23rd the death occurred suddenly and at a comparatively early ago of Air A. P. Polkinghorne. who, for some years past has occupied an important position on the engineering staff of the Post and Telegraph Department at Wellington. Mr Polkinghorne was well-known throughout the Post and Telegraph service as a most capable engineer and an officer who had every prospect of advancing far on tho engineering side. Unfortunately, Air Polkinghorne, during his term of service, had more than his share of physical ailments, requiring him to overcome, in the course of his career, 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 in. the engineering problems confronting the department m connection with the installation and operation of the machine-printing telegraph system, and the measure of success he "attained in grappling with its high technical problems may be gauged fi*bm the fact that right from ils inception in New Zealand the system —probably the most revolutionary in the annals of telegraphy—has worked admirably and undertaken all that was claimed for it. For this really onderful achievement, the credit is in the main Air Polkinghorne’s, and his name will go down in the history of the department os that of the engineer who laid in New Zealand the successful foundation of the machine-printing 6ystem of telegraphy. Right throughout New Zealand officers of the department, and no doubt many people outside the department, are lamenting The loss of a true friend, a “white man” in every sense of the term, whilcthe department is deploring the of a faithful and most valued servant. Much sympathy will be felt for Mrs Polkinghorne and her two little ell! dren in the great and irreparable It's they have sustained. THE FUNERAL. Evidence of the esteem in which l!< late Air A. P. Polkinghorne was he 1 was given on Wednesday morning when a large number of his feiiou officers of the Post and Telegraph Pc partment and his friends in private life attended his funeral ceremony. The officers of the department ir. eluded Mr G. McNamara (Secretary c Air J. Robertson (First Assistant-Sec-retary), Air M. B. Esson (Second As-sistant-Secretary). Air C. S. Plant (Deputy-Chief Telegraph Engineer, re presenting also Air A. Gibbs, Chiu Telegraph Engineer, who was absent from Wellington), Mr H. L. Cummings (inspecting Engineer), and Air J. McDermott (District Telegraph Engincei. Wellington). The chief mourner at the graves:,', was Air J. Alilburn (brother-in-law the deceased). Tho sad news of Mr Polkingboria untimely end soon spread through, t the department, with the result tl.at many beautiful floral tributes .id numerous telegrams were received conveying to Airs Polkinghorne ana t ! ■ children messages of sympathy fian officers in all branches of the e'epar. ment as well as from his other person friends. The funeral service was cond i . i by the Rev. E. 8. Emmitt.