THE RETIREMENT OF MR SEED.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 152, 30 June 1887, Page 5

THE RETIREMENT OF MR SEED.

(BY TELEGRAPH —OW> T CORRESPONDENT*)

"Wellington , , this day, ; j Mr William Seed, Secretary of Customs, retired to-day (Thursday) on a pension of LGCG per annum, after being connected with the New Zealand Civil Service for. upwards of 41 years. Mr Seed arrived in New Zealand from England at a, very eaijy age in company with his parents, who iandud in Wellington in November, 1840. ... Six years after that, in-February, 18'iO, he entered the service of the New Zealand Company in the oliiice of principal agent of the late Colonel Wakefield, arid he remained in that office until January, 1851, when the affairs of the Company were handed over to the Government. Mi , Seed was then transferred to the office of the Governor, Sir George Grey, and he remained under His Excellencyuntil shortly before Sir George left New Zealand' in 1853. Mr Seed attributes much of his after success in official life to the excellent training he received while serving under Sir George Grey, and we know that Sir George then formed, and has ever since retained, the highest possible opinion of Mr deed's abilities and thorough trustworthiness. In July, 1853, Mr Seed was transferred from the Governor's oflice to the Customs Department, entering- it as clerk and warehousekeeijer in Wellington. In March, 1855, he rose to the position of Sub-Collector at Napier, and in addition to that filled the offices of Sub-Treasurer, Postmaster, and Registrar of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, and Provincial SubTreasurer there. In the commencement of 1557 he returned to Wellington as first landing waiter, and two years later, on Sir George Grey's return to the Governorship of the colony, he secured the services of Mr Seed on his staiF as Private Secretary, and Mr Seed continued to discharge the duties of that position ivritil December, 1863,' when he was selected to fill the re-' sponsible position of Undev-Socretary to the then newly formed Defence Department, an office which lie filled'most satisfactorily during the most active operations of the Maori war in the Waikato." Oh the transference of the seat of Government from Auckland to Wellington early in 1565 Mr Seed was appointed Collector of Customs at Wellington, and in the, following May.thq : then .Premier, Mr, now! Sir, Edward; Stafford^appointed him permanent head of the Customs Department.' In September, 18fi8, he was also appointed ■Deputy Auditors-General during the absence on i leave of the" Auditor - General, Mr Knight.' In 1870, after the death of Mr Bal- 1 four, Marine Engineer,- Mr Seed was appointed permanent head of the Marine De-! partment as- well as .of the Customs. The combined offices of Secretary and Inspector of Customs and Secretary to the Marine Department he has retained ever since, to the great benefit of the colony. Mr Seed throughout liis long career has proved himself an able and economical administrator, a man of unwearied energy, unswerving probity, and far more than ordinary intelligence and ability. His power 0f.,, work has been immense, , and he has filled all his various offices with credit to himself and advantage to the colony. With the exception .of Under-Secretary G.S. Cooper, Mr Seed is the oldest officer of the New Zealand' Public Service.