MEN OF THE WEST—IX George Samuel Sale: man of many parts

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33448, 1 February 1974, Page 15

MEN OF THE WEST—IX George Samuel Sale: man of many parts

(By

W. F. HEINZ)

One of the most outstanding men of the west was George Samuel Sale, a man of many parts. His leadership, understanding and educational qualifications put him head and shoulders above his contemporaries in the Canterbury Provincial Government.

This is not be wondered at when we find he was the son of John Shaw Sale, master of Rugby School in Yorkshire, who taught under the famous Dr Arnold. George graduated with a B.A. in 1854, majoring in classics with first class honours, and in 1858, at the age of 27, he was fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.

Records state that ill health brought him out to the colonies, and doubtless he was attracted to this country by the high ideals of the Canterbury settlement, for he arrived at Lyttelton, 1861, in the ship Minerva. Sale was a versatile man, for in his four months in New Zealand he managed the Lake Coleridge sheep station for Ross and Harper and no doubt got the feel of the country. First editor In May, 1861, Sale was appointed the first editor of the n e w 1 y-established “Press” in Christchurch, but he resigned that October to follow the new gold rush in Otago. Mr J. V. C. Veel succeeded him as editor in December, 1861, which reminds me of an interesting story: When Mr Veel was appointed editor, the Dean o f Christchurch, the Rev Henry Jacobs, met the manager of “The Press” in the street and asked, “have you gone into the butchery business?”

“No, why?” replied Mr J. E. Fitzgerald, falling into the trap. “Well, I see you have Veel for sale,” said the Dean with a chuckle.

Sale was goldmining at the Blue Spur and at Gabriel’s and Munroe’s Gullies in 1862 and 1863 and on his return to Christchurch he was appointed to the lucrative position of secretary to the Provincial Council. Meanwhile the West Canterbury gold rush had broken out, to the dismay of many Canterbury people. The Government felt it im-

perative that a strong man be appointed as commissioner to rule the destinies of West Canterbury, in the hectic days they knew were to follow. Sale was the man and his instructions were: "To G. S. Sale, Esq., commissioner of the West Canterbury Goldfields, Provincial Secretary’s office. Christchurch, 31st, March, 1865. Great authority “Sir, I am directed by his Honour, the Superintendant, to inform you that it has been considered necessary to provide for the exercise of the Authority of the Provincial Government at the West Canterbury goldfields, by the appointment of a commissioner to whom large discretion and authority can be entrusted, and that in accordance with the verbal intimation already made to you, his Honour has been pleased to confer this appointment upon you . . . “Your position as commissioner will make you the representative of the Provincial Government on the West Coast, and in that capacity all departments of that Government there will be instructed to report to and take instructions from you. “In the event of your find-

ing it necessary to appoint additional officers without delay, you will do so at such rates of remuneration as you deem expedient. You are also authorised to suspend from duty until the decision of his Honour can be obtained, any officer of the Government who may be guilty of misconduct or neglect of duty; any subordinate servants, ’as messengers, boatmen, etc, you are at liberty to appoint and remove at your discretion. “You are also authorised to incur, to an extent which will be fixed by Mr Rolleston, expenditure on account of the Provincial Government in the erection of buildings, the construction and repair of roads and the maintenance of ferries and on other public works. "In all these cases you will of course report your proceedings to the Provincial Government by the earliest available opportunity. As above stated, you will receive on the above and probably other subjects, full and precise instructions from Mr Rolleston. “I am further directed to state that his Honour has appointed you sub - treasurer at Hokitika and warden for the gold fields and recommended to the General Government to appoint you a resident magistrate. Whether you will be able to undertake any, if so what extent of duties as warden and resident magistrate, his Honour leaves Mr Rolleston to decide. £5OO salary “The remuneration to be attached to your offices will be a salary of $5OO per annum, together with reimbursement of all expenses incurred by you for horse keep and travelling expenses. “In conclusion, the Superintendent desires me to assure you that while he looks upon the duties to devolve upon the commissioner for the gold fields as of a most important character, he relies with confidence upon the judgment and zeal which you will bring to the discharge of them; and he appreciates very highly the public spirit which induces you to undertake the office under existing circumstances. “I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant, JOHN HALL, in the absence of the Provincial Secretary.” Sale arrived at Hokitika on March 19, 1865, with William Rolleston and William Seed, collector of customs, and began his duties as gold field commissioner almost immediately. He drew up new mining regulations, placing restrictions on building or mining on water-ways used for navigation, bringing order out of chaos at the mining camps.

A busy man, he was forced to delegate his powers as magistrate and warden to W. H. Revell and others as the arrival of thousands of men from Australian diggings taxed his strength. Business capacity A contemporary had this to say of him: “A man of more business capacity and pure disinterestedness and stem integrity never trod the shores of Westland.”

Let us digress for a moment, to understand the reason for open hostility towards Sale. This was clearly provoked by the huge cost of the construction of a road from Christchurch to Hokitika, which in 1867 nearly made the Provincial Council bankrupt. In 1865 Canterbury had high hopes of many business advantages with a goldfield on its western shore, but had no access apart from mountain tracks. The business community was rapidlv rising, communities of the west trading with Sydney and Melbourne and — what rankled most — gold was being sold in Nelson. Late that year the pressure of the business community in Christchurch clamouring for the construction of a road across the Southern Alps intensified

and the Provincial Council saw the advantages of a road to the western riches. So, construction of the road over Arthur’s Pass to Hokitika began. In June £20,000 was voted for the formation of a coach road which was completed in March, 1866, the estimated cost being £150.000. The Provincial Council must be given credit for the rapid construction: over 1,000 men were employed. Arthur Dudley Dobson stated tnat the cost of the road was £l5OO a mile, with a total cost of £250,000. Was it any wonder the Provincial Council was in the red by mid-1866? Drastic cuts With a change of government (Moorhouse) they were forced to drastically curtail expenditure on the goldfield particularly after the proposed sale of freehold sections on the goldfield failed. One example of the serious situation that existed was that Sale promised to assist merchants of south Revell Street protect their properties from flash floods from the river. He was in-

formed that any money he expended on such aid would be deducted from his salary. By this time he was nicknamed “King Sale” and "The autocrat of the west.” Even Julius Von Haast, a friend of earlier days, described him as the arch-tyrant of the west.”

None of this impasse was of Sale’s making and he must be given credit for the able manner in which he conducted his post. Within the framework of this article it is impossible to go into the political implications of the times — suffice to say that under pressure the Provincial Council was forced to appoint five western members.

In 1868 greater pressure was exerted, when at long last the General Government divorced the West Coast from Canterbury, by the formation of a county. “Alien Government'* Sale was elected a member of the new council in December. Even the “West Coast Times,” which had been his bitterest enemy, called him “the powerless servant of a distant and alien Government.” , He returned to England in 1869. then in 1871 he was appointed professor of classics at the University of Otago, a position he held until 1907, when on retiring he returned to England. George Samuel Sale was austere and reserved, a man of high ideals and, as with other colourful personalities of the west, his labours should not be forgotten. It j s unfortunate for the historv of New Zealand, that he never write an uutobiocraphy.

His name is perpetuated in Sale street. Hokitika, and was in Mount Sale in the Southern Alps, which was named by Julius Von Haast but later changed to Mount

, H® died in England ln 1922. aged 91. n