A POPULAR ENGINEER.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 748, 22 February 1910, Page 4

A POPULAR ENGINEER.

■- : : PEESENTATION':TO" ME:; A.\ J;i; ■ f .';'.'.;;,-' ,"-PATEESON./ v K .'';J. -\^/:: ■ The'.heads of the various departments. of the City Council and'.'a strong muster of Employees, of all branches of the service gathered in' No. !1 Committee Boom; of the Town Hall yesterday, to bid fareweil to Mr. .A.- J. '■• Patersbn; of the City Engineers'. Department, who . is. to leave Wellington. tp-Say id' enter- npon' his now position of engineer;to;the Gisborne,Borough Council. ,":. ; - ■••';■ -■' - •■■':'■■■ '■ ; 'The city engineer,; Mr.' W. Hi" Morton, who presided;, stated' that Mr.. Paterson had been, engaged .in the .corporation ser-, vice for the past' six years,-and during that -time-he had "endeared himself. , to a great, number- of -those-.present..;,He (Mr. Morton) could:- speak of. ; Mr.. Paterr son i as a ;very loyal .and- capable assist-; ant.; A (Applause.).. He had'found'.him'.to be one' of'.those' men ; to,:whom;".if you required to get a work done, you simply had!to give the'.word "go" and .he.got there; (Lond •. applause.) ■ '/We. will - all miss his breezy- style," said; Mr. Morton amidst. laughter,"but," ". he ■ added, "we know that in everything'he: was honest .and : .straight."..': (Eenowed applause.) He (the. city engineor) was more sorry than anyone about the loss of Mr. Paterson -to'the.'Beryice,. ; :but there was : a.:.wider field •_ before ; their .'■ guest, .who' would have! an opportunity of. distinguishing himself in';a more responsible ■positioh'.i'..-' Mr.; Patersbn was probably leaving; Wellington for. -Gisborne • with very much the same.,feelings..a3 ho; (the: speaker) .came to:' from Mel-,' .bourne. :■'.' When'i ho : reached Sydney ; lie was told .that the-:Wellington City .Councillors w.ere r a hard lot to get on' { with; However, ho had not - f oiind this; to ■ be the case and he ; hopcd.that Mr.Pnterson' would- have- tho samo- experience. -' : -;; .

Mr. John 8. , Palmer,, town;clerk, congratulated Mr.' Patersbn bri tho' step forward he had taken;':.TKey could ill afford to lose; a man. , full of;• Mr.'.Pntcrson's vim-and go !and: musfc-bb content to hopd that .he would- distinguish himself in Gisborne even as. : .lie,had done in Wellington. -.- ■ ;,', ■'"' ; ' , ■"■..- ■.'- ,''•■'.•. •:■ On bohalf of: the gathering Mr! Morton presented Mr. Paterson-with n handsome gold watch and also handed him a gold bracelet for presentation'to Mrs. Paterson.;- "I have to; personally- thank , you for the loyal and offectivo way'yon have, assisted mo during the.past six years," said Mr. Morton as ho handed the gifts .to Mr Paterson.: --, .-'. "' !• . ■■•'.•

, In returning thanks in .a- brief speech Mr.-" Paterson voiced -his .'intention V' of .flying 1 the .flog of :efficiency as high as possible, in .Gisborne, and .of doing ..his. utmost to justify the.good opinion his old comrades; had shown they hold, of him... ■-. : -.'.■'■ ■.'-.■■■'. '" •■'.'■'. ' -.,■ -.'. ;:'■'• The gatherinpr terminated with n hoarty rendering of "He's aJoliy Good Follow. .