A VETERAN ENGINEER.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIII, Issue 48, 26 February 1907, Page 5

A VETERAN ENGINEER.

-» IfcATLWAY DEPARTMENT'S LONDON OFFICIAL. -■ *-MB. OAERUTHERS AND HIS . PARTNER. Twenty-eight years i* a long absence &6m the colony ; yet that is the position Mr. John Carruthers, the veteran efigineer, who has filled the important part of London consultant to the New Zealand Government for that lengthy 'period, found himself in yesterday. As he stood on the deck of the lonic yesterday morning, conversing with a Post reporter, he said he could not recognise the city. It had outgrown all boundß since he resigned his position of Engineer-ifl-Chief to the Railway Department of New Zealand and sailed for London. In the interval Mr. Carruthera * has aged considerably, but he is still 'hale and hfearty, and ready to take up Us duties in London again as soon as he 'has visited- the railway works in all parts of the colony and consulted with the Minister and heads of departments. Mr. Carruthers is accompanied by his partner, Mr J. D. Elliot " Asked ' his visit was connected with any new railway policy, Mr. Carruthers said he was quite unaware of any change in 'the policy followed by the Railway Department and the London office. He lecognised that his experience of tho ,«olony had grown old ; and he had expressly undertaken this trip to familiar»e ■himself with railway undertakings as ' they arc in New Zealand to-day, and to lbatn something, on the spot, about what is intended to be done in the iutnre. His partner, Mr. Elliot, also d&ired to get lecal knowledge. Ih 1871, when the railway policy of 2*ew Zealand Was inaugurated, the whole ■work of organising the engineering staff fell on Mr". Elliot. For eight years sub- ' iJSquently he directed tjae operations of that branch of the service, and then, as .tlready stated, was chosen to go to '.London. " In reply to a question about advancement iir engineering at Home-, Mr Carruthfrs' sard no very- great strides were bcingxmads at present, except perhaps in regard to motors and gas engines These Iw> branches of the trade were booming. .It must 4 not be supposed that during Ilis tirenty-eight years' absence from the colbny Mr. Carruthers has never left Hn^lnnd! On many occasions he has 'visited America — frequently in connection contracts for the New Zealand Government — 30 that he has had ample opportunities of becoming acquainted with iho latest development in. railway engineering there. Mr. Carruthers has a very high opinion " of the staff of the New "Zealand Rail-•.-ays, particularly those branches of it mth. which his official duties have brought him in contact. "I consider," he said, "that your staff is quite as good ds you will find anywhere else in the irorid. Of course a pTophet is never very much respected in his own country, but I should siy thet New Zeafend's railway staff is decidedly firstulass." ■ -Civil proceedings were taken in tho • Magistrates Court to-day by James li'Carrijon and Sons, caipenters and carvers, against JJavid Clark and Wm. Kadie Ulark for the recovery of £3 7k 3d for work done. Judgment was for plaintiff by default againsft W. Clark, with 18s costs, ar.d ior the defendant ' David Clark. Plaintiffs were represent. ■ od by Mr. M'Giath. Messrs. George and George call attention •kowhero to a show of riewe't und daintiost millinery just laid out. ' To-morrow night Mejsra. G. Thom«3 and Co.. in conjunction with M'Keo and Co., Jjta., will sell by auction, at the Chamber of Commerce, 13 level blocks of land at Silvorgtreiin. Full particular* will be found in our advortUemcnt columns. >. At 2 o'clock to-morrow, Meusr». W. H. Iforrah and Co. will sell by public auction, tin tho promisee, 500, Nairn-street, tho furniture and content! of a six-roomed house, as atitrcrtited.