POPULAR OFFICER

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 81, 3 October 1938, Page 10

POPULAR OFFICER

MR. MAGEE RETIRES

MANY PRESENTATIONS

The retirement of a popular, Post and Telegraph Department official, Mr. R. B. ("Barney") Magee, superintendent of the Telegraph Delivery Branch, was marked by a series of functions and presentations last week. On Wednesday Mr. and Mrs. Magee were guests of ladies of the Delivery Branch and a presentation of a crystal set was made by Miss Jones; on Friday Mr., Magee was farewelled by members of the Post Office staff and a presentation i of a clock and silver tea and coffee; service was made; on Saturday Mr.' Magee was guest of honour at a srnske j concert attended by • over 103 feSJcKSP-1 officers and friends and a set of gsr-j den tools and a walking stick hssxszzg,] the old Poneke colours was presented!- j Mr. Magee joined the service m. M£©| as a messenger boy. He we~;i to fee j j South African War and to fee Great j War, being subsequently dischargee Ssl medically unfit. He became supervisor of the Telegraphic Delivery Branch in 1933. At the farewell on Friday Mr. J. Madden, Chief Postmaster, paid a tribute to Mr. Magee's ability in training the messenger boys. An extract from the Director-General (Mr. G. McNamara) was read. Mr. McNamara associated himself with the farewell and also paid a tribute to Mr. Magee's services. Several prominent business men who were also present expressed their appreciation in a tangible manner. On behalf of the staff Mr. Watson presented Mr. Magee with an illuminated address. The senior message boy, Master Wilmshurst, also spoke on behalf of the boys and presented Mr. Magee with a rug. Returning thanks, Mr. Magee commented that he was finishing his service in the same room as he had commenced. He thanked the staffs of other departments for their co-opera-tion with him and recounted in amusing fashion his experiences with the boys. ,The smoke concert on Saturday night was presided over by Mr. P. F. Coira. Among the speakers was Mr. "Billy" Wallace, the former All Black, who told of his early associations with Mr. Magee. The singing of "Auld Lang Syne" brought to a close a most successful evening.