Maurice Salom was a businessman and politician in the colony of South Australia.
Biography
Salom was born in London to A. H. Salom, a member of an old family of Sephardic Jews, a merchant and at one time a planter in the West Indies. He received a good education and in 1846 he was articled to a London stockbroker, with whom he remained for three years, then spent some time as a merchant around the coast of Africa, dealing in commodities such as ivory, ostrich feathers and animal skins. He arrived in South Australia in 1852 and joined the auctioneering firm of Solomon and Co., whose principals were Isaac and Judah Solomon, which he later acquired, then in 1882 sold to a consortium of merchants. He was elected to the Legislative Council in 1882 under the old system, when the whole Colony voted as one constituency. Six members were required, and out of 14 candidates Salom was returned second with 8,115 votes. He was asked by Sir John Downer to accept the Chief Secretaryship, but declined. In 1883–1884 he served on the Commission appointed to enquire into the operation of the Destitute Persons Act. In September, 1887, he introduced a Bill known as the First Offenders Act, which had the aim of keeping a first offender out of jail and giving him a chance of retrieving his name and living honestly. Salom did not seek re-election. His business responsibilities included:
He was chairman of the house committee of the Adelaide Hospital, and while on that board was directly responsible for passage of the Public Charities Act of 1876 after finding that some donations had been diverted to the Government coffers. The first Commissioners of Charitable Funds were Salom, William Wyatt and William Kay. He held this position until his death. During his term of office his other colleagues were John Colton and William Gilbert. The fund was enlarged by some important donations, amounting to about £26,000, with the expectancy of another £100,000, and the commissioners were enabled to pay for the erection of the new building on the eastern side of the Hospital, and also of the bacteriological laboratory and isolation wards. The commissioners also acted for the Destitute and Lunatic Asylums and the Port Augusta Hospital.
He was at an early stage President of the Synagogue, but in later life took no part in church management.
He was a Justice of the Peace for many years, and had an extensive knowledge of mercantile and insurance law. He held many Courts of Arbitration, acting mostly for the Government in adjusting claims in connection with lands taken for construction of railways and waterworks. He also acted as arbitrator in numerous private cases.
Robert Salom married Josie ; he was a student of AEI, lived in New York from around 1880.
Rebecca Salom married Leopold Judell on 25 February 1880, lived at Orroroo
Rachael "Ray" Salom married Maurice Harris on 18 March 1896, lived at Christchurch, New Zealand. Harris was a wealthy retired merchant. Ray was his second wife; first was Elizabeth Phillips.
Henry Isaac Salom married Charlotte Mabel Searcy on 5 August 1896. He was a broker and agent of Grenfell Street, and treasurer of Adelaide Hospital's Samaritan Fund, from which he embezzled £250, and was jailed for 18 months. later worked for G. Wood & Son.
Alfred M. Salom banker and footballer; died of typhoid
Florence Sarah Salom married jeweller Louis Saber on 5 February 1890. He died insolvent.
Laura E. Salom married Leama Judah "Bob" Davies on 3 April 1889. He was timber merchant in Western Australia and London. She died in England.
Horace Samuel Salom married around 1900, had several children, lived in Perth, Western Australia
Bertram Philip "Bertie" Salom married Neva Eudora Shepherd of Aldinga on 18 April 1911. They divorced in 1921. He married again, to Gwendolyn Baron on 17 June 1926.
His sister Sarah married M. C. Davies, a timber merchant and pastoralist.
