A POPULAR OFFICIAL.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 48, 25 February 1913, Page 2

A POPULAR OFFICIAL.

WELL-UK.- F.Rvro PROMOTION. One of ihf must re.<-pecteii and popular nfPicers of the -luctioo Department- in Au-kUnd. Mr. H. H. (-.. R_lfe. clerk of ih. Stipendiary ("■enrt. was yesterday ■prevented by thn magistrates and office r-tatT with .1 handsome salad bowl, a d:nn* r ™<~pc and a smoker** cabinet, the orra.-ion ; pjnp his earh" departure to takr up an official position in Raroton#rn. Mr. I. C. Rpttlf. in making the present_}f>n. &_d * Hal during thp nine years hp hid boon associated -witli Mr. RaJfe hid not been ~oundori one discordant note. i'lT-onallv hn wished to thank l!r. Raifc yon cordially for his assatanc.?. Up never managed .to find out how Mr. Rajfe eot through, soeh prodigious quantities of work with co little apparent effort. All wkhed him long Life .lad prosperity in his new home. Mr. E. C. Cut ten said Mr. R_lfe pose<»jsed a combination of qualities that TO al ' too rare. He haj ability, industry, and courtesy, and they should had a person to any position in the world -Mr. Stewart, on behalf of thp office staff, v-ery heanily endorsed what the Ha-sri-traie had said. Mr. Ralfe. in thanking the staff for ■«-neir thoughtfulness. mentioned that he had been thirty-five years in the service and thirteen of those he had spent in u f^ and - H,s Auckland associations had been «mc of the happiest of his life. 3 his afternoon Mr. Ralfe is bein? presented with a souvenir by the members of the Auckland Law Society. A presentation wae madpon Saturday to Mr Ralfe by the members of the Devonport Bowling Club. Mr Ralfe. who has been a member of the club for the past 13 years, ie very popular, and the vice-presi-dent, Mr Blackburn, m handing to him a smoker's companion, expressed, regret at the Temoval of tha-t gentleman: to Ttarot-onga. although at the ea-me time they all rejoiced in hie -Well-deeerved promotion. Several other speakers referred in eulogistic terms to Mr Ralfe, including Messrs Mitchell and Harrison, two old members of -the club. A further presentation was madp to Mr Ralfe yesterday afternoon by the members of thp Anckland Society. Messrs. Kettle and Cutten were present, in addition to a gathering of the members of the Society. Dr. Bamford ( president) spoke very culngistrcally of the manner in which Mr Ralfe had carried out his duties as chief clerk at the Magistrate's Oonrt. He. had earned the respect and regard of every mernebr of the profession. The profession from a purely selfish point of view d« ply rr-»retted the departure of Mr Ra!fe. as his position would be extremely difficult to fill. He had always been ready to help solicitors and those having 'business a {"the Court, and hp was invariably courteous. The doctor handed Mr Ralfe a purse of sovereigns as a small token of the very high esteem in which the recipient wan held by the members of the Bar. Mr Matthews added a personal note of appreciation of "the "way Mr EaKe was always anxious to extend help to anyone in need of it. After Mr Ralfe had expressed -his thanks those present gave him three hearty cheers, and wished him every prosperity in his new-sphere.