OBITUARY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 40, 17 February 1939, Page 11

OBITUARY

MR. W. A. G. SKINNER

FORMER GOVERNMENT

PRINTER

With the death of Mr. William Alexander George Skinner the community loses a figure who, over a lengthy period of years, was well known to the public owing to his connection with the Government Printing Office. He occupied the position of Government Printer from 1922 to 1933 V when

The late Mr. W. A. G. Skinner.

he retired, but his connection with the Government Printing Office dated back to 1879.

Mr. Skinner was born at New Plymouth in 1865, was educated at Mow-s bray's School, Wellington, and entered the Government Printing Office in October, 1879, at the age of 14, as a reader's boy. After serving his apprenticeship as a compositor, he was transferred in 1889 to the charge of the prison printing office at Lyttelton. He returned to the.Government Printing Office in 1894, was appointed overseer of the jobbing room in 1905, promoted to the office of superintendent in 1909, and- appointed Government Printer in June, 1922, from which position he retired in 1933. During his connection with the Government Printing Office Mr. Skinner saw many progressive changes and a steady increase in the volume of work. It was a big occasion, for instance, in the early eighties when electric light was first introduced into works. It was another event when. in 1888 a move was made from the old building on the opposite side of Lambton Quay, where the Hotel Cecil now stands, to the present building. The number of hands employed was more than doubled during Mr. Skinner's connection with the works. Considerable additions to the equipment of the Government Printing Office were made during Mr. Skinner's term as head of the establishment. His active mind and familiarity with the advances made in the printing proiession in the leading countries of the world enabled him to keep the office in a high state of efficiency.

Rising step by step from apprentice to the position of superintendent, Mr. Skinner had the distinction of being the first superintendent to be promoted Government Printer. His knowledge of printing in all its branches was unusually wide, and his genial nature v gained for him the esteem not only of the staff of the Government Printing Office but also of the printing profession throughout the Dominion.

During part of his career Mr. Skinner was associated with trades unionism, and was for; a number of years president of the Wellington Typographical Union. In former years he occupied the position of vice-president and subsequently president of the Wellington Trades Council, and in the last-mentioned capacity conducted, in 1900, the first linotype dispute heard by the Arbitration Court.

From 1881 to 1889 Mr. Skinner was a member of the Wellington Nay..l Artillery Volunteer Corps, and in 1890 served with the "N" Battery Garrison Artillery at Lyttelton. In his younger days he was a rowing enthusiast, and took part in numerous club contests. Mr. Skinner was a member of the Ancient Order of Druids, and was • for some years a member of the Victoria Bowling Club. He was also a prominent member of Wesley Methodist Church, Taranaki Street.

Mr. Skinner leaves a widow, a son (Mr. F. N. Skinner), and three daughters (Mrs. Gladys Brown, Mrs. Doris Stokes, and Miss Mavis Skinner).