MR CHARLES LEECH.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 281, 26 November 1902, Page 3

MR CHARLES LEECH.

Mr Charles Leech is a native of New I 1 lymouth, where he was born on June j 2-bh, ISSG. His father, the late Mr T. G. [ Leech, for many years carried on business in New Plymouth and Inglewood as a wheelwright. For some months prior to and at the time of the White Cliffs massacre in 3569 young Leech, with his mother and elder brother, lived at i'renui. Just before the massacre the familywere taken under armed escort from the farm to the blockhouse and subsequently to New Plymouth. The only education the subject of this notice received was two years at private schools, prior to the passing of the Education Act. The many great difficulties which the early settlers in the Moa Block had to experience prevented him from taking advsuitage of the free system of education, so that what he has learned since he was nine years of age is just what he has picked up from books during a very busy life, spent in bushfelling, navvylng, dairying, and the 101 jobs which fall to the lot of the pioneer settler. In 1884 he went to Nelson, where he farmed for two years in th» Waimea district. Returning to Taranaki in 3586 he took tip a 200 acre bush.farm, which he worked up to three years ago, when he leased it and took a trip round the colony, returning to the Inglewood district to the farm he now occupies. His experience of public, life is confined to service on School Committees, and on the Farmers' Union, of which he has been Chairman of the Eaimata branch, and Vice-President of the Taranaki Executive twice. He is a Liberal in politics, generally supporting the policy of the present Government, but declining lo be bound to follow It