TOWN RE-VISITED

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21574, 9 February 1940, Page 6

TOWN RE-VISITED

Timaru’s Oldest Ex-mayor

Absence of 40 Years An interesting and interested visitor to Timaru at present is Mr J. S. Keith, of Wellington. Fifty-two years ago he was Mayor of Timaru and can claim to be the oldest living ex-Mayor of the town. Nor does his claim to historical distinction in the pioneering annals of Timaru rest there. By virtue of an active public life more than half a century ago he is also the oldest ex-member of the South Canterbury Education Board, the oldest living ex-chairman of the Timaru Main School Committee, the oldest foundation member and ex-officer of the Timaru Lodge of Druids and chairman and convener of the first conference of school committees leading to the formation of the South Canterbury Primary Schools’ Association.

Mr Keith was Mayor from 1888 to 1889 and for about six years previously was a councillor.

Carrying his years easily, Mr Keith is still active and alert and after an absence of 40 years, broken only by two brief visits, he is taking a keen interest in revisiting the scenes of his early manhood and comparing the new with the old.

“One disappointment I had on coming to Timaru,” Mr Keith told a reporter yesterday, “is that I knew nobody and nobody knew me. However, I went to a lodge meeting on Tuesday night and met one or two old acquaintances. Since then I have had a good run around.”

Progress of Town

Speaking of a drive he had around the borough yesterday Mr Keith said that he had been greatly impressed with the progress that had been made in 40 years and never anticipated that such wonderful changes could have taken place. He was agreeably surprised, he said, with the fine residential areas that had grown up about Otipua Road, Wai-iti Road and Highfield, and mentioned particularly the transformation that had been achieved at Centennial Park. “In my early days,” he observed, “the park w r as nothing short of a dump, although there was a foot track through. It is now a wonderful asset to the town.”

Old School Bell

Mr Keith went on to mention the pleasure he had had when visiting his old home in Arthur Street to hear the Keith bell tolling at the Timaru Main School. He had presented the bell to the school 50 years ago and recognised its tone in a moment. Mr Keith said he had been informed that for a time the bell had been used .at a fire station. That was conn-ary to his intentions when he gave thd bell to the school for the benefit of the children, and he could not understand how the school committee had consented to the transfer.

Early Caroline Bay

Turning to the early history of the town, Mr Keith said that it was just before he left for Wellington that Caroline Bay, as a result of work on the North Mole, began to silt up and show itself. The first working bee to beautify what Bay there was and make the cliffs accessible was organised by Messrs Geo. Stumbles and David Stuart, the workers comprising the Timaru Rocket Brigade and the Timaru Rowing Club. The first man to conduct bathing sheds on the beach was Mr Jas. Strachan, who had horse-drawn “shelters” which he took to the edge of the water.

Borough Council

Mr Keith recalled with a chuckle an incident which occurred when he was a Borough Councillor. At that time the Mayor, Mr Jacob Hill, vorked in close co-operation with two councillors, Messrs Geo. Stumbles and John Hole, later Mayor, and with their block vote had weighty influence on the decisions of the Council. One project which the “trinity” were supporting did not meet with the approval of a newspaper correspondent, who warned the Mayor to be careful lest he “stumble into a hole.”

Changed Times?

A change in the times was indicated by Mr Keith’s following remark that the Council’s task in the early days was made difficult by the cry of the ratepayers to “keep the rates down.” The Council, he 'Said, had great difficulty in finding a loan to kerb and channel Stafford Street from th? Dominion Hotel to North Street. That section of the main street was macadamised and beyond was covered with shingle from the beach. That was the beginning of Stafford Street.

Pioneering Industry

“It is a pity there are not more industries in Timaru,” Mr Keith said as he went on to mention some of the pioneer ventures. He was, he said, one of the original shareholders of the Timaru Woollen Mills who, incidentally, lost practically all the money they invested before selling out to a group of experts from Dunedin. He was also associated with a group who owned a tug, the Titian, and had the idea of forming a trawling company They went out trawling one night and caught enough fish to fill a hat. That was the end of that venture. On another occasion they started to form a sea bathing company and erected dressing sheds at the root of the North Mole. One morning they awoke to find the sheds floating in the Bay. “Our success in floating companies in those days did not always go to schedule,” he observed whimsically. Mr Keith was in business in Timaru as a ship chandler and sailmaker, occupying premises in Strathallan Street where the C.F.C.A. now stands. He sold the business to Captain Galleson in 1889 and left Timaru to take up business in Wellington. He later became a departmental manager for a wholesale firm, retiring after holding the position for 25 years.