Nothing Somnolent About Harry Saunders

NZ Truth, Issue 1152, 29 December 1927, Page 4

Nothing Somnolent About Harry Saunders

ASK a Nelson man to jot down the names of half-a-dozen really live young men of the own. It would be easy money on finding the name of Harry Saunders in the bunch. A positive error to suppose that a native of Nelson is a personal reflection of the alleged somnolent qualities of the pleasant little city. Five minutes conversation with Harry Saunders alone would negative such an impression. He is a member of the Nelson licensing bench, a body that recently met, completed its business and passed a vote of thanks to the chairman all within a period of three minutes. An example of administrative slickness worthy of emulation by long-winded bodies of other places making a pretence of hustle. . y "■ Bothered Nelson parents have a fairly certain choice of at least two avenues for the young hopeful. He can go to a jam factory or a foundry. Young Harry donned a suit of overalls at the Anchor foundry. The roll of drums in 1914 set a period to his ordered career. Dungarees were kicked under a bench — discarded for the smart rig-out of a lieutenant in the Main Body. He scanned the futile preparations of Johnny Turk from the banks of the Suez Canal and led his gallant Nelson lads on the heights of Gallipoli. Two further "pips" weighed down each shoulder-strap of his tunic before his honorable discharge frorn. active service. Those were the days when patriotic fervor was at white heat. Before Harry had time to don his old overalls, he was grabbed and made secretary of the local patriotic society. He is still in the post, assisting to lighten the slowly diminishing aftermath of th e world's worst upheaval. An admirable occupant of the job, for his friendly smile and helpful attitude towards genuine distress removes any chilly suggestion of the mere dispensing of charity. Like the typical Nelson man, he is never ruffled — imperturbable he is and impervious to the unquiet and discontent of the huge outer world.

Following the footsteps of his paterfamilias, who was a pioneer in theatre enterprise in Nelson, Harry's business interests are largely centred in the distribution of the indispensable films in and around the district.

Man about town, popular and imbued with an unselfish civic spirit, he is not the sort to walk through life in blinkers. They do say that although he missed at the municipal election he will be ready to come again at the right time.