THE PUBLIC SERVICE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 135, 2 March 1908, Page 3

THE PUBLIC SERVICE.

, PROMINENT OFFICERS RETIRING. Patrick Sheridan', Superintendent -of, tho Maori 'Lands Administration ■ Act arid Native Land 3 Purchase Officer for;.tho : . Govdrnmont;" a ' gentloirian .' 'highly'' respected throughout Now Zedlarid by" -Pakeha , and Maori, "is; to'retire froni ■ the' public service the month on' compensation. Mr'. Sheridan' was born in Nowry, County Doivn, lin -1841, and was; educated' at tho': Model School-,in that town." Ho became , a telegraphist on: leaving school,. but fmdinE that .employment not altogether to his likiilg, enlisted,',.jiij';tlip ,14th.' Regiment,'• when., it. was being : :StrMgthcried> for,service-in 'New/Zealand: He" arrived in Auckland in 1860, and 'served iii'tho"Waikato and Auckland, rising to tho:. rank of, '.sergeant and .clerk to the, regiment. When' tho r'ogirifeht y returned to England, Mr. Sheridan remainod in. Now Zealand;,and for a time held a clerkship, in tho Defence Office.' He ; wa?l appointed' account-., ant to the, Native-Land Purchase,.Pepa,rtmont. in- 1872, and became.-Chief Land 'Piirchiisii pfEccr i; 'in.,.1890,, in.,which, capacity ho has ■always.'.shown.cpnspjcuou's. abilityV' "" ', - -r 'Mr.' ;Heri'ry.Dunbar '".Johnson,' Acting'Jiidgo , of-; the 'Native Land Court, is to-retire from tho public servico at the end of . tho month. Judge Johnson was born in -London , in 1844, and, "was educated privately in, England. He arrived in NewvZealand (in 1863/ and engaged in storekeepirig arid iriiniiipf pursuits • at, Coror mandel, Ohinemuri, arid'Thaines. He assisted to report' the'famous meeting' between Sir ..Geprgo ' Grey and ' Tawhiao (the Maori Kiiig), and wrfs, appointed, clerk, and . inter-. ,proter to'the Nativo, Office iu 1879. ,In 1885 .he' was appointed' Governmbiit'Agoni/at' Ro.torua and Chairman of the Town,Bpard,' and m-1886 assisted in the'rescue'of •the'siirvivors of tho..Tarnwera eruption. Subsequently ho sottled in To Aroha, but in 1892 .acted, as. clerk &nd interpreter .in the ,f\yail>a.to. ( ;'Hp jjecamc -registrar of the Nativo Land Court in 1894, and Judge in 1896. • .'.Mr'. Jairies Ashcroft, Official Assignee of is retiring. from ..the public service. on account of age and; ill-health.' ■ Mr. Ashcroft was appointed. Official Assigneo" at; Dunpdin in 1884, and in 1893 was transferred to Wellington, where-hoihas .since acted as Official Assignee and coroner.' , ,>■ : : ; Mr. Gilbert Mail - , N.Z.C., Has retired from the' public service; l He served with - distinction in the; Maori war, and as a nativo in-, tcrpreter arid Judge ■ of-, the Native LandCo'urt lie, has long been recognised; as an able officer. ... ... 1 V .-. i.