Mr Jack Mullins Was A Colourful Journalist

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30540, 8 September 1964, Page 1

Mr Jack Mullins Was A Colourful Journalist

Mr John Clement Mullins who died in Christchurch yesterday, was a colourful personality in New Zealand journalism for more than 52 years and was often the centre of sporting controversies. The whole of his working life was spent with “The Press,” which he joined as a boy m 1906 and from which ne retired in May, 1958. Mr Mullins, who was 74. had been ill for the last, few years. All kinds of sports were described by Mr Mullins’s facile pen, trotting and Rugoy football being among his main interests. During World War 11, when the ranks of the literary staff were depleted, he took a large share of the general reporting work of the newspaper. Jack Mullins—few who knew him thought of him as anything but “Jack"—•_ entered on his career as a sporting journalist with a background of horses, trainers and jockeys. When he was two years old his father was appointed caretaker of the Riccarton racecourse. Mr G. G. Stead, who was chairman of the Canterbury Jockey Club and also chairman of directors of the Christchurch Press Company. Ltd., took an interest in the Mullins family, and it was through that interest that the

16-year-old Jack joined the company in 1906.

Mr Mullins, who was educat-' ed at the Marist Brothers' School in Christchurch, began with ‘The Press" as copy boy 1 on the literary staff at a, wage of 7s 6d a week. hr those days the newspaper's office was in Cashel street and one of his daily duties was to fill a pewter bucket of beer at the Zetland Hotel for the sub-editors. Up to his retirement, Mr Mullins was still a popular caller at the hotel. He had a spell of 18 months in the reading room, and then, at the age of 18. was assigned to the staff of "The Referee.” the leading sporting journal in the country in those days Among his duties was the reporting of the daily track work at Riccarton. In July, 1914 Mr Mullins nearly left Christchurch. He had written out his resignation after being accepted for an appointment as understudy to the racing writer of the “New Zealand Herald” in Auckland: but the resignation did not become effective. World War I broke out a week later Mr Mullins enlisted and left with the Main Body. He fought on Gallipoli, where he was wounded twice, and then served in France,

where be was wounded in the first Battle of the Somme in 1916. In the Battle of Messines in June, 1917, he was again wounded, this time seriously in the head with shrapnel. His wounds entitled him to a full pension, but he was not a man to stay idle and even though hampered by old injuries in later life he scorned cars when walking would get him anywhere.

From Gallipoli, Mr Mullins wrote of his experiences to

"The Press" and they were published, so he claimed that he could add war correspondent to his list of journalistic achievements. Invalided home, Mr Mullins rejoined "The Referee as an athletics writer, adopting the> pen-name “Miles" (Latin for soldier). loiter he was the trotting writer until “The Referee" was sold to Wellington interests In 1927. He then reported both racing and trotting for i “The Press" and “The Referee" until the racing department was expanded and he specialised in trotting Shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War, Mr Mullins joined the general reporting staff of “The Press," and concentrated on sports and court reporting. For some years after the war, he wrote the “Games and Players” column and “Sportsman of the Week” adopting once more his pen-name of “Miles." After bis retirement, Mr Mullins contributed occasionally to the sports pages of “The Press,” mainly on reminiscences of the great days of sport in the past and some of the personalities of them. His knowledge of Rugby football did not stem only from a critical observation of the game over many years. He played through all the grades for the Marist Rugby Football Club and, although he 'bad a grievous bead wound.

resumed playing on his return from France. In 1918, as a five-eighths, he captained Canterbury against Otago. In the days he was playing, the Marist .team was a great combination and won the I senior championship five years i in succession. Mr Mullins also played cricket for Riccarton, and retained an affection for the game, playing in friendly matches for “The Press” after the Second World War. He served for some time on the executive of the Canterbury Journalists* Union and his long service was recognised by his election as an honorary life member. His Irish brand of humour and witticisms, his preference for brickbats instead of bouquets and his kindness to cadets embarking on a journalistic career ensured him an affectionate place in the memories of those who worked with and in opposition to him. “The man who never made a mistake never made any thing,” was among his many quotations. At the same time he would say: “Write nothing and you won’t make a mistake." Jack Mullins wrote plenty. He made his share of mistakes. But he left behind some colourful writing and even today his description of a New Zealand Trotting Cup race is quoted as a model. Mr Mullins is survived by [his wife and three sons.