RAILWAYS OFFICIAL RETIRES.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20199, 30 March 1931, Page 3

RAILWAYS OFFICIAL RETIRES.

MR R. S. KENT'S SERVICE.

The Divisional-Superintendent for ths~ South Island Railways, Mr R; S. K<?nt, who 1 has occupied' that position since 1925. and who has been in the , fierviee of the Railway Department for 35 years,' has been compelled by & long period of ill-hoaltU to resign, his position. - His retirement- will, take effect from, the end of T this month* - . • Mr ICejit..;ioined.the 'aervice in We!in cadet in.the Cfci«£ Mechanical EfngineejrV Office, but .was shortly wards,. transferred to the land and legal branch. In 1896 hh went to InvercargiU, as a. : draftingcadet on the cngioeelnng staff, and. rei turned to the Wellington District J&pfc i gineer's Office in 1908, becoming +Ath I eifitant District .Engineer in 1903. , He I was later for two. years in charge of grade easement wrveys ip the Auck- ! land mid Wanganui districts. >. - I In 1920 Mr Kent was appointed, Difrt triot Engineer at Ohakune,, having ! charge of the- area from Mar ton" to, Fxankton Junction, and; during this time, considerable repair work-., was necessary through slips, floods, and. train wrecks. In 1922 he wfta trans-" ferred to Greymouth, m charge of thfr West Coast and Nelson districts. In his time fhore the Otira tyj&ne} was opened, and this involved considerable work-opening new yards at Qtira-aiw other atations. ' " \ In 1924 he tfas appointed tq xhe : Head Office btaff at Wellington as In* epecting Engineer, In February* 1925, ho was appointed Divisional Superintendent for the. South Island Railways, being the first to occupy that position, Mr. Kent has been concernod with many important works throughout the including the new Invejf<w : gill yards and workshops, the, River? ton deviation, surveying for the Waka* tipu wharves, the construction of the new yards at Ptwknkftriki,' ntid the' 1 , survey of the new yards ;ai' JUunbton and IJhorndon. - . Since coming <io Christchurch,' Mr Kent has- been chiefly occupied with rojitine work. He hasnoxjefmite plane' for tlie "-future,- , S» far no announcement concerning the appointment of a> successor has been. made.