HIGH TRIBUTES PAID.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 281, 26 November 1937, Page 15

HIGH TRIBUTES PAID.

MR. H. W. DENT RETIRES.

CRF.DITMEN'S * ASSOCIATION

The retirement of Mr. Hugh W. Dent from the directorate of the' New Zealand National Creditmen's Association (Auckland), Ltd., brought him yesterday the place of honour at a luncheon given by the association. High tributes were paid and the chairman, Mr. C. J. Tunks, had some explanation to offer of the background that had built in Mr. Dent the qualities they honoured. First, said Mn Tunks, Mr. Dent had been auditor for a firm of chemists. That had made him "a good mixer." Then he had been secretary of two dairy associations. "Anyone who can meet farmers day after day, discuss politics and the weather with them, and retain their respect and hi» own sanity, is a man of no small calibre," said Mr. Tunks. Tributes to the work of Mr. Dent and his personal qualities were paid also by Mr. A. J. Hutchinson, chairman of directors of the association. It was pointed out that he would be retaining the posts of secretary of the club and president of the institute. By the voluntary retirement of Mr. Crawford Young, Mr. Dent would also take over the office of supervising auditor of the association.

Mr. Hutchinson, referring to the need for an organisation of creditmen _ in these days, said there had been a time when a business man judged credit by his personal knowledge of all his customers. In these days of varying credit systems it was absolutely essential that they should co-operate. "I say it with regret that there isn't much honour among people these days," he said. The staff of the Creditmen s Association met Mr. Dent and presented him a very handsome chromium and plateglass table. The presentation wiw made by the secretary of the com|>any, Mr. 11. W. Bullock, who said Mr. Dent had been associated with the company since its inception. The staff at the Auckland office had grown from three to twenty-live, and in addition this there were now throughout the Dominion twenty-five sister or affiliated organisation's, from Wliangarei to Invercargill.