OBITUARY

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 646, 25 October 1909, Page 8

OBITUARY

THE HON./G.F. RICHARDSON. • ■/■'■-""'". A, NOTABLE CAREER. -'An old ,Now Zealand colonist -who had s. dig-. tinguished career has passed away in tho person of the Hon. George, Frederick Richardson, .who died at 5,-o'clock. on .Saturday inornirig'at his residence in Tinakbri Road.' A surveyor by : profession, and distinguished \in his calling, Mr. -Richardson was Stinister for' Lands in-the Atkinson Government; in the late eighties,-and-was at other periods of his life for many years a member of the public, service.. The immediate, bause: of, his death/was diabetes, but.his.end was hastened by injuries which he sustained as , the' result", of, 4. in tho Wairafapa'. about'.eleven'months ago. ..He' was, however, ! able 1 , to >. attend to his duties untii •near the end, and ho was. at his office in the Government Buildings as recontly as last Tuesday morning; -~..-'■•' "Mr. -Richardson was-born .at Cheltenham, England, in J837, and-was educated at Home., He arrived, in' New. Zealand in 1851 when four-, teen years-of age,>,by'the ship; Dominion. The family • immediately went, to 'Ota?--.' and .he. jbineU the-Government service in _.unedin : in ICCO, as' a - cadet in the Survey/Office.. .He 1 speedily qualified' as a.surveyor,.and remained in the service of the .Government for, a quarter, of a' century, as one of the district. surveyors of: Southland../ Mr. Bichard.scn took an active'part, ■iii local "government, first -as, a member of. various southern, road. boards and afterwards as councillor' and'chairrrifth of the' Southland, County, .'le'tairiins his. connection . with .the. latter body until-ho became a. Minister of'the Crown: During his political career. ■ Mr. Richardson represented , the constituency of Mataura, for .which he was, the first, elected member' of the' House of • Representatives in 1554... He was-re-elected in 1687 and'lß9o, but. was .defeated /at,.the general election of 1893:' MrV : Richardson 'was'Ministor for Lands ,and ■Immigration from October 8, 1887, to January 24, 1891; Minister for Mines from October 8, 1887,'t0 October ,17,■ 1889; and' Minister for. Agriculturo. from, October 17, 1889,. to January 24, 1891, in the ..time of the Atkinson Govern-'' ment. Mr. Richardson retired from the. civil service in 1885, and entered into private practice, as a surveyor. '■•: Subsequently'• he- came, to Wellington, whore ho was; best known as a . 'partner' ', in. the ' firm of,' Messrs.' Richardson, Reardon and Co., rarveyors, etc.

