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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Canterbury Provincial District]

Commercial And Industrial

Commercial And Industrial.

The Canterbury Chamber Of Commerce was instituted in 1859 and incorporated in 1882, Committee for 1901–2; Mr. William Wood, president; Mr. F. Waymouth, vice-president; and Messrs G. T. Booth, E. C. Brown, E. C. Ashby, W. Ballantyne, J. A. Frostick, I. Gibbs, R. E. McDougall, A. L. Parsons, H. Wood, A. Kaye, W. Lambie, W. D. Meares, H. Quane, W. Reece and H. G. Simms. Mr. H. Antill Adley is secretary. The Chamber is domiciled on the ground floor of the Australian Mutual Provident Society's Buildings in Cathedral Square. It has a large and convenient room well supplied with papers and periodicals, and a small committee-room is attached. The meeting-room is let for evening meetings, and is occupied, toy the Chess and Savage Clubs. The Chamber's annual report embodies a large amount of interesting information; and the issue of August, 1901, contains twenty-six pages of valuable commercial statistics, and the president's address which deals exhaustively with important mercantile matters. The secretary is to be found at the office of the Liverpool and London and Globe Insurance Company on the same floor.

Mr. Harry Antill Adley, Secretary of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, is referred to in connection with the Liverpool and London and Globe Insurance Company.

The Industrial Corporation Of New Zealand. Officers for 1902: Messrs W. Minson, president; Thomas Garrard, honorary secretary and treasurer. This corporation, which has its office in the Canterbury Hall, Manchester Street, was formed to aid, foster, and encourage the industries and productions of the colony, the Industrial Associations of Welington and Canterbury being affiliated with it. It gives consideration to questions of importance relating to the manufacturers and productions of the colony, and seeks to arouse a spirit of patriotism among the people, so that colonial manufactures may be sought after in preference to goods of foreign make.

The Industrial Association Of Canterbury. Officers for 1902: Messrs W. Minson, president; J. C. Wilkin and W. Sey, vice-presidents; W. W. Charters, honorary treasurer; and Thomas Garrard, secretary. The association was established in 1879, its first title being the Association for the Fostering and Encouragement of Native Industries, which was altered in 1883, when it was incorporated under the Industrial. Societies' Act of that year. The association has been a most successful one, several exhibitions having been promoted and successfully carried through under its management. The first exhibition, which was held in 1880, was attended by 24,000 persons, and realised a handsome profit of over £400. A Royal Commission was appointed by the Government to visit the exhibition and report, and the result was highly favourable to the promoters of the association and to the manner in which the exhibition had been conducted. The last exhibition was held in November, December, and January, 1900 and 1901, and a subsidy of £1000 was granted by Government. The financial result was highly satisfactory, a sum of £3000 being netted. The whole ground under cover within the exhibition amounted to 74,000 square feet, and the space was occupied by 300 exhibitors, exclusive of about 2000 exhibits in the Home Industries and Working Exhibits sections.

Mr. Abiel Gifford Howland, who is a Life Member of the Canterbury Industrial Association, is a native of the United States, and was born at Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in 1832. He is a descendant of John Howland, one of the “Pilgrims” who landed from the ship “Mayflower” at Plymouth in 1620, and was a native of Essex, England. In Mr. Howland's early days he had some little experience of sea-life with his father, who was a sea-captain. This was not to his liking, and he turned his attention to cottonspinning, which gave him a good insight into machinery and laid the foundation of his mechanical ideas. He apprenticed in the coach-building trade at Central Falls, Rhode Island, where he was afterwards in business on his own account, and subsequently went into the same business at Providence, Rhode Island. He afterwards went to Australia, arriving in Melbourne in March, 1859, and spent some months in Ballarat. He then returned to America via England, and was shipwrecked off the Nova Scotian coast, when twenty-five lives were lost. Mr. Howland, losing all his belongings, had to commence? the world afresh. He engaged in business for the third time in Providence City until 1862, and after the Civil War had been raging for eighteen months he sailed for Melbourne, where he arrived during the great “rush” for New Zealand. He joined the throng, and landed in Dunedin in 1863, from the ship “Hoozah,” of New Bedford, commanded by Capt. Howland, a relative of his. In 1864, he settled in Christchurch, and took
Standish and Preece photo.Mr. A. G. Howland.

