MINES DEPARTMENT APPOINTMENT

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22983, 1 April 1940, Page 1 (Supplement)

MINES DEPARTMENT APPOINTMENT

UNDER SECRETARYSHIP TO MR C. H. BENNEY LONG PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE (From Our Own Reporter.) WELLINGTON, March 31. Appointed Acting Under-Secretary for Mines, Mr C. H. Benney, who is 38 years of age, becames perhaps the youngest man to hold the position of head of a department of State in New Zealand. His family have been associated with mining from the pioneering days. Mr Benney was born at Komata, in the Hauraki district, his father, Mr J. H. Benney, then being manager of the Komata Reef Gold Mining Company.' He is now manager of the Golden Dawn Company which mines at Owharoa between Paeroa and Waihi. His grandfather was also in charge of mines on the Hauraki glodfields, having come from Cornwall in the early days and his son succeeded him at Komata. The new undersecretary was educated at the Komata School and the Thames High School, where he won a Junior University Scholarship. In 1919 he joined the Civil Service, entering the Mines Department at Wellington. He continued his studies at Wellington Technical College and in 1926 completed his professional accountancy examinations. Serving in all branches, he remained with the Mines Department until 1930. by which time he had travelled over all the mining fields in the Dominion. He then joined the Justice Department, and was appointed to take charge of accounts at the institutional farm at Waikeria, near Te Awamutu. , He returned to the Mines Department in 1937 as accountant. At that time the Under-Secretary; Mr A. Tyndall, who is now a Judge of the Arbitration Court, was also Director of Housing Construction, and scope was given for a man with a practical knowledge of gold and coal-min-ing in the Dominion, backed by departmental administrative ability, to show his merit and have worthy claims for appointment when the Under-Sec-retaryship fell vacant. It was a chance which Mr Benney took. He has taken a leading part in the affairs of the Public Service Associatipn. He has been chairman of the Wellington section, a member of the executive, and a vice-president of the association, and has also served on a large number of special committees in the public service.