DEATH OF MR CHARLES JANION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVII, Issue XLVII, 26 November 1912, Page 2

DEATH OF MR CHARLES JANION

A WELL-KNOWN "PRESSMAN

Mr Charles Jan ion, one of the oldest, pressmen in the Dominion, died at Wellington on Sunday. When quite a /oung mail (says -the "Dominion") Mr. Janion left England for Melbourne, and became acquainted with rost of the pressmen on the Melbourne 'Argus," "Age," and "Herald." Later _>n he came across to Dunedin, and worked as a compositor on the "Otago Daily Times," when the late' Sir Julius Vogel was editor, and Mr B. L. Farjeon, the English novelist, was sub-edi-bor. For some time Mr Janion was foreman printer of the Nelson "Examiner," in the days when that paper had an exceptionally brilliant group of leadeiwriters, including Mr Alfred Domett, the poet Premier, the Richmonds, the Staflords. and other leading men, for at that period Nelson aspired to the ?eat of' Government.' When the rich Kumara goldifield broke* out, Messrs Kerr and Arnott, proprietors of the 'Grey River Argus." started' the "Kumara Times." The late Mr Arnott, who was a confrere and life-long friend of Mr Janion's, sent for him to talce chargei of the new paper, and he remained a considerable number of years in Kuiiiara, whilst there . becoming intimately icquainted with' the late Mr Seddon vnd other leading men on- the . West; ZJoasfc. - After severing his. connection with Kumara, Mr Janio n visited his. relatives in England, and brought hack with him an interesting • "family tree" record of: the . Janions, who were a veryold English family. Upon his, return to the Dominion he met the late Mr Seddon. who aslted him if he. had anything i n view. Mr Janion replied that he had worked , out some i details of a "year book," and wqiild be prepared- to produce one if the C*overnment would assist by furnishing the necessary statistics. "Th e very thing Mr Ballance' has been talking about," said Mr Seddon.. "Come along, and see him." With that the two old friends jumped: into, a cab, saw Mr Ballance, and, after some preliminary discussion, it was decided to start the publication of the "New Zealand Year I Book." For the first couple of years j the compilation and revision of the "Year BOOV' mainly fell to Mr Janion, and he was a familiar figure at the Government Printing Office. As the work grew in importance, Mr Janion, to use Sis own words. £ot "side-tracked," and the produ-tion was entrusted to other hands. Mr Janion always felt sore that, yust as the success of the work had 'been assured, he was "side-tracked," and last Session he petitioned Parliament, asking for some tangible recognition of his services, alleging that his small super•mniuition (about £1 Os 6d per week) was inadequate for his maintenance. Lil\P most literary men. Mr Janion did , ■lot sot. much storo on. money : no one ever app-enlccl to- lnm in vain fov a» suh-script-ion- for a good object. He was in receipt of a small ajinuity from Eng-' l--<nd. but lmt -enough to make a material difference in his circumstances. He was for many yearr- one of the leading chess players in* the Dominion, and: took part in most of the principal games. He was a student of astronomy, and from time to time contributed notes to the mess on this and other interring topics. j