Standish and Preece photo.
Mr. A. G. Howland.

the management of Mr. L. G. Cole's carriage building establishment. Mr. Howland after a time invented machinery and started flaxdressing works at Spring Creek, Marlborough, in company with Mr. Henry Redwood, Returning to Christchurch in 1870, he became a partner with Mr. Cole, under the style of A. G. Howland and Co., and he has conducted business either on his own account or with partners up to the present time, with the exception of twelve months, when he paid a visit to the United States. Mr. Howland was one of the promoters of the Canterbury Industrial Association, and has always taken a leading part in promoting colonial industries. He was vice-president of the Industrial Association, for the years 1881–2, and president for two consecutive years, during which the Exhibition of 1884 was held. He used his influence with the Government to increase the duty on goods that could be made successfully in the Colony, such as boots, woollen goods, tinware, etc., which before were in a very languishing condition. page 272 Mr. Howland took a prominent part in promoting the construction of the Midland Railway, and in the formation of the Railway League. He was one of the guarantors to send delegates to England to get a company to take up a contract, and was vice-president of the league for several years. Mr. Howland was married in 1867, to a daughter of the late Mr. Joan Roskruge, of Cornwall, and has two daughters.

The Canterbury Employers' Association was established in 1890, but it remained practically inactive for a few years. In 1899, however, it was reorganised, and has since proved a most progressive and beneficial combination. Its membership represents all phases of the commercial and industrial life of the province. The objects of the Association are: (1) To encourage unanimrty of opinion and action amongst employers, and to endeavour to improve the relations between employers and employees; (2) to educate public opinion as to the effect of labour legislation on the industries and trade of the colony, and to make representation in proper quarters, with a view to amending present and influencing future legislation, and to take such other action as may be necessary to conserve the legitimate interests of employers; (3) to give advice concerning cases before the Conciliation Board and Arbitration Court; and (4) to encourage the formation of similar associations. The association's office is in Dearsley's Buildings in Cashel Street. The present officers are: George T. Booth, president; R. M. Macdonald and J. A. Frostick, vice-presidents; Alex. Lowry, honorary treasurer; and Henry Broadhead, secretary. There is also an executive committee consisting of about thirty members.

Mr. Henry Broadhead, Secretary of the Canterbury Employers' Association, was appointed to the position in May, 1900, and has already won the entire confidence of the members by the conscientious manner in which he conducts the business of the association. [gap — reason: illegible] literary knowledge and familiarity with shorthand have been of great assistance to him in connection with his duties. He is a native of Scotland, and was trained as a clerk in Glasgow, but afterwards became a newspaper reporter. He arrived in New Zealand in 1896.

The Christchurch Liberty League is composed of men and women who are prepared to use every constitutional means to uphold and protect the liberty of the subject, and to support every reform, having for its object the extension of personal liberty. It is claimed to be entirely free from political party bias, and will not give its support to any parliamentary candidate who is an extremist upon any subject prejudicial to the individual rights of the people. The league considers that, if carried, prohibition would prove a serious menace to personal liberty, and for that reason it systematically endeavours to retard the progress of the movement. The Christchurch Liberty League is the premier association of its kind in the colony. It was established in 1896, and at present (January, 1902) it has a membership of 7000. Meetings are held—when considered desirable—in the secretary's office, at 186, Gloucester Street. The league is managed by a council consisting of about thirty members. This council elects a chairman and a secretary. The present chairman is Mr. J. M. Thompson, and Mr. F. N. Meadows is the present secretary.

Mr. F. Notley Meadows has held the appointment of Secretary of the Christchurch Liberty League since 1899. He is also Secretary of the Canterbury Kennel Club the Te Waiata, a musical club, and of the operatic section of the Christchurch Natives' Association. Mr. Meadows was born in Somersetshire, England, in 1859. He is a son of Mr. J. O. Meadows, an English barrister, and was educated at Lancing College, Sussex, and afterwards trained for the law. Ill-health, however, overtook him, and in 1879 he abandoned the hope of entering the legal profession and sailed for New Zealand. He entered commercial life, and, in 1886, floated the well-known Central Dairy Company, of which he was secretary for some years. Mr. Meadows was subsequently engaged to manage the Wellington, Auckland, and Dunedin Exhibitions respectively, and afterwards to represent the New Zealand Government at the Launceston, Hobart, and Brisbane Exhibitions. He also took a prominent part in the Joubert and Twopeny exhibition of 1881.

He was the Secretary of the Christchurch Operatic Society during its most progressive years. During his term of office the society produced the “Mikado,” “Iolanthe, and other popular operas, Mr. Meadows is the Christchurch Agent for Mr. J. P. McEvan, and Mr. J. L. Stevens, of Melbourne, and also for Mr. W. W. Crawford, of Sydney.