NOTED ADVOCATE PASSES

Evening Star, Issue 22687, 29 June 1937, Page 9

NOTED ADVOCATE PASSES

DEATH OF MR S. SOLOMON, K.C.

Mr Saul Solomon, K.C., one of the leading barristers of the Dominion in his day and one who appeared in some of the most important Jaw suits in the courts of this country, died early this morning at his residence in Granville Terrace at the age of 80 years. One of the oldest of lawyers, a highly capable business man, active in patriotic and charitable causes, he was endowed with mental powers above the ordinary and was for a long time one of the best known of Dunedin’s citizens. Mr Solomon was born in Melbourne in May of 1857, and when four years old was brought to Otago with his parents, his father being Mr Abraham Solomon, J.P., and for many years chairman of the Benevolent Trustees. His early_education was at “the stone school ” in Union street. From that school, wherein many of New Zealand’s leading men got their grounding in education, the subject of this notice proceeded to the Otago Boys’ High School, and there, in 1871. he gained dux distinction, associated with Ernest

Wilmot and Andrew J. Park—the only year in which the honour has been shared by three. In his maturity Mr Solomon repeatedly acknowledged the benefit he derived _ from the High School, and in practical remembrance thereof he in 1931 presented a very handsome brass tablet in honour of masters who had served more than five years on the staff. At the Otago University, of which he and Peter S. Hay were the first graduates, he studied to such purpose as to become the junior university scholar in 1872. To him learning was easy, but he did not presume on his smartness by becoming mentally lazy. He profited by the teaching of the fable about the hare and the tortoise, and made such rapid advance that he gained four scholarships in the one year—the first graduate in New Zealand to accomplish such a feat—and was capped B.A. in 1874 by Mr Justice Chapman, father of Sir F. R. Chapman. That diploma was one of the earliest granted by the Otago University. Without losing any time the young bachelor of arts took willingly to the preparations made for him to study medicine, and he had made good progress with his chemistry studies, thereby acquiring knowledge that was of service in after life, when he abandoned the idea of becoming a surgeon or a physician, and turned to the profession in which he by degrees rose to a foremost position. He became barrister’s pupil to Sir Robert (then Mr) Stout, of the firm of Sievwright and Stout. That change dated from 1876. Making rapid advance, he was made managing clerk of the firm’s common law department, and was by Mr Justice Williams admitted as barrister and solicitor in 1879. It was in 1884 that he commenced practising on his own account. Pleading in criminal cases claimed his attention at that time, but he continued to widen his knowledge of general practice, and with success, for one of his early steps upward was the appointment as examiner in law for his Alma Mater. His career in the legal profession was a _ continuous ascent. Relinquishing criminal practice, unless in important cases, it came about that his opinion was sought and valued in commercial trials, and he made a specialty of judicial inquiries as to public bodies. For years in his mature life there was hardly an inquiry or commission set up as to public institutions in which he was not engaged. Some of those engagements come readily to memory—(l) The libel action arising out of affairs at the Seacliff asylum; (2) the inquiry regarding the treatment of patients at Ashburn Hall; (3) a complaint about the doings at the 'lndustrial School; (4) the compensation claims against the Dunedin Corporation for taking land for the Sullivan dam; (6) the political libel action of Massey v. the ‘ New Zealand Times’; (6) the lengthy and stirrihg “ oats inquiry,” Mr Solomon appearing for the Colonial Bank respecting its claims and Sir J. G. Ward’s estate. In these and other matters his retentive memory often helped himself and also the judges, he being able to save the turning up of records by giving offhand dates or names that were necessary to be fixed. It is not forgotten, too, that ho was defending counsel in the Pomahaka criminal trial, when the verdict was reduced to manslaughter. Air Albert E. Gascoigne was made his partner in 1900, and of late years Mr David Solomon’s name was added to the style of the firm. It was on June 7 of 1907 that Mr Solomon was made a K.C. In his later years ho withdrew from pleading in the law courts, leaving his business largely in the hands of his old partner (Mr Gascoigne) and his son David, but _ still being available with his experience and advice. In his young days Mr Solomon was an acting member of the Dunedin Dramatic Club, and appeared in several productions. When funds were being raised to send away the Expeditionary Forces m 1915 he undertook the role of Sergeant Buzfuz in the trial scene from * Pickwick.’ as acted in the Supreme Court by members of the Otago Law Society, the late_ Mr F. Calvert ,as judge. In more serious service to the community Mr Solomon became Mayor of Mornington in 1913, after being a councillor for six years. It was in 1907-8 that he was made chairman of the Dunedin Hospital Trustees, the body that preceded the Otago Hospital Board. He was at one of the busiest periods of bis life when he took a leading part in the handling of war funds. He was amongst the active promoters of the big queen carnival, and when that organisation merged with the Otago Patriotic and General Welfare Association lie was created a life member, subsequently becoming the very eager chairman of the Soldiers and Dependents’ Welfare Committee. Mr Solomon was in 1924 the second president of the Dunedin Rotary Club. For a period of 44 years he was a

club member of the "Dunedin Commercial Travellers’ and Warehousemen’* Association and was for a long time it* honorary solicitor. In the sporting world Mr Solomon was well known. He became vice-pre-sident of the Dunedin Amateur Boating Club in 1896, also vice-president of the Dunedin Football Club. He wai elected to the committee of the Dunedin Jockey Club in 1896, and served till 1899, when he was elected vice-pre-sident, holding that office till 1904. A* an owner he raced such well-known horses as Beadonwell, Belle Clair, Black and Red, and that sturdy, sprinter Blazer (by St. Clair—Mountain Lily), who ran in eight season! from 1897 and won £4,336 in stakes. Mr Solomon married Miss Clara Mongredien, one of Dunedin’s foremost amateur singers, and the four sons of the marriage survive—David (who i* in the firm), Richard (at Oamarn), Edward, and John (who arc in Dunedin),