MANY DUTIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 186, 8 August 1935, Page 8

MANY DUTIES.

REPRESENTING N.Z.

COMMISSIONER LOOKS BACK.

THE ANXIOUS WIFE.

Amusing sidelights in the daily life of a trade and tourist commissioner were recounted by Mr. L. J. Schmitt, recently appointed secretary of the Department, of Industries and Commerce, Tourist and Publicity, at the Auckland Chamber of Commerce luncheon at Milne and Choyce's reception hall to-day.

Mr. A. A. Ross was in the chair, and those present included Mr. R. H. Nesbitt, Australian Trade Crmmissioner, Mr. James Payne, assistant-Australian Trade Commissioner, Mr. C. M. Croft, Canadian Trade Commissioner, Mr. J. M. Clarke, district manager of the Government Tourist Department, and Jlr. E. W. J. Bowden, district officer of the Department of Industries and Commerce.

Mentioning that he had represented New Zealand in Australia for the past five years, Mr. Schmitt said the State and Commonwealth Governments had received him in a kindly manner at all times, and given him much help. There were no people more hospitable or helpful than the Australians. There was no end to the duties of a Government representative when in another country, said Mr. Schmitt. Every day there were people who came to the office to pay courtesy calls, others who came to talk business and still others who called to waste a little time. There was a large and miscellaneous mail to be attended to. It often brought requests for a suitable Maori name for a racehorse, a house or a child. There were receptions and dinners and functions of all kinds to be attended, and he had found these extremely useful, for he often gathered information about things of importance. "All sorts of calls were made upon a trade and tourist commissioner," said Mr. Schmitt. "One is called to hospitals and to gaols. One of the most amusing stories I can recall is that of a very agitated woman who came to my office in Sydney one day and said she had lost her husband. She said that a steward on a ship had last seen him in America. I learned from her that she and her husband came from Wellington, so I got in touch with the Commissioner of Police for New Zealand.

"I started the ball rolling in an effort to find the missing husband, and promptly forg-ot all about it. Some time later an excited lady came into my office one day. Ton 1 remember me? , she said. I did not, but politely said I did. 'Well, they have found my husband,' she said. I congratulated her and said that I was pleased. 'Yes, , said she. 'They found him murdered in San Francisco.' "