OBITUARY

Hokitika Guardian, 28 December 1922, Page 3

OBITUARY

PROFESSOR. SALE DEAD. IUSiItALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. (Received this dav at 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 26. . Obituary—George Samuel Sale, formerly classical professor at Otago University. [The death of Mr Sale removes a . notable figure very closely identfied with the earliest days of Hokitika. Known as “ King " Sale, lie represented the Canterbury Provincial Govern--1 ment when the Coast was part of (Amterbury, and Air Sale had very full administrative powers. Sale Street, Hokitika, was named after the late Mr Sale, who was a very fine type of Englishman, and of high scholastic qualifications. He afterwards became a Professor of the Otago University, before returning to England, to retire in his old age. A brother was schoolmaster at Kaniori for many years, and also left behind him a very fine record. The late Air Sale revisited Hokitika a considerable time ago, when he met several of the pioneers, with whom he was glad of the opportunity of fratenn. ising. From a pamphlet of “The Birth of the Borough of Hokitika,” we extract the following reference to the late Mr Sale, whose early work hero so ; identified him with the foundation history of the town and district:— •'Sale street, Hokitika, recalls the most memorable of names associated with tiic birth of Hokitika—or for j tho matter of that, with Westland at large. He was known here officially as Warden Sale, hut he was more often dubbed “ King ” Sale, for he was a veritable Pooh Bah in those early days, being everything the town and district needed in the way of leadership and direction. George Samuel Sale was a native of Rugby. "Warv. ick, and proved to he one of the finest type of men the Motherland sent abroad to build an Empire across the So as—for he was essentially an Empire builder of the most acceptable type. Mr Sale came out to New Zealand. Ho was a man of high classical attain- ■ mculs. and he possessed the fullest confidences of Ihe Canterbury Govern- | ment liv which he was employed. , When the “ rush ” to Hokitika : took place Air Sale was trails- . forred from a responsible and lucrative j post on the Treasury at Christchurch to Hokitika, with unlimited powers to deal with all judicial and financial questions. Under the comprehensive title of •■Commissioner” he performed the onerous duties of Deputy , Superintendent, Treasurer, .Magistrate, ; Warden, and a host of other duties which came to his supervision in those rude limes. Every case of sickness lie ; cared for, and he was literally besieged . bv applicants for assistance or advice on [ ail kinds of subjects. Also he had to | he his own architect. Supremo Hall, as we now know it, was designed V' ! ‘Commissioner Sale, and erected undei j his supervision for the Provincial offi- | cos, court., etc., and this is another ex-j ample of the variety of his every day j duties. “ A diversion in the narrative is necessary here to trace another aspect of Ah’ Sale’s services. It appears that at one stage. Government oppression | from Canterbury led to an at tempt Jo establish Westland as a separate prsPt- [ jure. A local committee went to work I in earnest and prepared such a bill of indict ment—a full statement of West- ! laud’s grievances—as was never helote witnessed in the Southern Hemisphere. , Hundreds of names were attached to j the petition and sent to Sir Edward . . Stafford.. G.C.M.G. (then Chief Score- j tarv at Wellington), and to the Hon. ; John Hull, his colleague. To the oner- ! gy of those two gentlemen, Westland ; was indebted for separation from what she then regarded as an evil stepmother. Westland was given a pimple form of local government. while all this time Mr Sale ad-| ministered the affairs of the dis- I trict unswervingly and without his • advice nothing was done. On being . invited to stand as a candidate foi a ( seat in the new County Council (which I had much wider powers than the pie-- : sent form of County Government) as ■ a representative of the Borough ol Ho- ; kitika, he consented, and was accord- j i iuglv elected. Unfortunately business I • affairs soon called him to England, and ’ he was lost to Westland- On return-j in,,- |<> New Zealand, Mr Sale became ; Pro lessor of C lassies at Otago Utnver- . si tv, and on his'retirement in later life i ' full of years and honours, went hack to ; England. “Hokitika is becoming a town nt ■ memorials, and it is suggested that the life and work here ol George Samuel : Sale is worthy of some recognition, | ' i however simple in form that memorial j • might he. Alight it not be suggested ’ • I to the Beautifying Association that a. j | niomnri.'d oak t rue' bo plan tod at tho J • loot of Sale Street, and enclose it with ; a orrnianeut. fence, placing therein a j tablet in stone setting forth something of (|,e work and arhievpnments of Com- ! - ionoe lii iii 1 hitown. 1