LUNCH CLUB

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 119, 16 April 1930, Page 12

LUNCH CLUB

EDWARD GIBBON WAKEFIELD. ADDRESS BY MR A. SEIFERT. The speaker (at the weekly meeting of the Citizens’ Lunch Club yesterday was Mr A. Seifert, who took as his subject, “Edward Gibbon Wakefield:” Mr G. G. Priest was in tho chair. Edward" Gibbon Wakefield, said the speaker, was a. wonderful man and had a wonderful life. Despite his waywardness as a child, he showed remarkable .promise. While still a young man he got into serious trouble by. abducting a lady from’a school. ’He spent some time in’gaol, while there .formulating his colonisation scheme. It was thought that" the possibility of transportation might have drawn Wakefield „to the subject or else that he was op the opinion . that the colonies' offered' greater opportunities for one under such a cloud as he was. Mr Seifert quoted from Hon. William Pember Reeves’s book, “The Long White Cloud,” in which the writer expressed the opinion that Wakefield was the right man at the right time for the colonisation of New Zealand. To illustrate the difficulties encountered by Wakefield, Mr Seifert quoted the opinion of a contemporary writer who said: “I would as soon bo governed by a Nero on the spot as by a board of angels in London.’’ Colonisation, said the speaker, was long delayed, possibly by England’s American experience. It was thought that England 'could in no way benefit by sending colonists to New Zealand. Seventy years after Captain Cook had visited New Zealand the. first organised. colonisation was made and this was a long time when New Zealand’s temperate climate and. rich soil were considered. , TREATY OF' WAITANGI. Wakefield always had to work in the dark as his name was under a cloud. His efforts to influence the Government and people were always made in another’s name. At last it became evident that the Government would not colonise New Zealand so that a company was formed and the Tory was sent out. Unfortunately, there was some difficulty in getting land for the immigrants when they arrived. Had they treated with the Maoris unhampered all would probably have been well, but Captain Hobson arrived shortly after the Tory and fixed up the Treaty of Waitangi. Though this had proved a valuable protection to the natives, it cut tho land from beneath Wakefield’s settlement scheme. Settlers in Otago and Canterbury bad much less difficulty in acquiring land. Referring again to the delay of the colonisation of New Zealand, Mr Seifert stated that early settlers had not been much interfered with by the Maoris. The white people recognised the chief's and behaved themselves, which was more than they did later when the land came under English control. In 1853 Wakefield came to New Zealand himself, settling, in Lyttelton. Later he removed to Wellington. He entered politics and, being a particularly strong man, was severely criticised by his opponents. His health gave way, causing him to live in retirement for a few years before his death in 1862. WAKEFIELD’S IDEALS. Mr Seifert.stated that Wakefield had been filled with forebodings because what fie considerel sound principles had been departed from. He did not believe that settlers shpuld be given land, but that they should have to buy it as this would tend to bring out colojiists with capital. Those without money would then provide the necessary labour. He believed in equal numbers of sexes instead of a preponderance of men. He also encouraged young married couples to come out as settlers.' A high type of people were brought out, these laying a very sound foundation. There was a danger that New Zealand would be made a convict station, but Wakefield’s efforts averted this. Had the Dominion been made a prison colony its progress would have been considerably retarded. Wakefield’s son came out on the first ship and wrote a book on his adventures in' New Zealand, this being considered by many to be the best' hook on the subject. He referred to the Maoris’ claim, that they could cross the ranges between Manawatu and Wairar'apa through a gorge. , This was tho Manawatu Gorge. He had wished to go down th© Manawatu River in a canoe and excited the surprise of the Maoris who could not see why he should want to break the Sabbath. One of Wakefield’s brothers had been killed at the Wairau massacre at Tua Marina:. FINE BAND OF COLONISTS. Edward Gibbon Wakefield, said the speaker, would be remembered for what he had done for New Zealand. He had formulated a sound system and had brought out the finest band of colonists that had ever left any country. . Speaking of the great colonisers family, Mr Seifert stated that he had recently had the pleasure of meeting a direct descendant, Miss Irma O’Connor, of Auckland. The Wakefield family, on both sides, could be traced back for six or seven hundred years. They had been good business men with marked literary ability. One.had fought for Gustave Adolphus in Sweden. An interesting -point about the family was that' they had married young. Edward had married at 20 and his father at an even earlier age. It was said of Wakefield that he was better at working.out a scheme than at carrying it into effect. His work sub rosa had a great effect on his character and he always went about things in a.round-about way. To-day, continued the speaker, we had our roads and railways and other conveniences. It was difficult to realise that all this had been done in 90 years and a few months. The discovery .of gold in Australia had given fjconsiderable impetus to New Zealand trade, but this would have had little effect without the industry of the early colonisers, without whose efforts we would not be living in the comfort we were to-day. “Tho remarkable thing about Wakefield was tho way he redeemed his early disgrace,” said Mr Seifert, in conclusion. “No matter what disgrace a man is in, if he is great he can rise above it.” • ... Mr J. Carter moved a vote of thanks to Mr Seifert which was carried, by acclamation.