OBITUARY.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 16 July 1917, Page 5

OBITUARY.

-Che late r. t. batley. On Saturday a telegram came from Wellington, advising that Mr. R. T. Batley, of Moawhango, ha'd passed awg,y. It is needless to say that his del|b will he regretted by many friends, for it is scarcely believable that he had an eneD J|V and to anytßTng like an adequate attempt to chronicle his good deeds, acts of kindness, generosity in helping the unfortunate when hope seemed out of the question, and in giving to charities, churches and for good public purposes, would more than fill this newspaper. No man in the Taihape district stood higher in the esteem .of his fellow-men than did the late Mr. Ratley. An old settler, who has been in this district some thirty years, says he never heard anybody speak a word against the deceased gentleman.

The late Mr. Batley came to New Zealand as a lad, and took up work in the Moawhango neighbourhood some forty years ago. In the very early time he went hunting wild dogs for Mr. Birch, these animals Tieing a source of great loss of sheep in those days. Later he established a big carrying business between Moawhango apIS Napier, employing as many as 150 pack-horses at one time. In those early times wool and all produce had to be packed out and all stores packed in, the rail-head then being at Hunterville. He also opened ~a general store and commenced farming, on a small scale at first, but gradually increasing his holdings by taking up unoccupied and idle Maori lands. He carried on sheep-farming and the Moawhango Store most successfully to the present time. It can truly be said that the late Mr. Batley worked hard and fully deserved the splendid success he achieved. He was one of the class of colonist that this country in his day, or in any other day, urgently needed. Mr. Batley had a fairly large family. 'One son lost his'life "in fhe war, another recently left for the front, and a married son is now managing the Moawhango property. Another married son is managing a property on the West Coast. He also leaves two daughters. Mrs. B'atley was with her late husband in Wellington when he passed away, at the. age of 67 years.