Further research finds him practising law in the Ashburton area in the 1880s and acting as Treasurer for the Ashburton Tradesmans Racing Club. His wife gave birth to a son in 1889. He was also active in the local Volunteer unit, the Ashburton Guards, with the rank of Lieutenant. In 1893, he was persuaded to take a hand in politics.
Electoral Notes
Mr R. M. Cuthbertson, solicitor, is now publicly mentioned us a probable candidate for the Ashburton seat. He is the seventh who has come forward, but one of the others, Mr H. M. Jones, has been ballotted out by the local Liberal Association in favour of Mr C. Waby. If the six now left in all go to the poll, the electors will have the choice of two lawyers, three farmers and one retired runholder. Two of the four who have already spoken are in favour of grants in aid to private schools and two against, while each one has spoken against prohibition. -Press, 14/10/1893.
The Rangitata Seat.
MR CUTHBERTSON AT GERALDINE.
Mr R. M. Cuthbertson addressed a meeting of 300 Rangitata electors in the Volunteer Hall, Geraldine, last evening. Mr White, chairman of Town Board presided.
Mr Cuthbertson, who was well received and frequently applauded, commenced his address by giving a flat contraction to a rumour that he was being brought out by the publicans, or with a view to secure the return of Mr E. G. Wright. He denied being the nominee of any party or section of the electors, as he had come forward purely with a desire he had long cherished to enter political life and to do his best to further the cause of Liberalism. He pledged them his word that he was going to fight the election to the bitter close of the polling day, and if he were defeated he knew how to take a defeat with a good grace. He had, however, been promised a large amount of support and he hoped to find himself at the head of the poll, and thus have the honour of being returned a member for the Rangitata district. He announced himself as having been opposed to women engaging in the masculine occupation of politics, but as they had been given the franchise it would now have his loyal support. His sympathies were with the present Government, and if elected he would be a staunch follower of Mr Seddon in preference to Sir Robert Stout. He was in favor of giving grants in aid of private schools and of the reading of a religious text book in our public schools. Women performing the same work as men should be paid an equal rate of wages. He was of opinion that the village settlement scheme of the present Government had done a vast amount of good, and that it should be still further extended, this being the only true solution of the unemployed difficulty. He was not a direct vetoist nor a prohibitionist, and was of opinion that the Alcoholic Liquor Bill was a fair and just measure, and it should be given a trial for three years. He was opposed to the Government having control of the railways, but would favor a thoroughly competent man being procured from Home to act as Chief Commissioner.
Mr Cuthbertson at the close of his address answered a number of questions, and was accorded a hearty vote of thanks on the motion of Mr Pearpoint. -Ashburton Guardian, 4/11/1893.
Mr Cuthbertson came third, with 249 votes. The campaign was not without some controversy.
On Monday the following paragraph appeared in the Christchurch Press: "Two of the 'Liberal' candidates for the Rangitata seat came to high words in the Ashburton Arcade on Saturday afternoon. Both had been addressing a large meeting from the auctioneer's rostrum, and both deemed it expedient to give some 'personal' explanations, which explanations, however, could not possibly affect the government of the country. This led to very heated personalities, much to the entertainment of the large assembly, and to the subsequent regret of the two political aspirants who lost control of their tempers."
