Mr. Samuel Saunders, Editor of the “Lyttelton Times,” was born and bred in an atmosphere of journalism. His father, Mr. Alfred Saunders, is well known as an author and politician in New Zealand, and his uncle, Mr. William Saunders, formerly member of the House of Commons for Walworth, was the founder of the Central Press and a successful newspaper proprietor. Mr. Saunders was born in Nelson in 1857, and ten years later was taken to England, where he was educated at Allesley College, a large private school in Warwickshire. He early showed leanings towards journalism, and before he was fourteen was acting as cricket contributor to one of the provincial papers. When sixteen years of age he returned to New Zealand to engage in commercial pursuits, which he followed for a few years, at the same time contributing articles to various newspapers. In 1883 he became editor of the “Ashburton Guardian,” which he conducted for three years, when he was induced by the late Hon. W. Reeves to join the staff of the “Lyttelton Times.” Mr. Saunders edited the “Star” for some time, and afterwards took charge of “The Canterbury Times.” When Mr. W. P. Reeves joined the Ballance Ministry in 1891, Mr. Saunders succeeded him as editor of the “Lyttelton Times,” having previously been associated with Mr. Reeves in much of the routine work of the position. Mr. Saunders takes no part in public life, as, with many leading English journalists, he believes that an editor should keep himself entirely free from personal interests in that direction. He married Miss Johnston, a granddaughter of the late Captain Cargill, the founder and the first Superintendent of the Province of Otago, and has a family of two sons and three daughters.

“The Star,” an evening journal issued by the Lyttelton Times Company, was established in 1868 in opposition to the “Evening Mail,” a Conservative journal published by Mr. Tribe. A fierce struggle for existence ensued between the two papers, but “The Star” reduced its price to one half-penny, and that settled the conflict. Mr. H. M. Reeves is the present editor.