Page:History of Adelaide and vicinity.djvu/278

 252 ADELAIDE AND VICINITY Hon. J. G. Jenkins Of an obser'ant frame of mind, it did not take him long to understand local conditions and institutions. As every occupant of a log hut has the opportunity of becoming master of White House, so Mr. Jenkins was imbued with an exemplary ambition for a public career. His e.xperiences in the United States and Canada were likely to be useful in South Australia. His residence was situated in the suburb of Unley, where he displayed some activity in public movements. As a member of literary societies he proved that he was possessed of bright debating powers, and he was elected to the Union Parliament, a body constituted by these societies, from which several useful legislators have graduated. Mr. Jenkins attained official importance among these unofficial parliamentarians, and rendered both the Literary Societies' Union and the Union Parliament good service. He was for some time " Premier " of the latter and President of the former. He was for many years connected with the Adelaide Young Men's Literary Society, and during the presidentship of the late Rev. W. Roby Fletcher was Vice-President. At that time the Society comprised 500 membcTs, outdistancing in number any similar organisation in South Australia. Mr. Jenkins first entered public life as member of the Unley Council for Parkside Ward. Eor I wo years he represented that expanding suburb with some vigor and to the satisfaction of ratepayers, and was forthwith returned to the Mayoralty unopposed — an honor seldom afforded to one so young in municipal experience. His term of office satisfied the townspeople, and he had to decline the post in the following year, being debarred by business pressure. At the general elections of 1887 Mr. Jenkins was a candidate for a seat in the House of Assembly for the District of Sturt, which had Unley and Parkside for its chief centres. His popularity in the locality, and his ability for the office, were demonstrated by his being elected first on the poll among several candidates. Here his acumen and good sense sustained him, and he has been returned at every subsequent election. During the first three or four sessions his speeches were listened to with attention, and his political sturdiness won for him encomiums from the press and the public. Of advanced views, he was yet known to be moderate in pressing them ; and, as his accomplishments were so generally recognised, it was only a question of time before he assumed Ministerial office. Upon the sudden death of the Hon. David Bews in March, 1891, the Premier, Mr. T. Playford, offered Mr. Jenkins the portfolio of Education, which he accepted. He occupied this post for nine months, and made an exhaustive study of the question of State education. He introduced and carried through the House a Bill providing for free education, an advanced piece of legislation very creditable to the Province. When in January, 1892, the late Sir John Bray was appointed Agent-General, there was a re-arrangement of portfolios, and Mr. Jenkins took office as Commissioner of Public Works. He was thus engaged until June of the same year, when the Government was defeated by Mr. Holder. At the general elections in 1893 the contests in the metropolitan districts were unusually keen because of the activity of the Labor Party. This political school organised its forces with such admirable vigor that it returned every one of its metropolitan nominees with the exception of the .Sturt candidate, where Mr. Jenkins defeated him by 21 votes. Although a narrow majority, if the splendid concentration of forces of the Labor Party be considered, it appears an eminent one. When the Kingston Government took office in