FRANK CAMPBELL Restless Energy Personified

NZ Truth, Issue 1078, 22 July 1926, Page 6

FRANK CAMPBELL Restless Energy Personified

U THERE are people m every occu- || 1 pation possessed of restless || .. energy, brain power and the || urge to get . somewhere m/ the || scheme of things, yet they are to 11 be found all too frequently laboring || y in the rear of the : competitors m II the race for sucess. H In his possession of that same If restless energy, '..Frank Campbell is || president of half-a-dozen ; promi|l nent organizations m the industrial II world of New Zealand. In his case, 11 however, there is a vital difference. || The energy that plays such an II important part m his .character is || not with him a consuming force that H burns fiercely while accomplishing H nothing/ : but.; — con-. ' H trolled and ■properly : 11 directed by a- keen II brain— acts- as- a If driving., force that 1 1 has taken him well' 1 1 to .the front m the I g commercial world -of. || Wellington., ..." . ; . || ' Slim; almost boyII ishly young, despite 11 his 40 years of life, H his thin, eager facg, \ || alert brown eyes and "fjsquick walk are an 11 unmistakable index 11 to his character. It 11 is not, however, unit til he commences to ■11 speak upon matters 11 concerning the world ii of commerce and its Ml affairs that one unII derstands to the- full U just how efficiently controlled and 1 1 well directed are the driving forces i| of his restless energy. II Eighteen years ago Frank CampII bell came to New Zealand from the II Old Country to follow his occupa--11 tion as an upholsterer. He toured II the country whilst earning his liv--11 ing, and came to know .first-hand U its infinite possibilities, and its. i| magnificent resources m ; the primary U industrial field, as well als .theII golden opportunities that lay^ ahead : || m the field of secondary industry. 11 Campbell adopted New Zealand.H and since then his slogan and his II mission m life have been New< 1| Zealand-made goods first and II ■■■":' 3iiiiiim!!!i!raS

NO ROOM FOR TWO THE first office boy the Nelson jam 1 manufacturing firm of S. Kirkpatriclc and Co:, Ltd., employed is to-day the company's managing- director. C. Milner rose m the "X" factory's service through sheer merit, and his energy and initiative has had a great deal to do with the company's progress. Milner can remember the time Avhen the firm's office was so small that when, the accountant wished to leave it, Milner, as office boy, had first to get out of the room m order that his superior might leave. Thing's have changed since then with a vengeance. EXPERT ENGINEER A LTHOUGH the Wellington City /\ Council has given definite proof of its opinion of the New Zealander for a big job m the municipality, the Christchurch City Council, at any rate, has exhibited a great deal more faith m the local product. When Edwin Hitchcock was appointed engineer of the southern city he stood forth as a particularly good example of what can be accomplished by a New Zealander. A number of years ago the firm of Robertson and Co., iron founders, of Old Customhouse Quay, took into their employ an apprentice. The boy was Edwin Hitchcock; he was keen to get on. During the day he devoted himself to the practical side of engineering and at. night studied the theoretical part of it by correspondence. Reserved and retiring m disposition, Hitchcock m his quiet way never fails to give credit for his thorough' grounding m the engineering profession to the New Zealand firm . to which he was apprenticed. He certainly dispels the belief that it is necessary to go abroad for our experts.

Empire manufactures second-H-al- §§ ways provided that quality went || with^the-local article. , No apostle || of any creed ever adhered morel! religiously to hia ideals Mn this f f direction than did Campbell m the if years that followed. II To-day he' is president of the|| Wellington Industrial Association, H vice-president of., the Employers' || Association, and president : of then Wellington Furniture Trades Asso- H ciation. The driving force of his || ; energy also placed him m the posi- || tion •of manager of the firm of || Scoullar and Co., Ltd., house fur- || nishers. This job eame Chis; way |i': after he had served four years at || ; '-->the front;--' ■;■- ■< .■■;:. If ' •-' Unlike^ ;aHrg reat U ; : many; : other /men.: m 1 1 the industrial world,-!! : he -faces- the 'problem ||,- ■ 'corifrontihg- theman- it;: uf acturer r ifr 'W e^ w; ii . - Zealand from a logi- || ..cal. viewpoint. He is 1 1 v 'a,JTr.hi.f;beliiever m a || ■pf pteciive tariff," but if . he ' ■ aiso r '^rnattes- • it II clear tha'f "the im- || position .. of .such_al| tariff "should, .be 1 '.ajlv matter .for. careful || consideration, . and if one that must be |1 • watched 'to guard I i against exploitation 1 1 when the; industry is || on its feet. ' ' II is a l| born . organizer, and !| this — combined, with his energy and il undoubted ability— make him a|| powerful factor m those organiza- || tions which are out to boost New|| Zealand-made goods. . || When not mapping out some || scheme to place the secondary m- |r dustries of the - Dominion morel!', prominently, before the public, heffi.; may be found watching a- football || match or perhaps indulging m alf game of golf or tennis. || His interest m sport is keen, and || for a number of years he acted as || referee m Soccer matches m Wan- 11 .ganui and held the vice-chairman- || ship or the New Zealand Council of If the Referees' Association. || 5 = = s

I VINEYARD VIDAL ' - A LTHOUGH it is a far cry from /\ sunny Spain to far-away New Zealand, the venture m search of fresh fields and pastures (or should it be vineyards?) new has proved successful; for Anthony Joseph Vidal, now the controlling head of [the well-known firm under the popular family name. Thirty-five years ago the senior member of the firm m ciuestion found himself m New Zealand, his only assets being any amount of conscientiousness, grit, perseverance and farsightedness. ' Reverses were his lot and trouble stalked him until his strong and iikeable characteristics enabled him smilingly to surmount' them, and ■• after starting m the wine business at Wanganui 1 eventually -he removed to Hastings, where his products have become known m almost every part of the world. ■ ' KING-COI)NTRY KING WHEN Mr. Speaker calls upon "the hon. member for Waimarino," - all eyes — Government, Opposition, and die-hard Nationalist — turn to the bench occupied by genial Robert W. Smith —^"Robbie" to his friends and colleagues. ■ It is seldom that R.W.S. tries to catch the Speaker's eye, but when he ,does old Hansard gets the shock of its dear life, for something" logical and, above all, sensible, is — by way of exception — recorded m its pages. Ask any school child on the Big Plains who retreated from Moscow, and they will answer: "Napoleon." Ask them who their daddies work for, and they will answer m a chorus: ''Robbie Smith!" He owns sawmills galore, and those he doesn't own he has a pretty good interest m.