THE JOHN GRIGG MEMORIAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 13935, 18 December 1905, Page 2

THE JOHN GRIGG MEMORIAL.

UNVEILING OF THE STATUE,

A ceremony which evoked considerable interest in the Ashburton County took place in Baring Square 'on Saturday afternoon, when honour was paid to the memory of the'late Mr John Grigg by the unveiling of a life-size statue of the found or of the famous Longhead) Estate. There was a largo attendance representative of the various local governing bodies in the county, while a fine afternoon attracted a numerous gathering pf interested spec tat ore. Among these present were the Hon C.. _C. Bowen (Speaker of the Legislative Council), Messrs F. Wnymouth, John Lambic, James Small, T. E. Upton, C. J. Harper, S. S. Chapman, John Studholme, Donald M’Lean, T. Bullock, Duncan Cameron, E. Gates, R. Eriocl-land-er, D. Thomas, James Harrison, T. E.'Gibson, John Davison and John M’Eachlan, M.H.R. Mr C. J. Harper, chairman of 'the Ashburton County Council, upon whom devolved the. duty of unveiling the statue, said he was delighted to see so many ratepayers of tho borough and representative people of the county present on such an occasion. Before beginning his remarks, Mr Harper apologised for the absence of Sir George Clifford (who it had been hoped would take the principal part in the proceedings), the Mayor (Mr H. Davis), Messrs George Humphreys, Henry Overton, D. Morrow, C. A. 0. Hardy, M.H.R., J. B. Reid, Gilbert Anderson, G, M’Clatehio, Graham, Greig and W. Reece, tho Rev G. B. inglki, Dr Levingo, Mr and Mrs Arthur Rhodes and others. Mr Harper said ho was pleased to see Mr Wnymouth, of tho Canterbury Frozen Meat Company, present, a company of which Mr Grigg was the promoter. It was simply on account of hie (Mr Harper’s) official position that he had been asked to take the principal part in the proceedings, and not with regard to what ho was worth. Ho epoko of tho number of years during which he ' had been associated with Mr Grigg on the County Council. In speaking of Mr John Grigg lie would first of all dwell on the fact that ho was one of the original pioneers. When he came to this county about 1861 he set to work in an earnest manner to subdue tho land. After working in the vicinity of Christchurch, he came to Longheach, where be found an impenetrable swamp. Ho set himself to accomplish a work which very few men would have undertaken, with the result that Loiigbeaoh was now a flourishing estate. To achieve this Mr Grigg had had to work day and night. He had employed a large army of labourers, many of-whom could now look hack with pleasure at that association, and who had earned sufficient money in his employ' to acquire land of their own. It was something for a man to reduce a wilderness such as Mr Grigg had done. It was the tendency of tho ago to put down largo estates throughout the country. Such was the policy of the day. It might be good and it might not. They must not f orgot that the old pioneers worked before the days of railways, that they came into the country and pitched their tents, and they would agree with him that when the large landowner encouraged other men he did a great service for the country. Regarding tho frozen meat trade, Mr Grigg had been more closely identified with it than any other man in Canterbury', and by lids indomitable pluck and energy had carried it to a successful issue, and it was comforting to know that he Pad reaped the benefits of “his efforts before ho died. Mr Grigg had had troublous times with his company, which was looked upon as an oxperiifient by the bank, which pressed fibs company in all directions. Mr Grigg had travelled to' Gleimnark to see Mr G. H. Moore, who assisted in a liberal manner and helped by r a large cheque to carry on the industry. There was nowadays a tendency to deprecate the rich man, hut without the capitalist it was useless for the labourers in the towns to- think of carrying on. Mr Harper referred to tho beneficial parts played by men like the Rhodes, Cracroft • Wilson, the M’Leans, Duncan Cameron (Springfield), G. Buckley and John Studholmo. Mr Harper said it was a groat compliment to the town that such a statue should have been erected. There were only' four statues in the province—that of Queen Victoria, Godley and Moorhonse iin Christchurch, and tho one they were unveiling that day. The statue had cost £720, and £6OO had been collected—£3so inside the county' and £250 outside. Speaking of 'the benefit the frozen meat trade had been to tlie farmers, Mr Harper said but for that industry Now Zealand would take a 'small place in the world. 'Tho most , stable feature in the colony’s trade was the frozen meat business, by which everybody benefited indirectly. Ho then unveiled the statue. The height of the monument is 16ft, the base and figure each being Bft. Tho base stands on stops of Port Chalmers Milestone. The base and figure, of Sydney biilf are, from the Pyrmount quarries. The carved panels are of grey sandstone, from Westland. The .base is 3ft Gin in width, from which project at tho, angles carved buttresses, determining ini.-symbolical rep-resenta--1 tious of the virtues, Prudence, Fortitude, Industry, Justice. Between these buttresses are panels representing Ploughing, Stocking and Shearing. Tho figure is in an easy standing attitude, in the midst of swamp foliage, symbolical of the fact that one of Air Grigg’s great works was the draining of the swamp around Loiigbeaoh. Tho symbolism of the- buttresses-indicates those virtues by which he is -remembered, and the carving on panels the industries with which ho was connected. The whole was executed by Mr Charles Kidsou from the design and under the- direction of Mr S. i Hurst Seager, A.R.1.8.A. Great credit is duo to Mr K’d-son for the admirable manner in which tho design has boon carried out. Tho excellent likeness, symbolic figures and figure subjects aro very artistically wrought. The contractors for the masonry and erection were Messrs Graham and Greig. Mr Hugo Friedlandor said ho desired first of all to thank tho gentlemen who had erected that woll-deserved recognition of the man whose memory they were* there to honour. He had also to thank them for asking him to say a few words. Air Harper had naturally traversed a good deal of the ground that he had to go over. They we.ro only doing tartly justice to the memory of one of the greatest benefactors New Zealand bad seen. The largo landholders who many years ago were called squatters deserved more generous treatment from those who came later. He spoke of tho times when it was customary to kill thousands of sheep and sell tho carcases for what tho fat would j realise. Tho man- who could justly j bo called the father of tho | frozen moat industry was .the i late Air John G-rigg. Perhaps it : would bo more appropriate if he was ; called the mother, as he had nursed it ! and cradled it as a new-born child, v'atolled over it during its slow and rather tardy development, at tho expense of many sleepless rights, end guided it till it reached manhood. Hie had"'supported it in tho only practical way, with his own coin and his own sheep, till ho lived to se© its success and its ripening into manhood. It had been the making of tho country, and every man, woman and child was under a debt of deep obligation to tho man whose statue they were now standing under. Ail on like Air Grigg - had done more for New Zealand than -all Liberal and Conservative Go

