HARDY PIONEER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 233, 1 October 1936, Page 9

HARDY PIONEER.

MR. JABEZ EDWARDS. DIAMOND WEDDING TO-DAY. ROMANCE OF SADDLETREES. A hardy industrial pioneer, who is Just as full of vigour to-day at the age of 85 as he was in IS7O, when lie made thousands of saddletrees for the chargers that galloped into action at tlie FrancoPrussian war, Mr. Jabez Edwards, to-day celebrates liis diamond weading. In the picture above, Mr. Edwards is shown with his wife in the office of J. Edwards and Sons, Union Street, ® Zealand firm which has a big reputation in Australia and. New Zealand foi the manufacture of saddletrees, picture was taken he was spcakni - the radio telephone to-day to his two daughters and a .son in Melbourne. Russo-Turkish War of 1855. His skilled trade , was handed down to him by his father, who started tlic industry in England just prior to the Russo-Turkish War of ISSo, when ■was a heavy demand for sadd es Russian chargers. As a very sma y he used to stand up alongside his father and watch him fashioning the saddletrees. That was the start of his 04 years in business in this line. .We was 18 Mr. Edwards was in charge ol the largest saddletree manufacturing firm in England, D. Mason and Sons, Birmingham. His father sold his ness to this firm. On the outbr ®i* +1 the Franco-German War m 1870 tne firm was called upon to fulfil lo.rgc tracts for saddletrees for the French. His brother, who was in the same business, did not fare too well, and they both decided to leave England m IS« and start business in Melbourne, Until 1902 Mr. Edwards manufactured saddletrees in Melbourne, building up alarge business which was given a great filip during the Boer War, when the firm was called upon to supply 4000 saddletrees for shipment to Africa for use by £he 'British, forces. More, 'than 2000

saddletrees were manufactured for tlic British Government and Mr. Edwards, and his employees had' to work night and day for months to get the orders out. Finding . the Melbourne climate unsuitable, Mr. Edwards and his family of seven, came to New Zealand in 1902 and started business in. Rutland Street. He had a dogged fight for 10 years. The importation of Danish beech proved an expensive matter. But on the outbreak of the Great War in 1914 Mr. Edwards' business began to prosper because he was giveil all the contracts for the manufacture of saddletrees for the New Zealand Government. Sons Follow Father. After being 16 years in Rutland Street Mr. Edwards removed his business to Hobsou Street, near St. Matthew's Church. Some years ago, realising that this place was too small for manufacturing purposes, the firm built a large and modern factory in Union Street. As soon as his two sons became of age j Mr. Edwards made them partners in his business. Mr. Edwards started both saddletree and wood heel manufacturing in the face of stiff opposition and with no protection from the Government, but he has won through, as his big business testifies. In 1925 he retired from active participation in business, leaving Mr. Sam L. H. Edwards as managing director, and Mr. A. E. Edwards to carry it on. Mr. S, L. H. Edwards is a member of the Auckland Rotary Club, the Chamber of Commerce, Auckland Manufacturers' Association and many sports clubs. The other members of the family are Mrs. E. Gillard and Mrs. D. Sommerville (Melbourne), Mrs. R. Marment and Mrs. M. Da vies (Auckland). Mr. and Mrs. Edwards, who live at 27, Baildon Road, West Lynn, Auckland, have 13 grand children and one greatgrandson. Speaking to a reporter this morning, Mr. Edwards recalled the trouble experienced in the landing of logs and the cutting which was done at Goldie's Mill in i Mechanics' Bay many years ago. In the course of time he discovered that New Zealand grew a species of beech, called silver beech, a hardwood that he considers beats anything in the world for saddletree and other utility purposes. Its best quality and quantity comes from Southland. To-day Mr. Edwards and his wife, who is 83, received numbers of personal, cabled and telegraphed congratulations, including one from King Edward VHL