MR M. M. WEBSTER.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13983, 13 January 1916, Page 6

MR M. M. WEBSTER.

sixxy-thk.ee years a besident ok nelson.

A short1 time since we referred, in these columns to the fact that after iiifcy years of continuous business acthity in the one "location, our townsman Mr M M..Weibhtt?r had .retired from business life j and we also had occasion to join with those v/ho felicitated Mr Webster on attaining hj s gOtli birthday. This evening, accompanied-by his daughter, Miss Webster, he leaves by the Kaitoa for Wellington, where' passage will be taken in the Gorinthic for Ensland.

If Mr Webster finds conditions in the Old Country *to his liking, it is improbable that he-will return to this country. .Being awere of this, a representative of this i>apor waited upon Mr Webster .with regard to certain points upon which that gentleman could afford information. Jiv the course oiF a chat various personal reminiVoonces were called forth, and we feel that our readers will bo glad to hay some record of one who during his long residence here has proved a good citizen in eveiy sense. .

Mr Webster was a lithographic appreiitico in -Edinburgh, and making good progress, when the impulse to roam clamoured so insistently that he forsook his employment, became one of the crew of the- ship Persia, and landed ia Nelson in July, J852, after a voyage j of 15i> days. The arrival of the vessel! was announced in the "Examiner 1' of the day in large type with a bold heading, '"The latest.-sE-nglish news." Think of that, ye grumblers of to-day, who find the war news slow in coming to 1 hand! The 'bulk of the crew ran away, and Mr Webslier was detained to work cargo for a fortnight. He earned his Hist money in New Zealand by putting to rights a snwiJl lithe graphic plant in the possession of Messrs Fell and Seymour, a plant which Mr Webster subsequently acquired ami worked fov a time some years later. After obtaining his discharge Mr Webster engaged with Mr Geo. Aiken, whose store stood on the site of the present Masonic Hotel, si.Vterwa.rds joining Mr Lockhart on the Opposite corner, now the offices of the A.M.P. In 1855 he married, and the 'next year entered into business wit.ii ; the- Lite Mr W. M. Stanton where Messrs Short and Son are now located. :The partnership was a short one, and Mr Webster then went to the diggings [at Collingwood, his experiences there laying the foundation of his deep interest in mining enterprises, which will be referred to He returned, to Nelson in 1860, and after live years with the late Mr William Wilkie he entered into business on his own account in premises where the TroeacLuro now stands, a year later lemotring to the present location of the business.

