AFTER FORTY YEARS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 214, 10 September 1928, Page 8

AFTER FORTY YEARS.

TRIBUTE TO RAILWAYMAN. MR. H. H. LOWE'S FAREWELL. GENERAL MANAGER'S EULOGY. High tributes from Mr. H. H. Sterling, the General Manager, and from heads of departments down to his fellow workmen and those who had been under him, were paid to Mr. H. H. Lowe at a farewell function on Saturday evening on his retirement from the Railway.Department after 40 years' service. Mr. Lowe, who commenced his career in Canterbury, retired from the position of chief coaching foreman at Auckland station on August 30. There was a fully representative gathering of all branches of the service, over which Mr. E. Casey, Divisional Superintendent, presided. Seated with the guest of the evening at the top table were Mr. Sterling, Mr. J. G Riekerby (District Traffic Manager), Mr. J. K. Lowe (District Engineer), Mr. A. J. Lowe (coaching foreman at Auckland), and other departmental officers. In responding to the toast of the "Xew Zealand Railway Department," proposed by Mr. W. H. Reynolds, Mr. Sterling . assured those pre-

sent that nothing gave him greater pleasure than to be amongst them to do honour to one who had accomplished such good service to the Department and the general public. Mr. Lowe was a man who had always endeavoured to do his duty to his fellow-men. Mr. E. Casey, in asking Mr. Sterling to make the presentation to Sir. Lowe, said no greater honour could be conferred upon the recipient than to have his health proposed by the General Manager. Mr. Casey asked Mr. Sterling to convey to Mr. Lowe the feeling of the staff's admiration for his personal attainments. "We feel that with the severance of Mr. Lowe we part not only with a good friend, but a faithful colleague," Mr. Sterling said at the outset, "and now the time has come it is one of infinite regret that his services cannot be retained by the Department." The General Manager went on to say he had known Mr. Lowe as a railwavman for 30 years, when in the first instance the speaker was a cadet. Mr. Lowe had excellent qualities, and Mr. Sterling knew of them as a customer as well railwayman.

Rising to respond, Mr. Lowe was cheered to the echo and greeted with musical honours. He said he was sorry he was going, because he would have liked to have been "in the running" with Mr. Sterling now the latter had been appointed General Manager. He told his colleagues to do their best to make the railways a success. He enjoined the younger men to be loyal to their fellowmen, for that was the"spirit which would carry them through. Loyalty to oneself begat loyalty to others.

Other toasts included "Kindred Societies," proposed by Mr. T. Glasgow, and responded to bv Mr. J. Elliott, chairman of the workshops branch of the A.S.R.S.; Mr. T. Martin, Railwav Officers' Institute, and Mr. E. Marks," of the E.F.C.A. "The Press" was proposed bv Mr. W. Hartley. The toast-list was interspersed with musical items.