Vivid Memories Of Early Days In N.Z. Journalism

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29894, 7 August 1962, Page 17

Vivid Memories Of Early Days In N.Z. Journalism

A man who learned his trade as a compositor on the old “Bruce Herald” at Milton. and who wps a "grasshand” (relieving hdnd) in various newspapers before he came to Timaru about 1932 yesterday recalled the highlights of a lifetime crammed with interest. Compositor, publican. miner, rabbiter, bushnan. coach-driver, volunteer fireman, cordial-maker, flaxmill operator 90-year-old Mr Frederick John Bastings always preferred working outdoors. but nevertheless he became a master at his craft under the direction of the cleverest compositor in New Zealand. Mr Charles Gregory, whom Mr Bastings described as “the wh’.phand of New Zealand." Mr Bastings was a nephew of Mr Horace Bastings, who represented Lawrence. Tuapeka district in, the government of the day.' Mr Bastings worked on the ■Standard'' iGorei as a compositor, and then went to Australia where he worked an the Sydney "Bulletin." On his return to New Zealand he worked for a lime on the "Ohinemuri Gazette." mined on the Puriri gold estates. Thames, and was relieving coach - drive: between Paeroa and Waihi for a short period. He was also volunteer fireman there “The Rag Planter” As well as playing Rugby and cricket. Mr Bastings was a keen cyclist. He rode through the North Island on a “high" bicycle. Mr Bastings recalled his association with Mr J Ives, “the rag planter." who used to buy up “derelict" newspapers, then sell them and get out. At one period in his life in Southland Mr Bastings was engaged tn packing into ‘he remote areas of Western Southland beyond Port Craig for the Lands and Survey Department, which was cutting up land for Maori settlement He was licensee of the Appleby Hotel for a number of years, but he sold it and returned to compositing At that time he was the only '‘grasshand" in Invercargill, and he was employed by both the “Southland News' and “Southland Times." Later he was manager of Port Chalmers Hotel. and from about 1914 to 1927 he was a cordial-maker at Wairnate. “Type Picking" Most of his life had been spent in picking up type. When he first took up compositing he received no wages for six months At the end of the firs six months he expected to be paid 5s a week, but a further month elapsed before he received any payment at all. The six-monthly increase was 2s (id He thought nothing of cycling

about 25 miles to work. When he was m Invercargill he was ‘grassing" at Winton on Sir Joseph Ward's newspaper. Mr Bastings was once a partowner of a flaxmill at Colac Bay. out of Invercargill. "We were getting £3B a ton for dressed flax but it dropped to £l3 a ton. and we went bankrupt." he said Mr Bastings could be regarded as the symbol of an era that marked the dismissal of a number of compositors of the old "type-snatching" school. The first linotype machines in the South Island had only been installed for eight years when he started bis apprenticeship. "Thi Press” had the first machines ir the South Island, these being installed in 1897 and in 1898 the services of hand compositors were being dispensed with At the age of about 14 Mr Bastings was a “reluctant” apprentice to the trade. His mother wanted him to be a journalist but he was never happier than when he was working outdoors. But there is still a "soft spot" in his heart At heart Mr Bastings is still for the old hand-presses, “grassing "