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9 town and district needed in the way of leadership and direction. George Samuel Sale was a native of Rugby, Warwick, and proved to be one of the finest type of men the Motherland sent abroad to build an Empire across the seas—for he was essentially an Empire builder of the most acceptable type. Mr Sale came out to New Zealand. He is, (for he still lives, happily) a man of high classical attainments, and he possessed the fullest confidences of the Canterbury Government by which he was employed. When the “rush” to Hokitika took place Mr Sale was transferred from a responsible and lucrative post on the Treasury at Christchurch to Hokitika, with unlimited powers to deal with all judicial and financial questions. Under the comprehensive title of “Commissioner” he performed the onerous duties of Deputy Superintendent, Treasurer, Magistrate, Warden, and a host of other duties which came to his supervision in those rude times. Every case of sickness he cared for, and he was literally besieged by applicants for assistance or advice on all kinds of subjects. Also he had to be his own architect. Supreme Hall, as we now know it, was designed by Commissioner Sale, and erected under his supervision for the Provincial offices, courts. etc., and this is another example of the variety of his every day duties.

A diversion in the narrative is necessary here to trace another aspect of Mr Sale’s services. It appears that at one stage, Government oppression from Canterbury led to an attempt to establish Westland as a separate province. A local committee went to work in earnest and prepared such a bill of indictment—a full statement of Westland’s grievances—as was never before witnessed in the Southern Hemisphere. Hundreds of names were attached to the petition and sent to Sir Edward Statford G.C.M.G. (then Chief Secretary at Wellington), and to the Hon. John Hall, his colleague. To the energy of those two gentlemen, Westland was indebted for separation from what she then regarded as an evil stepmother. Westland was given a simple form of local Government, while all this time Mr Sale administered the affairs of the district unswervingly and without his advice nothing was done. On being invited to stand as a candidate for a seat in the new County Council (which had much wider powers than the present form of County Government) as a representative ef the Borough of Hokitika, he consented, and was accordingly elected. Unfortunately business affairs soon called him to England, and he was lost to Westland. On returning to New Zealand Mr Sale became Professor of Classics at Otago University and on his retirement in later life full of years and honors, went back to England where he is still residing.

Hokitika is becoming a town of memorials, and it is suggested that the life and work here of George Samuel Sale is worthy of some recognition, however simple in form that memorial might be. Might it not be suggested to the Beautifying Association that a memorial oak tree be planted at the foot of Sale Street, and enclose it with a permanent fence, placing therein a tablet in stone setting forth something of the work and achievements of Commissioner Sale in this town. In the same way too the Association might mark the services of Warden Revell by some notable form of memorial in front of the Town Hall in Revell St. Posterity which has enjoyed so much by reason of the labor of the leaders in civic life here in the early days, can