SMITH, EDWARD METCALFE (1839-1907) was born at Cradley, Staffordshire, and educated there. At the age of 11 he commenced work in the steel and iron industry, but was later apprenticed to the gun trade in Birmingham. He passed as an armourer in the Royal Small Arms works in Pimlico and Enfield and at the Royal Woolwich Arsenal, gaining a first-class certificate. He then joined the New Zealand field force as a staff garrison armourer. Arriving in the Africa (1861), he was stationed in Auckland until 1864, and returned to England in the Himalaya. He came to New Zealand again in the Ironsides (1867) as armourer to the Colonial forces and was sent to Taranaki, where his wife and family were already settled. After being there some years he was consulted by the department on a project for establishing a small arms factory in Wellington. In 1872 he resigned his appointment to endeavour to arouse interest in the development of Taranaki ironsand. He gave lectures in Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington and New Plymouth and assisted in raising £30,000 capital for the Titanic Iron and Steel Co., of which T. K. Macdonald (q.v.) was secretary. Smith was appointed manager of the works at Henui (1873) and held that position for three years. After retiring he carried out some smelting in the furnaces, but the movement had no permanent success. He then turned his attention to coal and limestone and carried out some smelting at Vivian's foundry and at the harbour works at Moturoa. When Henderson, Ferguson and Mackie undertook the contract for constructing waterworks for New Plymouth Smith joined their staff and afterwards became turncock. His interest in ironsand continued, and he advocated also improving the harbour at New Plymouth by building a breakwater eastward from the island, a railway from Waitara and Mokau to connect with the Auckland system and a scheme to carry road metal from Mount Egmont.

Smith contested the New Plymouth seat against Samuel (q.v.) in 1884 and 1887, and in 1890 was elected for Taranaki, defeating John Elliot and R. C. Hughes. In 1893 he defeated Trimble, but in 1896, owing to the splitting of the Liberal vote, he suffered defeat by H. Brown (q.v.). Three years later he won the seat against H. Okey (q.v.) and he retained it until his death. Smith's faith in Taranaki ironsand was indomitable. In 1879 Macandrew commissioned him to cast disc railway wheels. In 1892 he again demonstrated at Onehunga the feasibility of smelting sand. In 1896 his supporters sent him to England, where he addressed the Iron and Steel Institute and interested many influential people, but without tangible result. In 1901 he again visited England in company with Sir Alfred Cadman (q.v.). The negotiations failed, but were resumed later by others. Meanwhile Smith's failing health suffered a severe shock by injuries received in a railway accident (1904). He died on 19 Apr 1907.

His son, SYDNEY GEORGE SMITH (1879-) was M.P. for Taranaki (1918-25) and for New Plymouth (1928-), and was Minister of Labour and Immigration (1930-31).

Cycl. N.Z., vi; Taranaki Herald, 2 Oct 1876, 20 Apr 1907; N.Z.P.D., 27 Jun 1907. Portrait: Parliament House.

Reference: Volume 2, page 158

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