OBITUARY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 107, 13 January 1912, Page 5

OBITUARY.

ME: HUGH POLLEN. By Telegraph—Press Association Wellington, Last Night. . Sir Joseph Ward to-day sent the following memorandum to all heads of departments: "It is with deep regret I have to advise officers of the public service of the death last evening of Mr. Hugh Pollen, Under-Secretary for Internal Affairs. The deceased gentleman, during a long period of years, filled his responsible position with conspicuous zeal and ability, and in his demise the people of the Dominion have lost a devoted servant, and the Government and: the public service a most exemplary officer. I have conveyed to Mrs. Pollen and her family the sincere sympathy of the Government in the deep bereavement which has befallen them."

In a personal tribute to the'late Mr.- • Pollen, the Prime Minister, speaking to' a Post reporter to-day, said: "I have known Mr. Pollen personally for nearly 25 years, and for a considerable period J was Minister in charge of the department of which he was the head. Through- v out the whole of that time Mr. Pollen ' had a great deal to do with pnblic matters that have been brought before me. ■ I desire to acknowledge the high qualities he possessed for carrying out the affairs of the important braneh of the' ' civil «rvice of which he was the head. Its operations are amongst the most vaiied in the service, and 1 can say that a more careful, painstaking and conscientious man one could not wish to meet. At all times he was most courteous. careful, and judicious, and; was entirely without fads. In the transaction of the business of his department he brought to bear an extensive fund of information, which gave the Minister in charge the greatest possible confidence. Looking back over matters that came before me in his department, I cannot recall one that resulted in any trouble or difficulty. That demonstrates in a most practical way the extreme care the late Mr; Pollen at all times took in the work of his department. T 1 heard of his death this morning with the deepest regret. He is a loss to the ' public service, and cocsequently to the country."