OBITUARY
THE HON. A. I). MCLEOD FORMER CABINET MINISTER NOTABLE POLITICAL CAREER Many friends in the Wairarapa and throughout New Zealand will regret deeply to hear of the death of the Hon A. D. McLeod, a former Cabinet’’ Minister, and a well-known and highly respected resident of the Wairarapa district. Mr McLeod’s death occurred at his home in Martinborough last night. He had been in ill-health for some time past. A native of the Wairarapa. Mr McLeod was born in 1872. and was the third son of the late Mr William McLeod, one of the early pioneers of outback settlement in the district. Public schools, as understood today, being practically non-existent in those years. Mr McLeod, like many more of his time, had to depend almost entirely upon the efforts of his parents, under' most difficult conditions, in securing educational facilities, by the employment of private tutors. After serving an apprenticeship on his father's farm Mr McLeod, in 1895, took up sheep farming on his own account on the Kaikuri Station. He sold this property in 1912, and with his brothers purchased Hautotara Station. In 1897 he was elected a member of the Featherston Road Board (now the Featherston County Council). He was chairman of the council for 15 years, and retained a seat on it until his election to Parliament in 1919. Later he also represented the district on the Wairarapa Hospital Board. From 1919 to 1921 he was a member of the Wellington Harbour Board, and was also associated with the Patriotic Association, the executive of the New Zealand Sheepowners’ Federation and the Farmers Union. Returning from a tour abroad in 1908, he began a campaign for the erection of bridges of the beam and slab type in reinforced concrete. In spite of opposition by the Public Works Department he had the satisfaction, two years later, of seeing an up-to-date concrete bridge of more than 700 feet in length erected over the Raumahanga River at Martinborough. Mr McLeod was a member .of the Producers’ Committee, which the late Mr Massey consulted in regard to setting up the Meat Producers’ Board, and was a North Island delegate on the special committee set up to investigate and bring down preliminary legislation in connection with the board. Always keenly interested in sport, Mr McLeod, before entering Parliament, held several positions on sports bodies, 1 including the vice-presidency of a large number of Rugby football clubs in the Wairarapa. Up to the time of his death he was a steward of the Wai- ■ rarapa Racing Club. Mr McLeod, entered the House of
Representatives as Wairarapa’s representative in 1919, and was not long in making his presence felt, his speeches being marked by common sense and revealing shrewd observation. He served on several select committees before his call to Cabinet as Minister <of Lands by Mr Massey on June 25, 1924. in succession to the late the Hon D. H. Guthrie, who had retired from public life. On .May 23, 1926, he assumed also the portfolio of Industries and Commerce. In January, 1927 the Minister ordered a tribunal into the proposed operations in New Zealand of the Proprietary Articles Trade Association, the report of the committee of inquiry resulting in a settlement oi the difficulties. Mr McLeod represented New Zealand at the inauguration of the new Federal capital at Canberra, and the opening of the House of Parliament on May 9, 1927. Mr McLeod always identified himself with the welfare of the man on the land, and from the time of his assumption of Cabinet rank carried out a careful, yet vigorous progressive policy of land settlement. Included in the scheme he a State assisted scheme foi closer settlement of privately-owned lands, development of the clay and pumice lands, and provision of °PP°^ for what are known as part-time pro ducers. An ardent apostle ofthe fr hold principle, Mr McLeod did much to provide the right of conversion to Crown leaseholders. He : was a rosoonsible for improving the lot or fhe Rangitaiki settlers and lightening the burden of the soldier settlers. The inauguration of the Hutt Valley settlement scheme also stands to his cred t. Mr McLeod retired from Parliament in 1935, when Mr 8.. Roberts; the pre- | sent member for the Wairarapa, .was i elected in the Labour interest. 1 Mr McLeod, is survived by a i widow, five daughters, Mesdames F. Hockly (Martinborough) and A. Mor- I gan (Stratford) and Misses B. E., E. S. i and B. McLeod (Martinborough) and J two sons, Messrs A. R. and W. J. Me- ; Leod (Martinborough). Another son was drowned in a lagoon near Wai- £ rarapa Lake about two yeais ago c while duck-shooting. J The funeral will take place tomor- '<■ row, leaving the residence, “Manga- ' pari,” Martinborough, following a service commencing at 1.30 p.m. for the new cemetery. Martinborough.
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Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 October 1938, Page 5
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806OBITUARY Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 October 1938, Page 5
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