SURVEYOR OF SHIPS

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 82, 7 April 1938, Page 11

SURVEYOR OF SHIPS

MR. T. A. COOPER FARE-

WELLED

REPRESENTATIVE FUNCTION

A farewell was tendered last evening to Mr. T. A. Cooper, who has retired from the position of senior surveyor of ships and inspector of machinery, in charge of the Wellington office of the Marine Department. Among I those present were members of the staffs of the head and district offices of the Marine Department^ representatives of other Government departments, shipping companies, engineering works, machinery manufacturers and importers, classification societies, the Wellington Harbour Board, and the Marine Engineers' Institute. Mr. G. E. Breeze, Chief Surveyor of Ships and Inspector of Machinery, presided. Eul3gistic references were made to Mr. Cooper's services for the Marine Department and of his fairness and efficiency. Those who spoke included Mr. Breeze, Mr. L. B. Campbell (Secretary of the Marine Department), Mr. J. Smith (U.S.S. Co.), Captain J. P. Hall (Superintendent of. Mercantile Marine at Wellington), Messrs. D.K. Blair, J. Cable, W. Sommerville (secretary Marine Engineers' Institute), C. A. Berendsen (Permanent Head of x the Prime Minister's Department), G. Lidgett, Jamieson, T. R. Lane, A. M. Taylor, R. L. Gillies (U.S.S. Co.), and L. S. Lawson (acting senior surveyor), Mr. Breeze presented Mr. Cooper with a travelling rug and a handbag for Mrs. Cooper. Mr. Cooper, in reply, paid tribute to Mr. Breeze, the engineers, the staff, the nautical and Lloyd's surveyors, the ship owners, and dthers who, he said, had greatly assisted him by their cooperation^ SERVICE AS ENGINEER. Mr. Cooper served his apprenticeship as an engineer at the marine engineering works of the Anchor Foundry and Shipping Company, Nelson, and completed his workshops training with Messrs. Wm. Denny and Co., shipbuilders, Dumbarton, Scotland, He joined the British India Steam Navigation Company in 1900 and qualified for and obtained his. second and first-class marine engineer's certificates during the period he served as an engineer with this well-known company. In 1904 he returned to New Zealand and, taking service with his original employers, the Anchor Foundry and Shipping Co., sailed as chief engineer of many of their vessels until 1912, when he was appointed surveyor of ships, inspector of machinery, and examiner of engineers to the Marine Department. Mr. Cooper was with the Marine Department for over 26 yeats, the last 14 of which were spent as senior officer-in-charge of the Wellington district. •