PARLIAMENTARY SILHOUETTES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume IX, Issue 50, 10 December 1892, Page 1220

PARLIAMENTARY SILHOUETTES.

(BY

BIRD'S-EYE.)

fil iHE Wellington Mayoralty contest which has resulted in a victory for Mr Bell, between Mr George Fisher,

senior M. H R for Wellington city, and his quondam friend Mr H. D. Bell, the present holder of the Mayoral office, will doubtless add piquancy to the public interest in the past career and present characteristics of one w hose vigorous personality alone would make him a potent factor in public affairs even were bis mental capacity below, instead < f being much above, par. Why Mr George Fisher, with his indisputable talents, clear understanding, strong will, and magnetic individuality, is not in permanent occupation of some of the highest posts within the reach of ordinary ambition is a problem the solution of which it is no part of my business to-day ; but. truly, it is an even greater puzzle to some people than is the question why he should seek for a fiftl time to occupy an office pract.cally unpaid, and so absorbent of time and energy as that of Wellington s Chief Magistracy. Such puzzles, however. I leave for nutcrackers with whom time is of no value, and to whom other people’s business is the theme of superlative atttacticn.

Though Mr Fisher has only turned the half century, bis abounding energy, evidence from childhood, has made his life so replete with incident that the chionicler is at no loss for interesting materia!, bis only perplexity arising from rembarras des riel, esses. Possibly it will simplify matters to begin at the beginning, when the subject of my sketch was but a helpless * bundle of possibilities,’ whose fond parents' wildest dieams could scarce have included the unique episodes of his Antipodean career. Mr Fisher was born in Dublin, of Scotch parents, in the month of December. 1843, and it has been written of him that even in those early days he gave evidence of a ‘ masterful and determined character.' His parents, soon after, migrated to London, and there the embryo M. H R. at a very early age was taught the rudiments of the ‘Art which preserves all Arts.’ Even in those boyish days he was remarkable for capacity, and bis progress was altogether exceptional. His first office was in Gough's Square. Fetter Lane, London, which he entered at the age of nine ; but he subsequently entered Clowes’ Printing office, Stamford steet, Blackfriars Road, where be was engaged in the type foundry as a setting up boy. As in settingup the new type there is no ‘ spacing,'and, of course, no ‘ copy, a fast setting np boy can set up as much as 10 000 an hour, and such was young Fisher's expertness that in a comparatively short time he became known as a * swift,'and the experience then gained in tyre manipulation stood him in good stead afterwards, enabling him to beat all previous records in the various offices in which he subsequently operated as a compositor. After coming to New Zealand he was for many years ‘ whip' of the trade here, feat all the fastest men. and made the biggest ‘ polls ’ in the many offices he worked in. While he was at Clowes, in 1856, the proprietors gave an exhibition of the whole process of type founding for the edification of the Prince of Wales and tbe Duke of Edinburgh. A caster, a breakingoff boy, a rubber, a setting-up boy, and a dresser were selected to exemplify the process. Needless to say, the smartest operators were selected for the occasion, and it was significant of the man's future prominence that young <»eorge. then a lad of thirteen, was chosen as the setter-up.

A year later the family resolved to try the colonies, and, selecting Victoria, Fisher pere became part proprietor of the Jf'/frowrae Age, and Fisher fils received a subordinate appointment in me office, which, however, he shortly after exchanged for one on the Herald. So far, he had served no regular apprenticeship to the printing trade: but, discovering the value of indentures, he now decided to supply that omission, and, serving his time to Messrs Fergusson and Moore, of Melbourne, he became a full blown compositor, and no long time after, being just twenty years of age, he decided to engage Fortune single banded, and came over to New Zealand to see what the fates bad in store for him here. Remunerative employment he readily found, first at Invercargill, and subsequently at Dunedin and Christchurch. At the latter place, however, it was bis ill-fortune to become a participrator in a ‘ strike ' of the trade, which rendered subsequent employment in the South Island somewhat difficult to obtain, and tbe result was his tiansplantation to the Empire City, into whose soil be struck such deep root that the people came to look upon him as 1 elonging peculiarly to themselves, and bestowed upon him the affectionate sobriquet of • Our George."

‘Our Georges’ delut in Wellirgtcn was made in tbe Government Printing Office, but after a few years of ‘case’ work he joined the IVellingten Independent as a reporter, and finally, having profitably employed his »p>are time in tbe study of shorthand, of which he had acquired a thorough knowledge, he obtained a proeition on the New Zealand ‘Hansard' stat!, thus securing an ad-

mirable vantage ground from which to study Statecraft and gain an acquaintance with Parliamentary procedure. He did not seek to enter the Legislature until some years later, but meanwhile his energies found vent in local polities. Seeing the Empire City's urgent need of certain public work, the carrying out of which demanded an active mind, an indomitable will, and boundless energy, Mr Fisher threw himself heart and soul into public work. Serving first as a city councillor, he was subsequently elected Mayor, being re elected four terms consecutively, chiefly for the purpose of bringing to a successful issue the magnificent Wainuiomata water supply, of which great work be is the author Space will not allow of my dilating up»on the many and valuable services rendered to Welling-

ton by Mr Fisher curing his various terms of office, but I may mention that he was the originator of the Wellington Old Men's Home, a handsome building on Adelaide Road. For the lest, congiatulatory addresses from tbe grateful citizens, and handsome puesen taiions of plate, can testify.

