EMINENT FORESTER RETIRES

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 77, 1 April 1931, Page 7

EMINENT FORESTER RETIRES

Mr. E. Phillips Turner, -who has ictircd on superannuation from the position of Director of Forestry, was farewelled yesterday by the officers of the Department, and was the recipient of a radio set from his official confreres and a cheque from the Timber Growers' Association. In making tho presentations, the Hon. E. A. Ransom, Minister in Charge of the Forestry Department, said that Mr. Phillips Turner was an enthusiast in his work, and that accounted for his successful career in his special branch of the Public Service. ' In addition to his other duties, Mr. Turner had for many years studied botany, and in the course of his field work had located and identified many hitherto unknown species. He had also contributed numerous botanical papers to scientific journals. His latest and most important work was "The Troes of New Zealand," written in collaboration with Dr. Cockayne. The Minister spoke of the valuable woJc done by .Mr. Phillips Turner, and wished him many years of happiness in his retirement. Short addresses expressing appreciation of the valuable work done by Mr. Phillips Turner, and of his uniform courtesy, were made by Mr. P. Verschaffelt, Public Service Commissioner; Dr. Cockayne, honorary botanist of the Forestry Department; Mr. A. Leigh Hunt, president of the New Zealand Forestry Loague; and Mr, A. D, M'Gavock, who succeeds Mr. Turner as Director of Forestry. Dr. Cockayno mentioned that he ami Mr. Turner laid out the boundaries of tho Tongariro National Park. Ho said he looked ■upon Mr. Turner as not only mi eminent forester, but as a man of wide interest in many branches of science. These qualifications were the reasons for his remarkable success. Ho also paid «i tribute to the work of the new director.