A FINE RECORD

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 116, 13 November 1923, Page 10

A FINE RECORD

SAVINGS BANK CONTROLLER

RETIREMENT OF MR. HUGGINS

FAREWELL BY STAFF.

Retiring on superannuation after having completed forty years' service, Mr. H. A. R. Huggins, Controller of the Post Office Savings Bank, was yesterday 'afternoon farewelled by the staff of the Accountant's' Branch of the General Post Office. There was a very large gathering, including administrative officials of the General Post Office and heads of the various branches. The proceedings were marked with great cordiality, providing striking testimony to the popularity of the retiring officer and to the esteem in which he was held by subordinates, and those with whom he had been associated.

A UNIQUE POSITION.

The Secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department, Mr. A. T. Markman, after referring to the pleasure which Mr. Hugging must have felt at the ; largo assemblage, remarked that Mr. Huggins'a position had been rather unique inasmuch as during the whole time he had been in the Service he had served not only in the one branch, but in the General Post Office. He had seen a good deal and seen many officers come and go, and it was quite likely that even now there were many on his staff with whom he was not personally acquainted. Completing his education at Wellington College, Mr. Huggins had' joined the Department in 1883, when Mr. J. K. Warburton was Controller. It was Mr. Warburton who had been responsible for the system of Post Office accounting introduced during his time, and which had stood the test for well over fifty years. Mr. Huggins had introduced improvements. After twelve to fifteen years' service he was promoted to accounts clerk, then and now a very important position, and afterwards he became Assistant Controller, and finally, on the retirement, in 1917, of Mr. L. Ledger, he was appointed to the dual position of Controller and Chief Accountant. It was a coincidence that Mr. Huggins was the seventh Controller of, the G.P.0., and the speaker the seventh Secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department. Mr. Huggins had shown keen interest in accounting, not only in the Post and Telegraph Department, but outside. His work had resulted in economies being effected, and a great deal had been done in the direction of commercialising the accounts, which was a very difficult thing to''achieve because of certain Treasury requirements. The wheels were well oiled, for Mr. Huggins's successor, Mr. Johnson, to take up the running, and to bring about further improvements, if that were possible. Mr. Huggins had attained his position by ability and industry, and his achievement should encourage emulation by the junior officers. He had always striven to do the best for those under him, although it had not always been possible to acquiesce in his recommendations, and, in addition, he had done a great deal of the spade work in connection with putting the superannuation principle into operation. For many'years he had represented"the officers of the Service on the Superannuation Board.

On behalf of the staff, Mr. Markman presented Mr. Huggins with a beautiful autograph album containing cabinet photographs of the principal officers of the accountant staff and group photo-gi-aphs of the various sections. On behalf of the principal officers of the ■ other branches of the head office, he handed to Mr. Huggins a handsome bowl for Mrs. Huggins. He trusted that in his retirement Mr. Huggins and family would enjoy the' good things of life for many years to come. (Applause.)

GROWTH IN VOLUME OF BUSINESS.

In returning thanks for the gifts, Mr. Huggins said the album would serve to remind him' of the many pleasant hours he had spent in administering the affairs of the branch, and'of the loyal and willing. service that had been given by those under him. He hoped that the goodwill which existed between himself and the senior officers of the other branches would be maintained. To show the growth in the volume of business transacted by the branch, Mr. Huggins mentioned that when he joined the Service in 1883 the total amount to credit of depositors in the Post Office Savings Bank was one and a half millions sterling, whereas vto-day it stood at over £44,500,000. This would give some idea of the increase in work-in the accountants' side of the Department. Other branches of the accounts had grown in equal proportion. In 1383, the deposits amounted to a little over £1,000,000 per annum ; in the year which has closed they were at the rate of £27,000,000 per annum. This meant that, the total deposits at credit in the Post Office Savings Bank were equal to the total of the free and fixed deposits of the whole of the six commercial banks put together. Many people failed to realise that. In its 800 different branches throughout New Zealand the work of the Post Office Savings Bank went on smoothly. The total amount of money collected by the Post Office from all sources last year exceeded £151,000,000, which was ten times the revenue collected by the Railway Departments In this total, of course, not only the Savings Bank moneys, but millions collected for other departments of the .Public Service, were included. Moneys for the Advances to Settlers Department accounted for two or three minions, the Public Trust Office two or three millions, the Government Insurance Department over a million, and tho Pensions Department three' or four millions. AVhen he joined the Service there were twelve officers in the accountants' branch at the head office, including the Controller; to-day, there were some 180. He was rather proud of the fact that, unil recently, the majority of the certified accountants in the Public Service were trained in the accountants' branch of the General Post Office. These men were now in responsible positions, upholding the credit of the Post Office, and doing good .work." In conclusion, Mr. Huggins said that it_ was very pleasing'for him to go out with the esteem and confidence of the Department. He waa proud of the fact that in the last seventeen years, from the North Cape to the Bluff, he was returned at the head of the poll at every election for the Public Service Superannuation Board, and he was proud of the fact that the officers of the Wellington branch had made him a life member of then- society. "I have always, tried to the best of my ability to make the lives of the officers, both ladies and gentlemen as happy as they could be, conformable with their duty to the Government, remarked Mr. Huggins On the call of Mr. Markman, cheers were given for Mr., Mrs., and Miss Hugging. °