In 1884 Mr Fisher threw up his connection with the Hansard staff to contest the South Wellington seat in the general election, which he did successfully. In the House Mr Fisher's exceptional ability at once made him conspicuous. He prosseses all the attributes necessary to successful public speaking : a sonorous voice of great compass, large command of language, a fund of general knowledge, a tlow of ideas, a good presence, large self-esteem, complete self possession, and a vigorous personality not to be ignored or put dow n. As a member of tbe Legislature be came immediately to the front, but it was on an Opposition bench, for the Stont Vogel combination was in power, and he and they were in violent antagonism. In tbe next Parliament, however, his star was in tbe ascendant, and, on the late Sir Harry Atkinson assuming the reins of office, he was made Minister of Education, a portfolio which he

resigned subsequently owing to a difference with bis chief. In respect of the matter of contention he, at tbe time, considered himself aggrieved, and his feeling of resentment wa« strong enough to send him into opiprosition. In the general election of 1890 he was sent in at the bead of the pxrll to support Liberal principles, but he has never heartily supported the interests of the party representing them, but has preferred to take a middle course, and pday a lone hand, by this means securing to himself tbe appellation of • the middle party,’ a title which seems likely to stick. During the present Parliament his antagonism to the reigning Ministry has been pronounced and prersistent ; bnt he ha* made no apprarent effort to ally himself with his former colleagues, and, though in fighting their battles be

has rendered them yeoman service, he still remains in Parliament a party of one.

In his younger days Mr Fisher was a capital runner and rowing man, and he has always interested himself in athletics, in prrof whereof he is now President of the Wellington Rugby Cnion.

Among other public works in which Mr Fisher has taken a prominent part may be mentioned the New Zealand Industrial Exhibition held in Wellington in 1885 Mr Fisher was chairman of the Executive Committee, a pxrsition the duties of which were very arduous, and which he carried out in a manner that secured him high public appreciation.

Mr Fisher claims to hold the most truly Liberal principles, but he is a pronounced oppronent of Woman's Franchise. He lias decided views and strong antipathies, and his self confidence is so great that he is not very amenable to reason once he has made up his mind. His indomitable energy and force of character make him an undesirable and decidedly unpleasant antagonist, but those same qualities are admirably calculated to render him a real piower for good. Mr Fisher s social qualities are well developed. He hates solitude, and loves the turmoil of a city life. Music has great charms for him ; he himself sings a good song, his voice being a prowerful bass. Personally, he is wellbuilt, strong and vigorous, has daik eyes with aggressive eyebrows, and a determined knit in the centre of the forehead.

Mr Fisher has for many years acted as Italian Consul, and in this connection occurred, some yeais back, one very notable event in his l.fe, which ended in his being made a CAeraZrer Italic. 1 allude to the well-known Gasprarini case, in connection with which Mr Fisher was accused by the French Consul, resident in Wellington, of conniving at the escapve of Gasprarini from custody. As will be remembered, two escaprees from New Caledonia, Gasparinr and Cury, failing to make the usual westward course to Australia, were blown southward to New Zealand, where they were picked np off the coast by tbe barque Howard, bound for Auckland. Being arrested by the Auckland prolice, they were discharged, but were rearrested and sent to Wellington, where extradition proceedings were instituted against them by the French Consul, Count Joufiroy DAb bans. Their cases having been gone into before Sir James Prendergast, then ActingGovernor, Cury was discharged from custody on the ground that his was not an extraditable offence, while his fellow fugitive was ordered to be sent back to New Caledonia. The Trench Consul saw Gasparini safely placed on board the Wakatipu, bound for Sydney; but, as is well known, he never reached the French authorities there, for when the steamer arrived at her destinationthe constable in charge had no prisoner to deliver. How he had escaped was, and still remains a mystery. The French Consul, in his chagrin at losing both his prisoners, made tot heGovernor of New Zealand, Sir \\ iliiam Jervois, a very serious charge against M r Fisher, to the effect that he had connived at Gasprarinis escapre. A large mass of corresprondence was the result, and, as in its finalstagestbe question developed intoone of serionsinternational importance, it is satisfactory to know that Mr Fisher triumphantly vindicated himself from the French Consul's charges, whereof the proof is in the fact that Count Jouffroy d'Abbans was removed by his Government from New Zealand to Zurich, while Mr Fisher was complimented by the Italian Premier, Signor Ciispi, on the able manner in which he had conducted the ca*e throughout, and was subsequently decorated with the Order of the Crown of Italy, and, as before mentioned, made a Chevalier.

Mrs Fisher, though born at bath, England, was brought to tbe colony when quite a child, and was brought up in Christchurch where she and Mr Fisher were married. Mrs Fisher is very musical in her tastes, and in her younger days was a frequent prerformer at musical functions until the care of an increasing family demanded all her devotion. Mrs Fisher is a very devoted wife and mother, a capable manager, and an energetic and assiduous worker ; yet she finds time for social pleasures, and, more than that, finds time also to assist her husband in his electoral campaigns, and very valuable assistance too, she renders. Contrary to her husband, she approves of woman suffrage, though regarding with an aversion, almost amounting to herror, any suggestion of women ultimately sitting in Parliament. Mr and Mrs Fisher have six living children, four sons and two daughters, the elder of whom is one of Wellington's favourite singers, her rich contralto never failing to charm her delighted auditors.

The ‘Ancient Mariner,' as performed by the Nelson Harmonic Society, was certainly a most enjoyable treat. The benches weie not so well filled as usual, but tbe chorus deserve all the more credit for the excellence of their singing. The conductor, Mr Fell, is certainly to be congratulated upron the success of tbe conceit. He had evidently exprended great pains upron the preparation of the work. ’