PIONEER OF TARANAKI.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 September 1921, Page 6

PIONEER OF TARANAKI.

DEATH OF MR. THOMAS KELLY. FINE RECORD OF SERVICE. The death of Mr. Thomas Kelly, one of Taranaki’s oldest settlers, occurred at New Plymouth yesterday morning. The late Mr? Kelly, who was 91, was one of the most prominent men in the province, and he was intimately associated with its early history. Born on the Isle of Man in July, 1830, he came out to New Plymouth with his father by the ship Cresswell in June, 1855. His father acquired property -*n the Bell Block district, which the subject of this notice farmed for many years. In 1863 he was elected a member of the Taranaki Provincial Council and 'became Provincial Secretary under the Snperintendentcy of Mr. TI. it. Richmond. While occupying tliat position from 1865 to 1869, lie took a large share in the opening up of the country between Waitara and Tataraimaka by the construction of roads and bridges. In 1869 he was elected to represent New Plymouth in the House of Representatives, and until ]875 he was absent from the Provincial Council. In that year he again became a member, and at the request of Mr. F. A. Carrington, the then superintendent, and Mr. A. Standish, he joined the executive and assisted Mr. Standish in promoting the occupation of the bush district between i Waiongona, Inglewood, and Stratford. Under that as agents for the General Government, the coun- ; try was opened up 'by a main line of road, and all the streams and rivers . were bridged, or contracts entered into for bridging them, when the abolition of provinces was carried into effect. OPENING UP TARANAKI. Mr. Kelly was then able to devote himself more, fully to his duties as a member of the House of Representatives. There he was always a strong

advocate for opening the country by means of good roads as the cheapest and most effectual means of dealing with the Natixe difficulty. From 1869 onwards he had by letters strongly urged on the Government the advantages of opening up the land between New Plymouth and Patea by a main road, on the ground that the pick and shovel properly applied in that direction would do more to conquer the Maoris than the rifle and bayonet. When Sir .Julius Vogel brought down his railway policy in 1870, Mr. Kelly warmly supported it as likely to greatly benefit the colony. When the Railway Bill was brought down in 1871 there was no mention of a line to connect New Plymouth with Wellington. Mr. Kelly at once took stops to remedy the defect, and succeeded in having the schedule amended, with the result that the first portion of the line, from New Plymouth, to Waitara, was put in hand in 1873 and completed in 1875. For his exertions in this matter he was presented by the inhabitants of New Plymouth with a testimonial and a Duhipliy level and appurten-

It was, however, in connection with the harbor that Mr. Kelly should be best remembered. In 1874 Mr. Carrington brought in a Bill to give onefourth of the proceeds of the land in Taranaki for the construction of a harbor, and in doing so received the active support of Mr. Kelly in all the steps which led up to the Bill and its subsequent passage in the House. Mr. Kelly, at the request of Provincial Government, prepared the New Plymouth Harbor Ordinance, which gave authority to borrow money for harlrnr works, and subsequently as chairman of the Harbor Board, in conjunction with the late Mr. Henry Weston as treasurer, he negotiated the first harbor loan. WORK FOR TITS TOWN. After representing the town of New Plymouth in the House of Representafrom 1869 to 1884, Mr. Kelly was in the latter year defeated by Mr. Oliver Samuel. In 1899 he was called to the Legislative Council, to which lie was reappointed in 1906, remaining there until 1913, when he retired into private life. In the Legislative Council. as in the House of Representatives, his career was marked by a very intimate knowledge of Parliamentary IdsSBJX Mui jjroMdure, which made Lira

one of the most valuable and valued members.

It was not in Parliament alone, however, that Mr. Kelly served his fellow citizens, for as a member of the Harbor Board, of the Education Board, of the Land Board, of the Taranaki Council, and in other matters, he devoted much time and ability to public affairs. Methodical in his ha'bits, of an analytical turn of mind, gifted with sound judgment and instinct, and being an untiring worker, he rendered services of incalculable benefit to New Plymouth and Taranaki during the most critical periods of their history. Several years ago Mr. Kelly disposed of his farm, “Glenfern,” on the Hen wood Road, and came into town, where he has lived a retired life, though keenly interested to th? last in the progress * and welfare of the town and country. Mrs. Kelly predeceased her husband some years ago, and their only son, Mr. Charles Kelly, also died many years ago.