Four No Show Without Punch 1904

CHAPTER FOUR

No Show Without Punch

Gloom descended over the town of Hawera and indeed South Taranaki when the public became aware that Arthur Albert Fantham, shining knight of South Taranaki, guardian and auctioneer of the Egmont Farmers’ Union and friend of the people, passed away at Hawera Hospital on Saturday 16 January 1904, at the age of 61 years. This was an untimely and sad moment for the farming community. He had been one of the most eminent early settlers and a prodigious supporter of all things rural. South Taranaki had much to thank him for during the 22 years he spent in the district. He had been unwell for some time and it appears his son A. A. Fantham II was officiating at sales on his behalf when in the same newspaper issue of 18 January 1904 containing his obituary an advertisement also appeared: EGMONT FARMERS’ UNION LTD GLOVER ROAD YARDS, HAWERA Thursday January 28 at 1 p.m., A. A. FANTHAM will sell by public auction as above 1300 sheep in lots consisting of young fattening ewes, breeding ewes and lambs.

Statue of Arthur Fantham at King Edward Park, Hawera, 1922.

PHOTOGRAPHER S. G. SMITH. COURTESY OF ARTHUR FRYER

Tributes for Arthur Fantham flowed from many sections of the community both near and far to the personality and character of this energetic and committed gentleman pioneer who was an exceptional individual in every way. He would be immortalised as one of Hawera’s outstanding citizens with a statue of him erected in King Edward Park, claimed at that time to be ‘one of the most picturesque public gardens in New Zealand’. The committee that sponsored this project was headed by Mr R. D. Welsh, ‘who was the moving spirit’. The memorial stands today to honour Fantham’s knowledge of the livestock industry which he freely shared.

Due to Fantham’s tremendous energy the progress of the Egmont Farmers’ Union had largely been in the hands of one man and it now seemed inconceivable that anyone could take over the reins. It transpired to be not only the demise of a man, but also that of a company, because only one month on, in February 1904, advertisements appeared captioned Egmont Farmers’ Union Limited, followed by Fantham Bros & Co. and within a few months the name Egmont Farmers’ Union Limited had disappeared altogether. Changes relating to the status of Egmont Farmers’ Union were published in the New Zealand Gazette: In the matter of ‘The Companies Act 1903’, and in the matter of Egmont Farmers’ Union (Limited). At an extraordinary general meeting of the above-named company, duly convened, and held at Hawera on 13th day of May 1905, the following special resolution was duly passed, and at a subsequent extraordinary general meeting of the members of the said company, also duly convened and held at the same place on 3rd day of June 1905, the following resolution was duly confirmed, viz.: ‘That the company be voluntarily wound up’. And at such last mentioned meeting BRADSHAW DIVE, of Eltham, Farmer, was appointed Liquidator for the purposes of winding up. Dated at Eltham, this 9th day of June, 1905 B. Dive, Chairman.

One year later, in February 1906, issue 13 of the Gazette recorded: EGMONT FARMERS’ UNION LIMITED: Notice is hereby given that an extraordinary general meeting of the above company will be held on Saturday, the 24th day of February, 1906, at 2 o’clock p.m., in Messrs Gillies, Fantham and Nalder’s Office, Union Street, Hawera, for the purpose of having an account laid before the company, pursuant to Section 230 of ‘The Companies Act, 1903’ showing the manner in which the winding up has been conducted and the property of the company disposed of, and of hearing any explanation that may be given by the Liquidator, and for the purpose of passing an extraordinary resolution disposing of the books, accounts and documents of the company and Liquidator. Dated the 6th day of February, 1906 B. Dive. (Liquidator)

During the four years before Arthur’s death the company had failed to hold annual general meetings and consequently complete records of the directorate and company business are unavailable. There was also the matter of a substantial claim against the Egmont Farmers’ Union by Weddel and Co. Ltd, of £2,000, that if found in favour of Messrs Weddel and Co. would be transferred to any new owner. The assets of Egmont Farmers were, however, purchased by the late Arthur’s son, A. A. (Bert) Fantham II, and the company continued to operate under the name of Fantham Bros. & Co. for 11 months using the facilities and premises of the Egmont Farmers’ Union trading

Arthur William Gillies, senior partner in the firm Gillies and Nalder. First honorary general manager of Farmers’ Co-op, 1914–16.

COURTESY OF SOUTH TARANAKI DISTRICT COUNCIL

as auctioneers and general commission agents. Early in 1905 two highly esteemed and respected gentlemen, Arthur William Gillies and Ernest Edward Nalder, were invited to join the partnership and trading was resumed under the name of Gillies, Fantham and Nalder. Some property owned by Fantham Bros. & Co. and leased by the former Egmont Farmers’ Union, including the ‘Union’ saleyards, situated on Glover Road were transferred to Gillies, Fantham and Nalder. Other saleyards situated at Stratford, Manaia, Hawera and Okaiawa, including office furniture, were advertised ‘for sale by tender’ and purchased by the partnership. In scribed minutes relating to this purchase between A. A. Fantham II, of Fantham Bros & Co., Ernest Nalder and Arthur Gillies the partnership set out details of their offer:

Saturday Dec. 24/04 Agreed after having inspected the E.F.U. Ltd., saleyards that we value same at the following: Stratford yards £400 Manaia yards £100 Hawera £200 Okaiawa £50 Office furniture £10 Total £760 and to offer E.F.U. Ltd, in reply to their advertisement for sale by tender, the sum of £600 cash for the lot but with power (if tender not accepted), for A. A. Fantham to offer up to £800 without further reference to Gillies and Nalder.

