AFTER SIX YEARS

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 103, 3 May 1919, Page 9

AFTER SIX YEARS

MR. HILEY RETIRES

FROM NEW ZEALAND RAILWAYS

MR. M'VILLY GENERAL

MANAGER.

The Wellington members of the Railway Department's staff assembled in large numbere yesterday afternoon to bid farewell to Mr. E. H. Hiley, -who has just relinquished the ' position of General Manager, and who will shortly, return to England.

Mr. R. W. M'Villy, the new General Manager, presided. The officers of the Department, he said, had met to say good-bye to Mr. Hiley on the occasion of his retirement. Mr. Hiley came amongst them six years ago as a stranger, and since then he had identified himself closely with all that appertained to the advancement of the service, and the welfare of its members, in sport and pastime, and in their individual efforts to improve themselves. He could assure Mr. Hiley that he carried with him on his retirement the best wishes of every member of the head office staff. (Applause.) They would all watch his future career with very gftat interest, and they wished him and Mrs. Hiley and his family health and prosperity wherever they might be. (Applause.) Mr. F. W. M'Lean, Chief Engineer, cxp2-esse<l regret that several of the heads of branches were not able to be present to bid Mr. Hiley a formal farewell. He spoke as one who had been in daily, sometimes hourly, contact with Mr.. Hiley in his position as General Manager They had been living in strenuous times since Mr. Hiley came amongst them—only those who had been brought into close personal contact with him could realise to any extent the responsibilities that had devolved upon the General Manager under such conditions.. Mr. Hiloy wa! going away, so to speak, in the flower of his youth. He was going aivay to enjoy well-earned leisure; they vishcd him every prosperity, and at the same w'me he could, on behalf of the new Assistant General Manager, Mi\ James MacdonaJd, who was unavoidably absent, assure Mr. M'Villy of the same loyal support and cordial co-operation that they had endeavoured to give to Mr. Hiley. (Loud applause.)

Mr. C. A. Piper (Assistant Traffic Manager), Mr. H: M'Andrew (Assistant Chief Engineer), Mr. Wynne (Chief Electrical Engineer), Mr. H. Williams (Accountants' Office), and Mr. James Young (Chief Clerk in the Engineers' Office and President of the Officers' Institute) expressed similar sentiments.

On rising to reply, Mr. Hiley -was greeted with a storm of applause. He was not going to make a formal speech, he said, because he regarded that as an informal gathering, but he did want to say how really and sincerely he appreciated the kindly thought which, had suggested the gathering and the very kindly way in which he had been-receiv-ed. Nothing could have pleased him better than to have had' that opportunity of saying good-bye to them all. He was very grateful to those who had promoted the meeting. Some of the speakers had' referred to the unfortunate times through which they had passed during his six years' regime. There was no doubt it had: been an extraordinarily unfortunate time.' It started -with the small-pox, ■was followed by the strike, and then began the war—just after- they brought out the report, as they would remembei, regarding reorganisation, under which they hoped to give great benefits to the Department and the Dominion in regard to working facilities for the railways. Ho had begun to imagine that he was some relation to Jonah, ibut he was glad that he had' had the opportunity of remaining with them until the clouds of war had lifted, and those six years had given him the opportunity of finding out the strength of the staff with which he had been working. All preconceived ideas in regard to railway requirements and railway working had to go by the board, ono after the other, as the staff diminished, as coal became shorter, and material which had been regarded as essential in the past was cut- down, and he fully appreciated the assistance he had received', not only from tfie AssistantGeneral Manager,. Mr. M'Villy, and the heads of branches, but from the many members of the staff in that building, as it became their duty and opportunity to work with him,' and he could not help thinking that such a time as they had passed through has provided an. opportunity to learn something, and to endeavour to fit into, the improvised machinery under which they had had to work during those trying times. There was another lesson to be learned from the trying times through which they had passed, and which he was sure had bpen learned and would continue to bear good fruit, and that was loyalty to their Department, and loyalty to their chiofs. There was no doubt that, although the clouds -of war had lifted, the Department had very strenuous times in front of it. Men were returning"f rom the front, and they were getting over some of their immediate difficulties in regard to the staff, but the effect of the war would be with the Department for many years to come. He wanted them all to realise that their General Manager and the heads of their different branches and senior officers would be suffering under great disabilities and great trials in the immediate years to come. He believed that Now Zealand had a period of great prosperity in front of it. He had no hesitation in saying so, but that period of prosperity would impose an added task on the new General Manager. He would be asked, and the Department' would be asked, to cope with the traffic of the future. He had been told already that the war was over, and everything ought to be running like clockwork, and as traffic offered their difficulties would increase. The unfor- | tunate eclipse of the 1914 programme j would react on the Department, ant 1 j therefore they wanted the greatest co- j operation with and loyalty to their new j chief and all those in responsible posi- j tions. Ho wanted the younger members to realise that the time of hardship was also the time of opportunity. Tho working of the future; -would make op- I porttuiities,' and while it was tha duty of them all to support the .Department and the Government find the management, because thuy wwre paid for doing it. it was also their liuty to themselves to seize the opportunities which he had no doubt would b» coning to the Department. This year they had practically touched the £5,000,000 mark of receipts. That meant no mean railway, and imdoubtedly that would be passed as time went on. They all knew tb.-.t if the Railways increased - tho prosperity of the Dominion, the Department went forward as a branch of the Government service, and he thought that the last schedule of pay for the officers was some proof of that. That was their opportunity, and they all ought to, and he was Euro they did and would, rejoice in the increased business that ivould come to tho New Zealand iailways. It would mean more work, more strenuous work, but it would also mean a greater recognition of the importance of the Department, and a greater willingness on the part of the Government and the public to improve conditions. He had no doubt that the new General Manager had, as hs (Mr. Hiley) had, complete sympathy with their aspirations for improved conditions and pay, and their deairo to maintain the dignity of .tho_

Department, and that he would be sympathetic with their desire that the Railway Department should keep pace with other Departments of the Public Service as the Senior Department of the Government of New Zealand. (Applause.) He could assure them that his stay in New Zealand had been pleasant to a degree. He had always found the officers willing to assist him, and to co-operate with him most thoroughly. He believed that New Zealand had a very great future, and thsro was no doubt that the Railways was the most important Department in the Dominion. (Applause.) The proceedings closed with, cheers for Mr. and Mrs. Hiley, and for the nsw General Manager.