POPULAR ORCHARD INSTRUCTOR.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18195, 4 October 1924, Page 7

POPULAR ORCHARD INSTRUCTOR.

——• PRESENTATION TO MR W. K. DALLAS. Officers or '.he Department of Agriculture. mot yesterday afternoon :o> say good-bye :o Mr W. K. Dallas, orchard instructor, who was recently promoted to the charge of the Otago district, with headquarters at Dunedin, and to present him wiili a token of their e?tcem. Mr L Paynter, orchard instructor, said that they were glad Mr Dallas was going, because it meant promotion: but they were also sorry because 1 they would all agree that the time th"y had spent with Mr Dallas had been a most happy time. Mr Dallas had been working in Christchurcli under Mr George Stratford for some considerable time, and was in charge during Mr St rat-, ford's absence in England. Two years and a half ago he (the speaker) was appointed in charge of Canterbury and Westland. When an officer had been in charge of a district for the length of time Mr Dallas had been, such an appointment as his (the speaker's) tested the personal feelings of the officer who had been in charge, and ho (the speaker) had received his appointment- with some misgivings as to how he would be received and as to how Mr Dallas would take it. Their relations had been extremely cordial, though Mr Dallas could have made things unpleasant if he had chosen to do so. On every occasion he (the speaker) had been absent from the district Mr Dallas had carried on in an efficient manner; and whatever Mr Dallas's feelings were he gave no sign of them. He felt sure that Mr. Dallas would fill his new position with honour to himself and the district to which he was going. He had endeared himself not only to the field officers, but also to those in the office, and all wished him "God. speed," success, and prosperity. As a token of their esteem, they asked him to accept a travelling-rug from the officers of the Department. (Applause.) Mr J. Andrews, on behalf of the staff, said that they heartily approved of the remarks regarding 1 "-Mr Dallas made by Mr Paynter. Mr Dallas was a man of a very rare type, a man of the highest integrity. He was going to take charge of a district that had provided the Division with its Assistant-Director, and he hoped Mr Dallas would rise to a similar position—he possessed those qualities which would make it true. 115 congratulated Mr Dallas on his promotion. Mr' F. E. Ward, Instructor in Agriculture, said that he was first associated with Mr Dallas in the Army, cn the educational staff, and had had an opportunity of seeing his capabilities. Since then lie had increased his knowledge of Mr Dallas's personality, and it fave him the greatest pleasure to t°nder, with others, his congratulations to Mr Dallas on his promotion, and to express best wishes for his success. Mr Dallas possessed knowledge of his job and a type of personality which enabled him to get on successfully with his fellowofficers and the public. He had been exceedingly popular both with his fel-low-officers and the public, and possessed that type of personality that would take him to the top. Mr J. Kerrigan said that Mr Dallas was an exemplary officer, whose interest had been all in his work. Mr Dallas said that lie appreciated the sincerity and cordiality of the re-, marks that had been passed rcgarling himself, and the work lie had done and he thanked them for their congratulations and good wishes. The many friendships he had formed amongst the officers of' tli6 Department rendered a token, of remembrance unnecessary. Mr Dallas spoke of the work done by Mr Stratford, Mr Paynter, and himsalf in connexion with. the. Papanui experimental orchard, and of the great responsibility connected with that work, especially regarding the extensive spraying experiments carried out. The results obtained, he said, had'reflected credit on every officer of the Department. He was quite satisfied that the work could not have been carried out so successfully but for the assistance given by the office staff and by the Fields Division, and he was glad to have the opportunity of exprcssu; g his indebtedness to all those officers. Ho hoped that if any of the officers visited Dunedin they would call on him and give him an opportunity to extend to them the hospitality for which Otago was renowned—he was an old Otago boy himself.