COLONIAL SERVICE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 146, 17 December 1937, Page 10

COLONIAL SERVICE

NOTABLE VISITOR

ARRIVAL FROM ENGLAND

Important posts in the British Colonial Service, from which he has now retired, have bsen held by Sir Richard Rankine, who, accompanied by Lady Rankine, arrived by the Rangitane from England yesterday afternoon. Lady Rankine is a New Zealander. Before her marriage she was Miss H. G. A. Dalzell, of Hayton, Oamaru, and she was married to Sir Richard in the Dominion. They have come to New Zealand to escape the English winter, and expect to be here about ten weeks.

Sir Richard, who was mat on his arrival by " the ' Hon. Sir Charles Statham, M.L.C., was British Resident for the Zanzibar Protectorate. He entered the Colonial Service at Fiji in 1894, and was private secretary to successive Governors. In 1909 he was appointed Assistant Colonial Secretary for Fiji, and in 1910 Receiver-General. and Commissioner of Stamps. He acted as Colonial Secretary on many occasions. Sir. Richard proceeded to India as personal representative of the Governor on a special mission on the question of the emigration of Indians to Fiji in 1919. .The following year he was appointed Chief Secretary of Nyassaland and several times acted as Governor. He also represented Nyassaland at the Colonial Office Conference. From 1927 to 1929 he was Chief Secretary to the Governor of Uganda, and in 1928 he was the Acting Governor. He has lately retired from the position of British Resident at Zanzibar.

In an interview, Sir Richard agreed that the positions he had occupied had enabled him to see a good deal of the World, and his service had all been wonderfully interesting. What had interested him most on the- voyage to New' Zealand in the Rangitan6 was Pitcairn Island, although the vessel had only stopped off the island and he, to his disappointment, had beeri unable to land. It was the first time he had seen historic Pitcairn. The day was perfect for the occasion, and the island ■ looked very pretty.

In England, Sir Richard said he had seen the New Zealand cricket team in action. Participation in cricket x had been one of his forms of recreation, but he had now reached an age when he was forced to give the game best. But he retained an interest in the game. The New Zealanders, he thought, were good, but they, just missed. He did not know quite why. Still, in one of the Tests, when things looked very black ; for them before lunch, two of the New Zealand batsmen had afterwards made a very fine stand indeed. ' • , ' '

Referring briefly to the European and Far Eastern situations, Sir Richard said that a feeling of some apprehension existed in England. Not a great deal was said, and meanwhile the armament, programme was being pushed ahead.

'The British Colonial Service, said Sir Richard, in reply to a question, was without doubt a .fine service. ' There were some New, Zealanders in ..; the service., The Colonial Office was deliberately trying to get men from the Dominions, but very, good qualifications were necessary.' It" was very, difficult to gain admission unless one had\ taken a good degree at a university and his record was a good one.-The standard was set • very high indeed, and he thought quite rightly so. ;