MR SAMUEL SAUNDERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25135, 28 January 1943, Page 6

MR SAMUEL SAUNDERS

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, ian. 27. The death has occurred at the age of 86 years of Mr Samuel Saunders, who was formerly well known in journalism in New Zealand. Mr Saunders was born at Nelson in 1857, the son of Mr Alfred Saunders, who was an outstanding pioneer and later member of Parliament, and was educated at Bishop’s School, Nelson, and Allesley College, England. He followed commercial and agricultural pursuits for a period of seven years, and during that time became a contributor to several New Zealand papers. He was appointed editor of the Ashburton Guardian in 1883, and was later associated with Sir W. Steward in the editorship of the Ashburton Mail. Mr Saunders joined the staff of the Lyttelton Times in 1886, and succeeded Mr W. Pember Reeves as editor in 1891. He was an enthusiastic Liberal, and the journal, under his editorship, had great influence in supporting the ideas of the Liberal Party through the whole period of its heyday. He retired from that position in 1914, and took up journalistic work in Wellington, serving Dominion, Australian, English, and American papers. Mr Saunders married in 1880 Miss Helen Johnston, a granddaughter of Captain Cargill. There were two sons and three daughters.