DEATH OF MR S. CARROLL

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7302, 5 December 1910, Page 1

DEATH OF MR S. CARROLL

PROMINENT WELLINGTON CITIZEN THE STORY OF ft LONG AND BUSY LIFE GLIMPSE AT THE EARLY DAYS One of ‘Wellington's most familiar figures, Mr Samuel Carroll, secretary of tho Chamber of Commerce, who had.boon a resident of This city lor fort> -eight years, passed away peacefully on Saturday evening, in his eighty-fourth jear. Mr Carroll had enjoyed good health up to about three months ago, when he began to feel the infirmities of old age. He oamo daily to his office in the Chamber of Commerce, and those who had business with him marvelled at his wonderful vitality, for very few men arc to be found at work at such an advanced ago. Ho took ei keen interest in all city and commercial matters right up to the last, and ouly a fortnight since discussed with the Education Board's representatives the question of the Chamber of Commerces school prizes. A COMMERCIAL CAREER. ' Mr Carroll, who received his education in London, in 1813 entered the office of his father, Samuel Carroll, Elast India and China produce broker. Mincing laue._ Subsequently, from ISSI to 1859, he was in the service of a British commission merchant firm doing business in Batavia, Singapore, and Manila. He took passage on his return to England in June. 1859, in the P. and U. steamer Alma, which -was wrecked in the Red Sea, where alter threo and a half days' exposure to the sun, arid without water, they were rescued by 11.M.5. Cyclops. All hands were saved from tho. wreck, though the purser died from sunstroke on the island, the Little Harnish Group. Mr Carroll, when in a reminiscent mood, would speak interestingly of that incident. Those were tho days. before tho Suez Canal was thought of. The shipwrecked party were taken to Suez. Then they took tho overland route to Cairo in waggonettes pulled by mules, - proceeding down the Nile to Alexandria, thence Home. Tom Taylor, playwright, foundcd a play on the experiences of the party, called ‘'The Overland Route,” last staged in tho Dominion, by the old Napier Garrick Ciuo. ARRIVAL IN WELLINGTON.

In 1802 Mr Carroll left Loudon tor Mow Zealand arriving in Wellington in October of that year. He became secretary of the Chamber of Commerce shortly. after his arrival, until 1864. He was reappointed secretary in 1573, and held ’tho petition up to the time of his death. He entered the service of the Mow Zealand Steam Navigation Company in 1863, remaining, with it until the company was wound up in the early seventies. Mr Carroll held the office of Provincial Trustee.in Bankruptcy under the Act ot 1867 until it was repealed in 1875, and was proprietor, and publisher ot the ‘•New Zealand Trade ‘Review,” established in 1375. ..'The deceased, whose wife died eight ’years ago, leaves three daughters, 'Mrs C. A. Ogilvio (Roscneath), Mis J. M. Deck (Macfarlane street), and Miss E. A. Carroll, and one son, Mr C. XV. Carroll. EARLY DAYS. ; In an interview with the writer inApril last Mr Carroll gave some mteresring reminiscences of vVellington in the early days. „ • ’ . „„ . “When did I come to Wellington?” he said, in reply to a question, “it was awav back in 1862. I didn’t realise that I had come to a country then only twen-ty-two years old. At that time the old Wellington Steam Navigation Company ivas just in process of liquidation. Its fleet consisted of the Stormbird and the VVonga Wonga. Tho company had been formed on a terminable basis; there vanno provision for a perpetual company. When wouud up it .distributed All) for each AlO share, after having paid 10 per cent;' during its existence. This proved so encouraging that -another .company was formed, —the Mew Zealand Steam Navigation Company, and it was this company for which the late Mr Arthur Beauchamp became representative at I’icton. “Mr Beauchamp, the late Mr D. M ; Lupkie, and myself were born not only in the. sumo year, 1827, but I think twelve days would cover tho time be. tween our birthdays. My. day is iu September and theirs early in October. “At that time the Parliament decided that in future marine, postal contracts preference should be given to local companies. Jpn the strength of this decision the directors of the company at once set about increasing their fleet. They ordered the building cf the steamer Wellington at Home, and they also bought the steamer Queen, then trading on this coast. They also arranged with an Auckland comnanv, which had just got tho Kaugatira* oiit from Home, to amalgamate, and a Napier company also amalgamated, with the steamer Ahuriri. The company sent Mr R- *l. Duncan and Captain F. Renner to Sydney to buy another steamer, and, they brought oyer tho steamer Ladvbird. The old Wellmgton is still laid up at Auckland, and I was'on board licv when X was up there ’a little while ago. . “Whilst the development was going on, Mr Crosby Ward, then Postmaster-Gen-eral in the Domett Ministry. went Home. It' was about 1563, 1 think, and he completed a contract with,the Panama Company to run their service by way of \v ellington. Gradually there canic a groat influx of steamers into this little place, and there was such severe competition that soon the Xow Zealand Steam Navigation Company and the Panama Company wont into liquidation. Like tho story , of the Kilkenny cats,'” added Mr Carroll, with a smile, “there is nothing now left of them but their tail. MINISTRIES OP THE PAST.

"Political changes in my time? .AVcll, I'm not much of a politician, but. X have seen a few changes. As_ 1 have told you, Domett's Ministry was in power "hen 1 arrived in New Zealand. Then came the Whitaker-Pox Cabinet, Weld, Stafford, Pox again, Stafford again, AVaterhouse, then Pox, Vogel, Pollen. Vogel again, Atkinson, Grey, Hall, . Whitaker again, Atkinson, Stout-Vogel. Atkinson, StoutVogel, Atkinson ‘ Ballance, Seddon, iiallJones- and Ward—twenty-fiya Ministries in all. Yes, it’s a long period to. look back to." j