CENTENARY OF A PIONEER

Evening Star, Issue 21821, 10 September 1934, Page 7

CENTENARY OF A PIONEER

GEORGE M'LEAH—BARKER AND POLITICIAN [Written by Donald Cowxe, for the ‘ Evening Star.’] Quo hundred years ago, on September 10, there was born m a small Scottish village a man who in due course was to become, as a pioneer banker, merchant, and politician, one of the foremost colonists of a new country at the other side of the world. This was George Al'Lean, a founder of the Union Steam Ship Company, a member of several early New Zealand Ministries, and finally of the Legislative Council, and a citizen of Dunedin whose name is still remembered with deep respect. While centennial tributes are regularly paid to overseas celebrities, it is only just that this month the story of M'Lean’s distinguished life should be gratefully retold. The life of M'Lean, indeed,- is interesting apart from the fame of the man, in that it is a perfect example of “ selfhelp,” that prime Victorian virtue. M'Lean was born in Morayshire, Scotland, a few miles from the birthplace of the present Prime Minister of Great Britain. In those days Scotland led the world in education, and M'Lean received a good, groundwork at the Elgin Academy, where the famous Peter Merson was then mathematics master, before he was articled to William Grant, a local accountant. SEEKING A FORTUNE. At the age of seventeen, however, M'Lean decided to seek a fortune overseas, and ho emigrated to Victoria, where he was observed on his arrival by Ross, the author of ‘ Early Otago ’ : “ A well-formed ruddy youth, about seventeen years of age, crowned with a profusion of curly fair hair; of a genial nature and kindly heart that opened doors to him on all sides. Quiet and thoughtful, but of a forceful and independent nature. ...” The boy was attracted first to the goldfieldsj and for six years underwent a useful hardening process in various mining communities, working at every occupation available. Then, fortune no nearer, he returned to Melbourne, where he entered the head office of the Colonial Bank of Australasia. Now his natural ability for financial work asserted itself and he made rapid progress. Within a year he was transferred to the Kynoton branch of the bank • scome months later he accepted a still more .•esponsiblo post with the Oriental Bank Corporation. In 1862 he was appointed to the Dunedin managership of the new Bank of New Zealand at a salary of £6OO a year. When he left Melbourne the Oriental Bank presented him with a gratuity of £SO. Within a year of his arrival in Dunedin the directors of the Bank of New Zealand increased M'Lean’s salary to £I,OOO. Before he had been two years in the colony he was offered two other posts—that of inspector to the bank and that of agent for the Province of Otago in London, both of which he declined. When he. did eventually resign his position in 1865, at the ago of thirty-one, it was to enter as partner the merchant firm of Cargill and M'Lean, which some years later was sold to a company for £60,000. GREAT ENTERPRISES.

In 1867 M'Lean married Isabel Holmes. For seven years afterwards he laboured to consolidate his business interests in Dunedin, and then, mainly on account of ill-health, and at the early age of thirty-nine, he retired. But M'Lean’a retirement from mercantile life was the beginning rather than the end of his career. Some time after his marriage he had entered the Provincial Council, and had been appointed Provincial Treasurer; and in 1871 he was elected a member of the House of Representatives for Waikouaiti. Sir William Fox then offered him a portfolio in his Ministry; and in 1876 he was the recipient of a further offer from Sir Julius Vogel. Both of these, however, he declined, on doctor’s orders • but some months later he joined the Vogel Ministry as Commissioner of Customs. It is now time to speak of M'Lean’s connection with the foundation of the Union Steam Ship Company. This proceeded in the first place from the old Dunedin Harbour Company. The manager, then Mr James Mills, approached M'Lean with a proposal that lie interest himself in the formation of a new company to enter the growing coastal trade. ' M'Lean entered enthusiastically into the idea, and was one of the conveners of the first meeting of directors of the Union Steam Ship Company. Later he was responsible for the amalgamation of the New Zealand Shipping Company, M'Meckan, Blackwood, and Company, and the Union Steam Ship Company; and it was due primarily to his efforts that the company entered the overseas trade. One of the greatest triumphs of M'Lean’s career was his pacific settlement of the maritime strike of 1890, in which his company, of course, was actually involved, M'Lean took up such a firm yet amicable stand that the strike leaders, with whom he was in constant contact, eventually capitulated, and in doing: so expressed their great respect for their conqueror. POLITICIAN AND BANKER. M'Lean’s political career was governed by his health and his disinclination to thrust himself forward. In the Atkinson Ministry of 1877 he was Postmaster-General and Commissioner of Telegraphs and Customs, and he represented New Zealand at the 1877 Cable Conference in Sydney. In 188i' he declined an offer from Sir John Hall to join his Government ■ but in 1881 he was called to the Legislative Council. Then in 1884, when the political scene was in a state of turmoil, the Governor (Sir William Jeryois) asked him to undertake the formation of a Coalition Government, Sir Julius Vogel and Major Atkinson both offering to take office under him; but M'Lean doubted his fitness for the task, and declined. Afterwards he accepted the portfolio of Commissioner of Trade and Customs in the Atkinson Government; butavailed himself of the first opportunity to retire into comparative obscurity again.

Tn the opinion of some people M'Lean performed his most remarkable deed when lie effected the sale of the old Colonial Bank of New Zealand, of which he had for eighteen years been chairman, to the Bank of New Zealand in 1805. The depression of the ’nineties had seriously affected the finances oi both hanks; and M'Lean was primarily responsible for those negotiations, of which it '’as b°en sm'd ; “ He had a norrofm tions with the Bank of New Zealand, ami be -’crsri'n'.lv ■ ed it out. He obtained relief for the shareholder' l from a Imhilitv of £1,600.000, and pot besides £75.000 for the goodwill of the Colonial Bank business. As a business operation, there is hardly anything to be compared to Mr M'Lean’s achievement in the recent history of Australian banking.”

Created a knight in 1909. M'Lean spent the latter years of his life in

quiet retirement, devoting his main energies to the encouragement of the many branches of sport in which he had always been interested. From the famous Warrington Stud many of his racehorses won him deserved victories; and at various times he was prominently connected with the Dunedin Jockey Chib, the Dunedin Liedertafel, the Otago Rowing Club, and the New Zealand Rugby Union. His death in 1917 deprived the dominion of one of its most highly-esteemed and exemplary colonists.