POPULAR SECRETARY

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 103, 4 May 1931, Page 10

POPULAR SECRETARY

FAREWELL TO MR. STEWART .

The official, stall' and the inspectors of the Wellington Education District assembled on Saturday to bid farewell to Mr. G. L. Stewart, who is retiring from the secretaryship of the board arfter 27 years' service. Among others present were Airs, and- Miss Stewart, the chairman and city members of the board, Mr. i\ H. Bakewell and Mr. D. A. Strachan, the former senior inspectors of tho district, Mr.J. S. Tennant, Professor W. H. Gould, Mr. J. H. A. La'ughton, and Mr. F. L. Combs. Mr. E. S. Hylton, who is succeeding Mr. Stewart as secretary, was in the chair, and, ou behalf of the staff, he thanked Mr. Stewart for the kindly consideration which he had always shown towards the board's officers, lie referred to tho fact that Mr. Stewart had successfully carried bin the arduous task of directing all the work connected with a steadily growing education district, as evidenced by tho growth of tho official staff, the numerical strength of which had increased during Mr. Stewart's secretaryship from (i to 25. Mr. Hylton then1 presented Mr.' Stewart with an armchair,-and Mrs. Stewart with a crystal vase, as tokens of esteem fro in the staff and the inspectorate; and expressed the hope that they and their family would have very many years of future happiness. Other speakers who endorsed and supplemented the chairman's remarks were Mr. Powell (architect), Miss Ahem (staffs' officer), Mr. Bakewell, Mr. Tennant, Dr. M'llraith (senior'inspector), Mr. Strachan, and Mr. Combs. Mr. Stewart, in reply, expressed his very .deep appreciation of tho eulogistic remarks that had been made, and bespoke for his successor that loyal cooperation of staff and inspectorate which ho had invariably received, and which he valued in the highest degree, lie concluded, by thanking the donors for the tangible token of their esteem which had just been presented to him. Mrs. Stewart expressed her appreciation of the references to her husband's career, and of the gift to herself. I At the request of the chairman of the board (Mr. T. Forsyth) cheers were j given for Mr. and Mrs. Stewart, and 'the farewell concluded with the singing of "Auld tiring Syne."