Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931), Monday 2 April 1906, page 9


AH" ADELAIDE WM'S

DIAMOND JUBILEE.

The well-known firm of F. H. Faulding and Co., of this city, claims the distinction of being the oldest wholesale druggists and manufacturing chemists in Australia. Start-ing in a small way, when Adelaide was a very insignificant place, the firm has gradu-ally extended the scope of its operations,

till to-day its goods are as well known in' Western Australia and New South Wales as they are in South Australia. Having completed sixty years of its business exist-ence the 'firm celebrated the occasion on Saturday evening by a banquet at the York Hotel. The invitations were limited to tiie employes of the firm, and covers were laid for fifty. No member of the staff was absent, the travellers having come down from as far as Broken Fill in order to be present at the gathering. A special feature was made of the menus, which bore on the front cover the firm's trade mark-the phoenix-surmounídd by the Union Jack and the Commonwealth flag ia colors. They will form an interesting souvenir of the oc-casion. The cha.r «as occupied by Mr. L. R. Scâmmell, F.C.S., one of the members of the firm, who had on his right Mr. W. J. Scammell, M.P.S. (Eng.), tne other part-ner, who is proceeding to .Europe on Satur-day next on a health trip. _he pleasure of the repast was enhanced by an excel-lent programme of music, provided oy Setaro's string band. After the loyal toasts had been honored,

The Chairman submitted that of "Aus-tralia: the land we live in." As an Aus-tralian, he declared his firm bejief that phis land was one of the fairest, richest, and moat fertile in the world. It was a land of vast possibilities, and With proper leg.slation those possibilities would become actualities. Austral.a could produce almost everything to meet its own requirements. For instance, it could grow practically every drug, tropical or otherwise, men-tioned in the Pharmacopoeia. Australia at the present time did an extensive trade in'eucalyptus oil, but there was no reason _why it should not inter the field with the "Japanese in che production of camphor. The camphor tree would grow readily in Aus-tralia in certain parts, and.it was quite as simple'to produce the commercial article as it was to diAû eucalyptus oil. A patrio-tic spirit pervaded Mr. ScammeH'a remarks, the keynote of his speech beiDg "Australia for the Australians.'5

The toast was drunk, the company sing-ing the opening verse of the "Song of Aus-

tralia."

Mr. W. J. P. Giddings responded to the toast, emphasising the«need tor a spirit of greater patriotism being inculcated into not only the rising generation of Australians, but also many of a more mature age, ivhose years should have taught them not to be-smirch their own land unjustly, but t<? be-stow upon its name the honor it so weil

deserved.

Mr. E. Lipsham (warehouse manager) proposed the principal toast of the even-ing that of "The firm of F. H. Faulding and Co." He said that although it had been his privilege to be connected with the house for the past eight years he spoke with an experience of over 40 years in the trade, having been engaged for a long period m a well known London-firm, whose existence datod back tor nearly a century, and afterwards for some years with a pro-minent Melbourne establishment. When he came to Australia he little expected to find a drug house that had been established for so many years as Faulding &, Co. had been. In many respects it was the hest firm he » had ever been connected with, for when he called to mind the severe discip"ine, and, he might say, the autocratic government that obtained in his early days, lie thought that the young men more par-ticularly engaged in the drug business in Australia, enjoyed privileges which were un-known to the young men of his time. Those present were fortunate, he thought, in being connected with a firm the heads of which were at all times accessible to the employes of no matter what grade, and who were ever ready to accord a hearing and give due considération in regard to any matter that might be brought before them. (Hear, hear.) He thought, too, they should all be very thankful that the firm had grown to such magnitude. (Cheers.) It had been his privilege to visit the businesses of Messrs. F. H. Fauld-ing & Co. at Perth, Western Australia, and Sydney and Newcastle, New South Wales, and he was pleased to say that he had found them to be veritable hives of

industry. He hoped some day that he might nave the good fortune to inspect the 'London business, which was carried on at Great Tower-street and Newington Cause-way, two loca;ities with which he was thoroughly well acquainted. They would thus see that not only had the business spread over Australia, but had extended overseas as well. (Cheers.) They had all noted with deep sympathy that for some time past one of their principals, Mr. W. J. Scammell, had been in indifferent health, but-he was glad to say that that gentleman had at length yielded to the solicitations of his medical adviser to take a rest, and was going .on a well-deserved holidaythe first he had taken for over a quarcer of a century. In conclusion, he mentioned that both the present principals, Messrs. W. J. Scammell and L. R. Scammell, had passed the examination of the Phamaceutical Society in London. They were tutored by Dr. John Muter the well-known, scien-tist. Mr. W. J. Scammeli was an Eng-lish registered pharmaceutical chemist, having passed the major examination at Bloomshury-square. Mr. L. R. Scammell, after passing his qualifying examination, served a considerable time in the analytical department of the Kensington laboratory, and was a fel'ow of the Chemical Society of London. (Cheers.)

The toast was drunk with enthusiasm.