About/fourteen years,, ago •Mr. Richardson again entered the Government service, as computer to the'Larids and- Survey Department. J&oi anbsequently became:technical assistant to the Hoard of Land 1 ' Purchase'; Commissioners, a' position'whichi he still held'at ofhis'' death. He took an -active interest,in legislative and other measutea'for the advancement of his,profession..,-For,many years he-was pre-' sident:6fTthe' New Zealand Surveyors,-.lnsti-tute, and he also held the, position .of ohairman of the Surveyors':', Board, which,conducts the official, examinations of surveyors. He represented the, surveyors'of. New .'Zealand at Aus-, •tralasian: conferences, on several occasions., He-, leaves widow, -three daughters (Mrs. A. Knox, of Kaitawa/and Misses Ethel and Fanny Richardson, of Wellington), two sons (Captain H. Richardson-.und Mr. F..Richardson,.both of Wellington), and two brothers (Mr.'J. Kichardson, manager for'the 'Atlas Insurance Com-, pany, 'Dunedin, and Mr.'- Mallcott Richardson,, The funeral'takes place.this afternoon,' leav-,. ing the residence, 80 Tinakori'Road, at 2.30. panVfor Karori,. .';■.'.' ".._,.. .;> IN THE EARLY DAYS. One who was oldselyassociated" with Mr. Richardson in the, early days speaks \ of the deceased gentleman as a general favourite, possessing '. exceptional' r ability '■ and capacity for work. Ho was an' upright man in all _ his dealings,':throughout. a ; varied. career, chivalrous to a fault,' and' maintaining under all circumstances an abounding cheerfulness, which often helped to- brighten the distressed, with whom ho came in contact. In 185-i ho ex-, plored Southern Otago, and at that time there were no roads or' bridges. , He' selected Oak-' lands Station; near'Wyndham, for-his father,, and" ho later, drove the sheep to stock ' the' station from, Canterbury, ■ having ,to: swim them'across the Waitaki, Molyneux,'and other rivers-en- routed.'. 'It' was '.necessary in /those, days to take provisions for: the station from Dunedin in' open boats down the const to -Toitoes, the .nearest harbour (close to the-Bluff).' He qualified as a surveyor under Mr. James MTCerrow;' and before entoring-Parliament'a* member for Mataufa, had cut up a large part of Southland.- As-Minister for Lands in the Atkinson Government, he held that piosperous settlement, could only-come about'if land was taken' up at such a-figure as-would permit the - purchaser to work profitably.: ne also held that roadintr should precede settlement.': '■'' Ho formulated:. a -schemo for village settlements, which made provision for-the ire-. sumiDg: of suitable areas in agricultural districts, between towns and back country,'' so that villagers would have ; chances" of employment at harvesting and shearing,-and a town market for such; produce as they might raise on their sections, - : v MR. RJCHARDSON'S POLITICAL CAREER.' :j •■; 'A COLLEAGUE'S- APPRECIATION. .' One, of the late Mr. Richardson's colleagues in the Atkinson Ministry was the Hon. T.--W. Hislop, whoknew him personally from his boy.'; hood, and whoi-when called;upon by a Dojrcfion .representative on Saturday, kindly gave, by v way of reminiscence, a sketch and appreciation of the deceased-gentleman's political career'.. , ','!I remember the' lata Mr. Richardson's fattier, Dr. ' Frederick..'" Hall Richardson, of Dunedin," said Mr. Hislop. "He was" '•'»•:■■ vcoy,/genial' and popular man, and at the.time that I, as a boy, knew him,;he. had' given'up the practice of his pro-, fession and was Uving .privately.' /He had acquired a good deal "of property, including- an estate in the .-country. I knew the late Mr. G.' F.: Richardson ■ in • his' younger, days as a surveyor with ;a'high-.reputation ,for ability, and as a very iwpulaWman; ''During the-early, part' of his political career, in' 1884 and subsequently, - -he - contributed ■'■ a" great many of-the then famous' .'Cigarettes;'- , which .appeared in ; the -old;; ."Evening Press,', .under ; the editorship i of the late,. Edward Wakefield: ■'"Although not'a fluent speaker, Mr.-Rich-, ardson uttered, on occasions, some, very trenchant criticisms of'the' doings' of-the Stout-Vpgel Ministry. He was a'great help to tho Opposi/ tion,' and was!popular, in the lobbies;- so that' when, Major Atkinson formed his Government in:lßß7,''nobqdy>as surprised .to, find Mr. .Richardson a member of it. In/the bittorest:con.troversios, he. was. always calm, and he was a master of. the,retort courteous, so/that, while many of us,differed to- some-extent:-from his 'views'on the land question, everyone respected him, and-allowed weight to his opinions. It/was.uridor his .administration of tho/Landa Dopartment, that -the optional clauses .'were first" iritroduced'aud carricd.-ahdtit, was in his Land Act of '1887 that. tho 'restriction was put- upon the right of any ipersott' to acquire more than a'certain" area'--of'Crown/land. .Before-'.that, time," a purchaser ,-for/.cash'/had 'unlimited power-to buy land that was. opened up for''disposal.' The immediate-consequence-of the introduction- of the optional system ' was tlint "the perpetual leaso.and deferred- : payment be"'came the 'most, popular - tenures. - 'Within/two' years, .the. ratio.;of settlers uhdor .'these' two tenures to"' thoso - .under'-. cash.' purchase .became as.-s'to : l, whereas/it had"previously;'been as 1 to 5./ The Bill;was"drftfted,';.byVdirectioji..'of •tho. Cabinet,.by-Mri/.Ricjiardson Valid myself. His feelings ' were .against the restriction -of J

