OBITUARY.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8910, 2 September 1907, Page 2

OBITUARY.

The Hon W. W- Johnston. Per Press Association. Wellington, September 2. Tho Hou Walter W. Johnston died on Saturday afternoon, agod OS. PIo had been ill from influenza for three weeks. The Hon. W. W. _ Johnston, of “Highden,” Awahuri, whoso death occurred at Wellington on Saturday, was Postmaster-General and .Commissioner of Telegraphs in the Hall Ministry, from March 9th, 1881, to April 2Tst, 1882 ; Minister for Public Works, Postmastar-Geucal, and Commissioner of Telegraphs in the Whitaker Government from.tho latter date to October 11th, 1882; Minister for Public Works iu the Atkinson Administration from September 25th, 1883, to November 3rd, 1883; and a, member of tho Executive Council iu tho same from its formation till Juno 4th, 188-1, Flo was the eldest sou of the late Hon. John Johnston, M.L.0., a late Minister of the Crown. Ho was born iu in 1839, and came tn the colony with his pa-routs|in the year 1841, per ship ‘ ‘ Prince of Wales. 1 ’ He was educated partly in the colony and partly in Fraccej at L’Ecolo Gout-rale. Brought up to mercantile life in his father’s firm, Messrs Jouhnston and Co., merchants, he had long been associated with the trade of the Empire City. Mr Jolmston entered political life In ISM, as member for the Manawatu electorate, which he represented continuously t-ill 1884, after which he did not seek reelection. Since retiring from politics the hon. goutlemeau had taken several trips to England. He has been prominent-on the directorate of public corporations, for some time acting as a director of tho Equitable Assurance Society of tho United States, but resigned on his leaving for England some years ago. When the bend office of the" Bank pf Now Zealand was removed from Loudon to Wellington, Mr Jolmston was elected a director of tl\at largo colonial Institution. In 1868 ;ho was married fo Miss Goring, daughter of Mr Foster Goring,' who was f° r several years Clerk to the Executive Council,