RETIRING.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 546, 29 June 1909, Page 2

RETIRING.

.-■- . ■ '■: ■•■•■. - , ' (■■','■' ■ ■'■■■ MR. T. ARTHUR'S 44 YEARS' SERVICE. ;' Mr. thomae Arthur, traffio superintendent ;'; •for. the North; Island, severs his'; : aotiye con-.,.' -. rieotion with the Railway Department ■*<>. luorroiy/' whon, he commences .three, months' leave or' absence.' The age limit is the cause , of- Mr. , ' Arthur's/ rotironicnt, ■ but.■;■ he is: still :hale and hearty; Ho joined the service in ; - July, 1865, and filled the positions of sta- , . tionniastcr, traffic manager,, .and gonoral : ■ manager of the Southland Railways. Hβ i also held the position of traih'o ljmaagOi- at ■ , Dunediu .and, Christchurch, ■.- before, being, transferred to Wellington, to undortako tho ■■■; ; duties of North Island traffio 'suparintendont. ; ' Mr. Arthur lias a larger store'of-tcstimbnialr ( from merchants, shippers,; and'Dopartmontai ? oUicers, bearing witness to his success in, . ; meeting tho demands of-the commercial public, and his reminiscences make it clear that it could only have ,been by means',.of very, great ingenuity .that: ho was' ablo\ to over- , ,-come;-the difficulties \vhich often beset hit ■■;, path. ■: •.■ ■ '~-■.-. ■'■■■' .• ■ •..■■.■•'. ■'•; -'■■'■■. .Some of Mr. Arthur's most interesting •■ recollections are concerned with the patent wooden railway which was laid from lnvor* ... cargill to Makai-ewa, in tho early days. The ~• rails were of,eight-by-cight totara, and black : pino, and tho enr and wagon wheels were ■'" eight inches broad, without _ Haiißcs. They wore kept on tho rails by guide wheels, acting on tho inside edge of tho rails. ■■'Derail- :; ments, arising'from breakages, of the-guide wheels', and othor undorßcar,. occurred almost every day, and tho-wooden track, which -was : ';. never oxtended beyond tlio original eight ■■.:' miles, was pulled up and roplaced by■ SOlb. "'■<■ rails. ■ ■'. ■■'' .■.'•■ : '■' . ,■■'■'■ ■"'• ).;'. ■■. ■■ In accepting;J[r, Arthur's resignation,'tho '' other day, the General Manager , of Railways : (Mr. T. wrote: "I> desire to plnco. ■'..■''■ on record my appreciation of yeur : distin- ■ ' guished services to _ the Department, aiid .-,: your zeal in promoting its interests, in/all ; circumstances, nnd also to thank you for tho loyal support you havo at all times; run- /'.' dered ! me in connection with the ndminip tration of tho Railway Department." ,' / J