In the earlier part of his career Mr Webster was a collector of the original education rate of £1 per annum from every householder. This was under the Nelson provincial system of free, secular and compulsory education, the forerunner, of and the basis of our national system. There were conscientious, land obstinate, objectors in those days. Tlio J late Mr Wm. Wilkio was one of them. JHe absolutely refused to pay the education rate, and never did voluntarily. It was tine practice to distrain upon his store and sell by auction sufficient goods to meet the' claim. Usually blankets or some good selling line was attached fey the" bailiff, and Mr Webster gleefully tolls how, while \\ vith Mr Wilkie; ho'on one occasion induced the bailiff to distrain on some cherry brandy, a poor selling line. A good deal of isavnplimr was done before the- sale was conclude, with noticeable effect upon the samplers. In 1555 Mr Webster hod occasion to t&ke a trip which serves to mark the difference between conditions then and those of the present day. In the little s.s. Zingareo, the only steamer then trading in.New 'Zealand, he made the round trip between Nelson and Port •Cooper (Lyiteiton), via Wellington both ways, nU a cost of 16 days' time and j£l2 in passage money On 'various local bodies. Mr Webster has been a valued member. He first served on the Town Schools Committee, subsequently on the Education Board, was a city councillor for about- ten years, and was one oi; the original members of the Nelson Harbour Board and its first treasurer. He was one of ( tho very early members of Southern Star, \o." 735,'E.C, Masonic lodge, and for .some years was its secretary. As a. result of his experience on the Collingwood gold diggings, Mr Webster participated in a number of mining Speculations, .starting with an interest in the Collingwcfod Cohl Mining Company, of which ho was secretary. Associated with a Melbourne party m the early seventies, he took part in an endeavour to utilise the immense iron ore deposits of Parapara. A company was floated which absorbed the CollingAvood | Coal' Company, and upwards of £17,000 was ..spent in preliminary works, including iron tramway, foundation for blast furnace, etc. Owing to the lowest estimate from Scotch manufacturers for a blast inmate plant being over double- tbio estimate of the engineer, those concerned in the venture became of opinion that the capital was not sufficient. ;<iTel tho company was voluntarily wound up. Mr Webster lias stiU a Mjoiig.naih in the' potentialities of ,'tiUe; Fiaraparn. He said: "'Had" we--known alittle more then there is no doubt that the works would be in full swing now." He-narrates that in 1875 Mr ilichard Tangye, head of the great English en-j ginoering firm of that name, came Across from Wellington to Nelson speci-1 ailv to soe samples of iron smelted in Melbourne from Parapara ore. Plach\" his hand on'a sample of pig iron. Mr Tangye said: "I would recommend! you to confine your attention to tho production of this article, which will sell anywhere." "That was good advice," baid Mr Webster, "as thoiie was money enough to do it,, but-the aim then * was to produce malleable iron, j wire etc." Continuing, Mr Webster said 'that his faith in the field was as i strong as over, especially when taken into conjunction with the coal measures i of the district. He had endeavoured to induce the Government to esta'bhsu j •State works and coalmines in the Col-j fin-nvood district, but without success, th«T West Coast influences prevailing, though the attempt was made be.ofo. any action was taken to establish the! State mine;; on the .Coast. j Another venture m which Mr Web-j ster was the prime mover was the establishment of cement works at rarakohe. Golden "Bay. While fiandling a, coal proposition nt Motupipi Mr \\ebster v,as approached by-a practical man, who pointed out the possibilities o£ laralcohe. Mr Webster «nt into the thing, floated a company in Wellington, and has.the gratification ot seeing, the Golden Bay Cement Works m fullj swing, producing on a. large scale an article that finds ;.i ready market. , In privacy ufe Mr Webster has many frioniU. and many meide-nts or tne, early daws have-, been called to mind the 'hst "week or mi while he visited old !s^<i tt , iHiw io his dipii* no vi inslmih ill out ot t'l.tccn tl U< Ut MIH I I 'Mil,, M/ UP^'S Mil-olm P ,is cl Is 1 ? iithoi m bumiHss li\it ut M cn"idl upeimUIHIC ll 101 VllS Ml Ml Ol the i I'-IPiTI I xKnsiun TV _n,m C(inpin\ , *n i 1? I I (i(i i istui I vun on 1* \ c i| « < trnp"! \ I'titJi ud "U'i?oV t Putu 15i^ ti Pktu\ "Hit, V A ( 1 \<li i Nelsni , "\i ' ~\'uk\ Altl I,uik, Mis M ui^n V "hmoutb Mis \ndci on J n^l n dt, n<! \1 ■■ AWh>< i \ M<^s , .T)'i ii nd Finest ai (i n If) <i I' "'ill ri (l ill" c' |i i < lii i<■' (i l^i Vi W< '><tv, \U ii i -ugilit <■ r\(_ t enio-wu <oo esttPni n d affection oi a lai%e rude of friends, pished

peacefully away when within a. short period of the'sixtieth anuiversaa-y of her wedding day. Mr Wdbster' i*s wonderfully vigorous hi mind mid body, and ]us:many,iri«en<lswill wish 'aim a safe voyage, and that ho niiiv be Jong .spared to enjoy during his stay iv the Old Country the; advantages 'it affords which appeal so much to thosenyho tako -i keen interest, in-the affairs of the day.