INTERNAL AFFAIRS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 71, 25 March 1931, Page 10

INTERNAL AFFAIRS

RETIREMENT OF MR. G. P,

NEWTON

Mr. G. P. Newton, Under-Secretary of .Internal Affairs, has asked to be allowed to retire from the Public Service.

Mr. Newton, who was appointed to his present position iv June, 1928, has risen from the lowest rung in the Internal Affairs Department to the highest administrative position in the space of thirty-five years. He was born in Victoria, Australia, and came to New ZeaJand as a young man in 1893, finding employment for a short time as a temporary clerk in the Education Department. He was then appointed a committee clerk for one session at Parliament Buildings, arid acted as clerk of the Committee of Inquiry set up in connection with the Bank of New Zealand. In 1806 Mr. Newton was appointed temporary clerk in the Internal Affairs Department. At that time the head office had a staff of only five officers, of whom Mr. Newton was the junior. He steadily rose in the service until ho became chief clerk, and in 1912 was appointed Assistant Under-Secretary, a position which he filled with distinction up till his appointment as head of the Department three years ago. Mi-. Newton has always taken a keen interest in town-planning, and was selected as a member of the Town-plan-ning Board set up under the legislation of 1926. His principal duties for some years were in connection with the supervision and administration of local government matters. He is" regarded as an able officer witli a wide and accurate knowledge of all the duties of his responsible office. •