areas for"cash, purchase, but'he'surrendered Ms own views to the extent of agreeing to the limitation to 640 acres of first-class land. "Probably moro settlers were.placed on tho land during. the term of his administration than in any period of like duration beforo or . since. Great care was taken to watch transfers, so as'to put a'-check upon 'dummying,' and whereas that practice had been extremely rife ■ in previous years, it was almost annihilated; i during his administration, as was. proved .by i the returns that were made from time to time i showing that the original settlers were still in , possession. "'.■•''.,. "It was wall known in political circles that 1 he and I were at. the antipodes to each other 1 on some political questions. ." Ho had»a' natural l- disinclination to interfere with the old funi holders, and even in my own district, I had i some- difficulty, in struggling with' him' to' get ['■ lands, opened up for settlement. He was, however,'so perfectly honest in his convictions, . that he recognised and admitted' the benefits derived' from changes carried out, in some cases, .against. his .will, and he became, as time. went, on, a. very much' improved Minister . for Lands. .1 always felt that if. he had continued in office,longer, he would have become more and' > more successful; because he was guidfed only by a desire for the' public good. / He improved by experience and'despised any surrender merely to meet the prejudices of : others. . ." • ■ . "Heshould be remembered with honour on oc- •' .count of what he did for the dairy industry. Something had already been done in regard to cheese, but practically nothing in regard : to butter.' A. fellow-townsman had discussed ;, with me the question of appointing dairy : experts, and when I became a colleague of Mr. Richardson, I-mooted the proposal, but I found . that he had already gone into it with the late , Mr. Bryden. The result was the appointment of Mr. John Sawers as our. first dairy expert. Within, I think, two years, the export of dairy produce went up to .£250,000, and. now it is counted in millions. 'He was also very, active in dealing with the rabbit nuisance. His . administration of the Mines Department did much to revive that industry, which previously, was in a very unsatisfactory condition. . "After his retirement from politics, he continued to be very popular with men on both sides, and'those who had been opposed to him politically;'were as ready as any to- en-. ; courage him in his private enterprises. He was. a very interesting man to know.. He had a. good knowledge, of astronomy, and of the flora and fauna of.New Zealand, and he could draw upon a fund of stories ,of the earlydays.",

j MR. J. F. A. KELLING.

A NELSON PIONEER. A very old settler of the Nelson province, Mr.: 1 J. Fedor Augustus Kolling; diad yesterday in'. his 90th year. When seen by his son, Mr. F. K;. Kelling, of this city, on Saturday last, ho! was in his usual 'health,' nut he passed away ■ peacefully yesterday morning after an attack, of paralysis. The late Mr. Kelling was born in Meckle'nburg-Schrverin, Germany,- on February,' 11, 1820. He was educated privately and. at the high school, studied surveying, and-afterwards' was farming on one of Count Ranzau's estates.' In May, 1841 he left Hamburg for New Zealand in the second German expedition of emigrants sent out by' tho New Zealand Company. Of that expedition he and his brother wero leaders.-'-He settled at Waimea East, Nelson, and' thereafter ...took. an . interesting ■ part .in public-life. ■ In, 1853 he was. elected one of-the directors .of the .Settlers': Cattle :Fair" Association, in 1851 established the Agricultural Association, of which he was secretary till 1862; and in 1851 was elected a member of tho first road board in Waimea, of which he was chairman till 1860, and a member .of the Central Board ,of Education. In 1857 he was elected: a member of the .Nelson Provincial. Conncil, and in-1859 he was appointed a Justice of'the'Peace.' He sat' on the Waimea ,'Behch for over forty, years. ' In 1860 Mr. Kelling was elected M.H.R. during the last'session of the first eleoted Parliament of New Zealand (quinquennial, 1856-60). It is believed that the only survivor of that' Parliament is now Sir ' John Logan Camnbell, of Auckland, He'went as Government'immigration' Agent to Europo in February,'lß63, and. was entrusted with the arrangements for the emigration of German military settlers to deal: 'with the troubles in.Taranaki. The question. ■ arose, however, as to-'the propriety of bringing out settlers'in' these conditions, and. Mr. Kelling was recalled and tho" negotiations can'-: celled. :In 1867 Mr'.. ;'Kelling.'.; was' appointed Consul for' tlio'North German' Confederation, and in 1871 Consul'- for the German Empire. The Consulate in Nelson was abolished on his , recommendation in ISS4. As a reward for his services Mr. Kelling received from the Emperor William I the Order of tho Crown. He served . as a lieutenant in-the Militia in-tho 'fifties, ,but was never on active service. Mr v Kelling was .one of, only five survivors whose-'; names: appeared, on,, tho, electoral, roll for the. province of Nelson, in. 1853. . Three wives"and his eldest'daughter .predeceased, him. Ho leaves''three.'son's, Mr.': &,•' Kelling, '■ who is farming, at the'old home, at, Eanzau, 1 two miles beyond Richmond. Mr. E. C. Kelling, clerk of. the' Conrt at Nelson, and Mr; F. K. Kelling, for twenty-seven years ~an officer of the Government ■ Insnrariee Department, Wellington. . The only surviving daughter is Mrs. J. M. Croucher, of Richmond, Nelson. The funeral'of the late Mr.-Kolling will leave ' the residence of his, son, Kawatiri, Nile Street •East, Nelson, to-morrow morning. ' -:, ■ ■..