Arrange with J. R. Stewart not to tender but give us £100 for Manaia or such proportionate increase as would accrue from above written figures. E.N. A.A.F. A.W.G.

In addition the partnership purchased one other notable property: Messrs Gillies Fantham and Nalder report having purchased from the Executors of the Estate of the late A. A. Fantham Esq. the paddock known as the Turu Turu Paddock. This paddock contains 48 acres and includes the famous Turu Turu Mokai pah. Some little time ago the Tourist Department were negotiating for the purchase of this historic site for scenery preservation purposes. An area of 13 acres including the pah site being required. However, we understand the firm will not stand in the way if at any future time it is thought advisable for the Crown to acquire this historic spot. The firm we understand has purchased the land for the convenience of clients having stock for sale. The paddock will be securely fenced & as it is well watered by the Waihi stream & handy to the Union Yards it should prove of the greatest assistance both to the firm and to its clients. We understand the price paid was £25 per acre cash.

A. G. Goodson, William Protheroz and Tom Ash were engaged as agents during 1905. The hopes and aspirations of many enthusiastic South Taranaki farmers to own and operate their own stock and station enterprise were now gone and the late Arthur A. Fantham’s and indeed Egmont A & P Association’s dream some 15 years earlier were now all but distant memories. In June 1905 Bert Fantham (A. A. Fantham II) approached the partners, and said that ‘he was practically bankrupt and he wished to file and go out of the firm’. Apparently the £1,000 Bert Fantham had invested in the partnership of Gillies, Fantham and Nalder was Trust money and his co-trustee was now demanding repayment. This placed the whole partnership into somewhat of a dilemma as the agreement between the three participants had not been completed. The position was as follows: Mr Gillies had paid in £3000 on Feb 1st & in consequence of the partners not having completed had withdrawn £2000, replacing the same with approved guarantees. Mr Fantham had paid in the £1000 alluded to above and in addition £1500 of approved guarantees. Mr Nalder had paid in £1000 and owing to a dispute with the Bank as to the form of guarantee had retained the 1st week in June when he completes by paying in cash £2000.

There was an acrimonious end to the partnership and it was dissolved from 31 January 1906. The very successful proprietary stock and station business became known as Gillies and Nalder who, it appears from South Taranaki District Council records, purchased the previously leased Hawera saleyards on Glover Road from the Estate of J. Brown. In 1906, 45 acres of land situated on the south side of Glover Road, surrounding the existing four acres of saleyards on Glover Road, were subdivided into ‘suburban building sections’ and offered for sale by public auction by the West Coast Farmers’ Trading Association on behalf of the Trustees of the Estate of the late J. Brown Esq. They were said to be ‘the richest quality, and is higher than the roads, thus assuring dry building sites … Roads are being formed through the property and every section will have good frontage.’

The ‘Roads’ mentioned was in fact the formation of what became Egmont Road (later Street), Hawera. Two acres of land on Egmont Road backing onto the south side of the Glover Road saleyards had also been subdivided into eight sections. However, it appears that these allotments were not sold as residential sections at the time and were purchased from the J. Brown Estate by Gillies and Nalder to amalgamate with the Glover Road saleyard complex. The saleyards between Glover Road and what is now known as Egmont Street continued to operate for almost another century before the two acres on Egmont Street were sold for residential sections and the four acres on Glover Road for commercial and retail development.

Almost two years elapsed, yet the loss of what had been a shining jewel in the crown of the South Taranaki farming fraternity had not disappeared altogether. It took just one small spark to rekindle the passion that had once created the now defunct Egmont Farmers’ Union Limited. When a notice to farmers appeared in the Egmont Star on 23 December 1905, it re-ignited what had been a smouldering issue into a burning passion in the hearts of many farmers:

NOTICE

On and after January 1st next the rate of Commission chargeable on all Cattle and Sheep sold at our Yards will be 4%. Paddock Commissions remain as heretofore. NOLAN TONKS & CO. GILLIES, FANTHAM AND NALDER STEUART & CORRIGAN.

Commission rates had been in the vicinity of 2½ per cent. This significant increase would negatively impact on the financial returns farmers received for stock. At this juncture for the record, it is important that we provide a note of clarification. Samuel Bradley Corrigan of Steuart & Corrigan, stock auctioneers, should not be confused with the family of James. R. Corrigan in following chapters of this history. S. B. Corrigan was born in Geelong, Australia in 1858 and came to New Zealand in 1872, residing in the Manutahi district. He returned to New Zealand sometime around 1894 to farm at Otakeho and following establishing a partnership with a Mr Steuart bought out a competitor the firm of Budge and Good at Manaia. There is no kinship to Ross and Claire Corrigan’s family who have had farming connections in South Taranaki throughout the past century.