The Chairman, in responding, said there were few firms in Australia that "could go back over sixty years, although in Europe and America there were naturally numbers of businesses which had been successfully carried on for longer periods. There might be some present that evening who had not a- full knowledge of the history of the house, so he would be pardoned for giving them n few particulars. The founder ot the firm was Mr. Francis Hardey Fauld-ing, an English chemist, who hailed from Yorkshire. Coming to South Australia shortly after the foundation of the colony, Mr Faulding, in 1844, began business at No. 5, Rundle-street, Adelaide, and succeeded so well that in the next year he purchased a valuable site in Clarence-place, off King William-street, and erected a warehouse up-on it. That warehouse still existed, and was used as a portion of the firm's business premises to-dtiy. air. Faulding retained his original shop in Rundle-street, where, as a separate concern from the wholesale house, it had been carried on till the pre-sent' time, under the name of Faulding and Co. Only last week the owners of the re-tail business had parted with it, and in future it would be conducted by another firm. In 1861 Mr. L. Scammell, sen., who for some time had been carrying on business as a chemist at Port Adelaide, entered into partnership with Mr. Faulding, and managed the business from that date until Mr. Faulding's death in 1868. Mr. Scammell being left as sole proprietor, took into partnership Messrs. Robert Foale and Philip Dakers, both of whom had been engaged in the business. Those two gentlemen had long since passed away, but Mr. Scammell, sen., he was sure they would be all de-lighted to hear was still well and hearty, and would celebrate his 80th birthday in May next. (Cheers.) During the time that Mr. Scammell was engaged in the business he displayed great activity and ability, and to these features was largely due the present splendid position of the house. (Hear, hear.) As an instance of his business acumen, he might mention that in 1S76 Mr. Scammell succeeded in acquir-ing the valuable site in King William-street, on which the present conspicuous warehouse stood. After 27 years of control, Mr. Scammell retired from the care of business, and accordingly on January 1, 1889, he handed over the conduct of affairs to his two sons, Mr. W. J. Scammell and himself (the chairman), who had for some time been connected with the business, having been specially trained to that end in England. From the date of Mr. Faulding's death the London house had been managed by the late Mr. Dakers; the present manager was Mr W. T. Treadaway, a gentleman who had had a long experience in the drug business. Encouraged by the awakening of Western Australia the firm started a branch of F. H. Faulding & Co in Perth in 1894, and although only twelve years had passed away, owing to the business abilitv of Mr. W. W. Garner, who tool» charge of it, and the interest shown m the firm's affairs by the employes, it had grown enormously, till to-day it held the pride of place in the Golden West as the largest concern of the kind over there. (Cheers.) Indeed the firms name was as well known throughout Western Australia as it was in South Australia. In Novem-ber, 1899, a branch of the firm was estab-lished in Sydney, where in addition to headquarters in the centre of the city it had been found necessary, owing to the in-crease of business, to establish a factory and bulk stores. Faulding & Co. had also a branch at Newcastle. The Syd-ney business was under the supervision ol Mr. J. P. Gold, while Mr. J. P. F. Gwynne was stationed at Newcastle. There was

one thing he could say with pride, and that was that it was not possible for any

house in any part of the world to turn out better goods than those made by Fauld ing & Co. (Cheers.) Their pharmaceuti cal products had time and again been ack nowledged by medical men and others to be of the best, while such lines as milk emulsion, Solyptol soap, and Faulding's eucalyptus oil were in daily use, not only from one end of Australia to the other but in England, India, South Africa, and other countries as well. Ile desired te take that opportunity of thanking then friend and agent. Mr. Apsley Pellatt, of Johannesburg, for the extensive business done in the firm's goods in South Africa, and also Mr. James Carney, their Bombay representative, through whose energy the firm's goods were to be found scattered throughout the Indian Empire. (Cheers.).

At this stage cables and telegrams from the various houses of the firm coaveying congratulations upon the attainment of the firm's diamond jubilee were read out, and evoked much enthusiasm.

M.C. H. Dalton, as the oldest employe of the firm, having been connected with it for the past 45 years, proposed the health of Mr. W. J. Scammell, at the same time wishing him and Mrs. Scammell, on be-half of the employes, a pleasant trip and

au safe return.

Mr. A. Wickham, manager of the dental department, presented Mr. Scammell with a beautifully embossed silver cigar case and matchbox. The former bor'e the following inscription:-"Presented to Mr. W. J. Scammell by the employes of F. H. Faulding & Co., Adelaide, as a mark of their esteem on the eve of his departure for Europe, March 31, 1906." Mr. Wickham alluded to the almost affectionate relation-ship existing between Mr. Scammell and the large staff employed by the firm, and wished him God-speed and a real pleasant

trip.

The toast was honored to musical accom-paniments.

Mr. W. J. Scammell, who was taken by surprise, thanked them for their handsome, gift from the bottom of his heart. In re-turn he desired to submit a toast, to which he knew his brother would most heartily subscribe. It was that of "The employes." He felt that he must tako that opportunity of testifying to the happy relations which had always existed between the employes ot the firm and the principals. (Hear, hear.) They were co-workers in the full meaning of the term. He thought that it spoke well for the harmony that always prevailed when he mentioned that their late accountant, Mr. J. C. Mann, who had recently died, had retired from active work on a pension granted by the firm after having been with them for over half a century. Then they had Mr. C. H. Dalton with a record of 45 years' service; Mr. George Curtain, who had.been with them nearly as long; Mr. R. Pendlebury, who had 37 years to his credit; Mr. J. Rosenthal, with 30 years; Mr. E. Hughes, with 24 years, and many others nearly as long. (Cheers.)^ .

The sentiment was honored and suitably acknowledged.

The toast of "The press," coupled with the name of "Faulding's Journal, was pro- posed by Mr. P. Shaw, and responded to by the editor, Mr. W. J. P. Gidding..

On the motion of Mr. E. Kay, the firm's auditor, the health of Mr. L. Scammell, sen., was drunk, and it was decided to convey the felicitations of the company to him on the approach of his 80th birth-

day.

The proceedings, which were of an en-joyable nature, and characterised by hearty food fellowship, were enlivened with songs

by Messrs. P. Colyer, H. Greenwood, and J. T. Walsh, Mr T. Horton presiding at the

piano.