It is needless to say that the two Liberal candidates referred to were Mr W. S. Maslin and Mr R. M. Cuthbertson. Ou Monday afternoon handbills were distributed freely at Geraldine amongst Mr Maslin's supporters, giving Mr Cuthbertson's side of the story, and on the eve of the election, at the Volunteer Hall, Mr Cuthbertson held forth on the matter before a large audience. Mr Cuthbertson first of all made an attack on Mr Twomey. His sore trouble was that the leading articles in this paper recognised Mr Maslin as the Government chosen Liberal candidate and left him (Mr Cuthbertson) out in the cold. He (Mr Cuthbertson) had been a Liberal all his life, and a student of Social Reform, and if it had not been for the ignorance of Mr Jeremiah Matthew Twomey the latter would have known it. He then referred to Mr Twomey as a second Stead of The Review of Reviews, and continued his personal abuse till he came to explain the alleged fracas between him and Mr Maslin at Ashburton. He threw all the blame of the affair on to Mr Maslin's shoulders and said that he (Mr Cuthbertson) was speaking to about 1000 people in the Arcade and Mr Maslin afterwards mounted the rostrum and commenced his attack. Mr Maslin hinted that Mr Cuthbertson was in financial difficulties, and that he had seen a letter from Mr Cuthbertson to a creditor asking time to pay an account. He (Mr Cuthbertson) admitted that he was a poor man, but this was no crime. By the timely aid of some Ashburton gentlemen Mr Maslin just escaped the crowd with a whole skin, while he (Mr Cuthbertson) was carried shoulder high. In reply to a question, Mr Cuthbertson said that he had told Mr Maslin that he would explain the matter at Geraldine that night, and challenged Mr Maslin to be present, but the latter tried to dissuade him from coming, and asked him to go somewhere else. A deputation from Mr Maslin waited on him (Mr Cuthbertson) to apologise. Mr Cuthbertson, before closing, ridiculed a handbill which he said was distributed up north as a reference of character for Mr Maslin from his minister, the Rev. W. C. Woodward. He also asserted that Mr Maslin had not the slightest chance of being returned north of the Rangitata, because many had turned against him after the scene on Saturday.
On Tuesday morning Mr Maslin's friends telegraphed at once to him what was taking place at Geraldine, and Mr Maslin took the first train to Orari, arriving at the polling booth, Geraldine, about 2 o'clock. He thereupon mounted a cart, and gave his side of the story. He said that not one of the handbills issued on Monday at Geraldine had been distributed north of the Rangitata, where the true facts of the case were known. A report had been circulated up north that he was proprietor of the Club Hotel and in a large brewery. Without consulting him (Mr Maslin), a friend of his up north had written to the Rev. Woodward, Geraldine, asking for a letter to clear Mr Maslin's character from these damaging reports. This gentleman then got the letter printed and circulated, and this was the letter that Mr Cuthbertson made so much amusement out of on Monday night at Geraldine. On Saturday last at Ashburton it was announced that Mr Maslin's character would be read at the Arcade. He did not go to hear his character read, but some friends afterwards urged him to go, and, on the cry of "Maslin! Maslin! Maslin!" he ascended the rostrum after Mr Cuthbertson had finished speaking. He explained the circumstances under which Mr Woodward's letter was published, and said there was nothing in the letter of which he he needed to be ashamed. He gave his reasons for stating that Mr Cuthbertson was run to split votes, the two gentlemen supporting him being one a supporter of Mr Maslin's and the other a supporter of Mr Wright's. Mr Cuthbertson denied that he was paid, and he (Mr Maslin) then said that he was in possession of information to the contrary from a letter Mr Cuthbertson had written to someone, but as to the contents of the letter he (Mr Maslin) never said one word. As to being badly treated up north, he could truthfully say that he had never been better treated anywhere, and no one attempted to interfere with him in any way. He had the best meetings, bar none, in that part of the district, and spoke to a very orderly meeting in Greenstreet on Monday night. To show that every attempt had been made to prevent his return, Mr Maslin said that he hired the school house at Mount Somers for a Tuesday night. Mr Cuthbertson afterwards told him he could not get the school house on Tuesday. He took Mr Cuthbertson's word as a gentleman, and changed the night of meeting to Wednesday in his advertisement. He afterwards got a telegram that Mr Wright had engaged the schoolroom for Wednesday, and he (Mr Maslin) all along could have had Tuesday night. Amongst the crowd Mr Maslin denied that he had been challenged by Mr Cuthbertson to be present at his meeting at Geraldine on Monday night. Mr B. G. Wright put in an appearance at Geraldine during the afternoon and left again in the evening. The following are details of the polling. Mr Maslin has a majority of 67. -Temuka Leader, 30/11/1893.
It is hoped that Mr Cuthbertson's nerves were soothed by the birth of a second son the following March, but it was that boy, a few years later, who was almost the agent of disaster for the family.