vernments put together. To him and those like him much was due. The successful establishment of the frozen moat industry had boon a great factor in the development of tho dairy and cheese factories. Such industries had last year constituted 64 per cent of the total exports. These men had been instrumental in this, and had certainly something to- do with tho prosperity of New Zealand. To men of that stamp they wore more or Ices under a deep obligation, and it was duo to their groat enterprise and pluck they now saw thousands and thousands of bright happy homes over tho islands. The works at Belfast, Fairfield and P-a-rc-ora would bo permn-nont memorials of 11 1 0 work of Air Grigg. The Hon C. C. Bowen said ho had been asked to say a. few words on, this occasion, and ho was glad of tho opportunity of doing so. Contrasting the work of men in politics with that of those in more practical linos, he said it was the duty of public men to secure to -|bo young the opportunity of learning' and being properly trained. There should bo a free field and no favour in life. Air Grigg had done good work for his generation and for generations to come, work that was stamped upon tho country at large and especially in that county. Thor© was tho old saying that tho man had done good who made tw r o blades of grass grow where ono grow before, but what would they say, of Mr Grigg, who had made two sheep grow where only ono grow before? The work he had done had done much for tho material prosperity of tho country. Ho did not say that Mr Grigg’s sympathies were merely for the broad and butter side of life, ho had done his best in other spheres. His old friend Mr Grigg had been one of the most useful citizens and colonists who had ever com© to New Zealand. (Applause.) Mr Leadley said he was there as the representative of the smaller fanners, and wished to express appreciation for the great work Air Grigg had done for tho smaller farmers of Canterbury. Looking down the ground, and observing tho Troopend memorial in front of him, he was reminded of another occasion oil which they had assembled to do honour to the bravo boys who had died for the Empire, and h© was thereby reminded that “peace has its victories no less renowned than war.” H© was reminded how great men may give their lives to other pursuits and he, a© heroic as men who go on to the battlefield and lay down their lives for their country. It was a fitting thing that the statue should ho unveiled on tho anniversary day of Canterbury. He regarded Mr Grigg as one of tho makers of darter - bury—one cf the rapidly-diminishing band of hardy pioneers who had laid the foundation of the prosperity and ■advancement they were now enjoying. These men who stood out early in this young nation’s life possessed a courage nothing daunted, a patience nothing wearied, and a faith nothing shook. He could well say they laboured, and all profited by their labour. 'They could scarcely estimate how much the colony owed to tho energy, forethought and courage of these men, and it was their bounden duty to perpetuate their memory. They could never estimate what Air Grigg had done for the country by his efforts. During the past fifteen years tho value of the frozen meat exported was £22,000,000. The labour of that man had brought comfort and prosperity, nay more, whore it might he a stranger. He might say there was not one home in that faratretching plain which could not look forward with hope on account of what Air Grigg had done. Air Leadley then spoke of Air Grigg’s work in local government, his strong common-sense, sagacity and unswerving fidelity to- principle where matters of the welfare of the people were in view. The speaker stated how much they all appreciated the life work of that great and good man, and ho was glad to say th© statue would stand as a reminder of what a good colonist ho was, and hoped that hie life would be an incentive to young people in th© way of prude-nos and perseverance. Air Leadley concluded with the quotation:— Lives of great men oft remind US, We can bo ourselves sublime, And departing, leave behind us, Footprints on the sands of time.

After Dr Trevor bad paid a tribute to the memory of the Late Air Grigg, Air J. 0. N. Grigg, in returning thanks, said :—Mr Harper, ladies, subscribers and friends, —I should be lacking in feeling and in duty if I did net to-day, in a few words., attempt, to thank yon all. On behalf of my late father and all his family, I do most sincerely thank ypu for your generous recognition of my father’s life’s work which you have placed in lasting remembrance, by erecting this beautiful and artistic status. I thank most sincerely each and all of the speakers for the kind and appreciative words which have fallen from their lips, bearing evidence, as they do, that my father when leading along the road of life, helped others- as lie went. Ear and away the greatest wealth that any man can collect in lif© is tho gratitude, goodwill and _ good wishes of all those amongst whom he has lived, therefore by erecting' this beautiful statue your gratitude has placed my father’s character in lasting remembrance, for which his whole family thank yon. At the foot of the statu© was placed a beautiful wreath bearing the words ;- “With deep respect- for the memory of one of New Zealand’s greatest benefactors.”—From Mr Hugo Friedlander. /