Local and General
Fire.— "Last evening, about six o'clock, the house occupied by Mr R. M. Cuthbertson narrowly escaped total destruction by fire. It seems a son of Mr Cuthbertson, about four years old, had gone into one of the back bedrooms with a lighted candle, unknown to his parents. A curtain over a wardrobe in the corner of the room evidently became ignited. Shortly afterwards, Mr Cuthbertson's attention was called to a crackling noise, and on going through the house discovered the back bedroom in flames. With the assistance of Mrs Cuthbertson and Mrs Segers, the fire after some time was got under. The damage to the room is considerable, all the scrim and paper being destroyed and the walls burned through in several places. Mr Cuthbertson estimates his loss of clothing and furniture at about £10. -Ashburton Guardian 11/7/1898.
At the end of the 19th century, the call to war came from the Empire and the call was answered by New Zealand in general and R M Cuthbertson in particular.
FAREWELL TO LIEUT. CUTHBERTSON.
The members of the Ashburton Guards, together with Captain W. E. Dalman, Lieut. Clark (of the Rifles), and a number of ether invited guests, met in the Oddfellows' Hall on Thursday evening, to bid good-bye to Lieut. R. M. Cuthbertson, whose services as an officer have been accepted for active duty in South Africa. Captain W. Sparrow presided, and in proposing the the guest of the evening, and asking him to accept a valuable pair of field-glasses as a gift from the company, spoke in eulogistic terms of the keen interest Lieut. Cuthbertson had taken in the Guards, and of his ability and popularity as an officer. He felt sure that while serving in South Africa he would ably and bravely assist in maintaining the high honour already gained by the New Zealand Contingents, and sincerely hoped he would safely return to Ashburton after the war was over. Others spoke in a similar strain, and the toast of the evening was received with warm enthusiasm. Other toasts were duly honoured, and a couple of hours were spent in harmony. It may be mentioned that the Ashburton Guards, which company was re-formed less than a year ago, will have, with Lieut. Cuthbertson and Lieut. Tucker, two commissioned officers and four men from the ranks as soldiers of the Queen on active service in South Africa. -Press, 12/5/1900.
At the Front — Mr H G Pitt, the well known amateur rider, has been employed for some time in the Remount Department at Bloemfontein. Mr R M Cuthbertson, of Ashburton, is in the transport service at the same place. -Ashburton Guardian, 19/7/1901.
Mr R M Cuthbertson did not return to New Zealand after the close of the South african war. 1903 sees him practising law in Bloemfontein and a few years later his name appears in New Zealand newspapers as a tantalising clue as to what he had been up to in his new home.
An application was made to Mr Justice Button to-day on behalf of the New Zealand Law Society for an order nisi to remove the name of Robert Moncrieff Cuthbertson, formerly of Christchurch, but now of South Africa, from the roll. The ground of the application was that Cuthbertson had been convicted in 1905 in the Orange River Colony of theft. An order was granted calling upon Cuthbertson to show cause within sixty days after service why he should not be struck off. -Manawatu Standard, 2/5/1907.
The always reliable "NZ Truth" here weighs in with a few further details concerning Mr Cuthbertson's affairs in both countries...
Personal Pars
Lawyer Cuthbertson, who was struck off the roll at Wellington the other day, at the instance of the Law Society, owing to a conviction for theft in South Africa, used to practise at Ashburton, where he was very well known - too well known in fact. He went to South Africa as Lieutenant in one of our gory, farmburning contingents, and he forgot to come back. There are any number of people at Ashburton who are anxiously awaiting his return, according to all accounts. His liabilities ran to a pretty fair sum, and he was glad of the opportunity afforded him of getting away to another clime. His wife went to Australia after his departure, and when he settled down he sent for her. She was led to believe that he was doing well, having struck a patch, but the patch he seems to have struck was gaol. -NZ Truth, 18/5/1907.
Robert Moncrieff Cuthbertson was duly struck off the next year. Instead of personally handing a copy of the decree to him, notices were inserted in South African newspapers. Cuthbertson had been practising law in that country by virtue of his New Zealand qualification - it can be assumed that the notices were not welcome ones. Perhaps it was then that he became editior of the "Uitenhage Times." Twelve year later, in South Africa, he died. Although commemorated in the family plot in Invercargill Cemetery, he is not buried there.
