VALEDICTORY.

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 July 1911, Page 2

VALEDICTORY.

PRESENTATION TO MR J. V. HASKELL, C.E. The main portion of the professional engineering work on the State Collieries Extension of railway towards Point Elizabeth, is now so far accomplished, and there is so •much engineering skill required in the North Island, that the Public Works Department has deemed it necessary to remove Mr J. V. Haskell, C.E., who has been in charge of these works, to the railway construction that is now being pushed forward between Tauranga and Gisborne. But during Mr Haskell’s stay on the West Coast, which : has extended for over two years, he has 1 proved himself not only a highly efficient officer, but a man -whom to know was to respect, and with whom the other officers and members of the staff of the Public Works’ Department are loath to part from. At any rate they one and all made up their minds that they would not let ,him leave the Coast without, giving him some memento of their respect ■ him and a token of their regret aj/ losing so genial a comrade. Therefore, they arranged to make him a present, and to attend in fnlkforce as the circumstances warranted' to give him a worthy send-off. . This was held last night in the Oddfellows’ Hall, Hospital Street, an.'ideal building for such a gathering,Mv Here about twenty officers of the department and a few speciallyinvited friends assembled round the festive/board. Mr J. H. Lewis, Resident Engineer, was in the chair, Mr Hickton, in charge of the Otira sub-district, was in the vice-chair, the guest of the evening was on the chairman’s right, and Mr Beale, head of the clerical staff, on his left. The tables were loaded with good things, and had been nicely decorated by some of the lady friends of members of the staff.

The toast of “The King’ having been loyally honoured, that of the “Parliament of New Zealand” was proposed by the Chairman, and in the absence of a parliamentarian, Mr H. E. Moston was called upon to reply, and in doing so referred in highly eulogistic terms of the example that the New Zealand Parliament had set in the way of advanced legislation.

Mr J. McLean proposed the Public Works’ Department, giving the Government credit for tbeir attention to the wants of tire West Coast, mainly, of course, due to tire advocacy of the late Rt. Hon. R. J. Seddon, who had foreseen the good that would accrue to the district through advanced progress in the construction of public works. Incidentally also he referred to the honour done to the Department by the King in recognising the merits of Mr H. J .H Blow, the Under-Seoretary, a compliment that was as well deserved as it was ay/preciated by every member of the staff of the department- This alone showed how zeal and faithful service were acknowledged. Mr Lewis, in responding to the toast, thanked Mr McLean for the manner in which he had referred to the honour don' to Mr Blow, which he had intended to have alluded to, but it came better from an outsider. Still such an act must have a good effect upon the staff of the department, as they would recognise that merit had, in this case, mot with its own reward, and it would stimulate particularly the younger members of the service to energy and zeal in the discharge of their respective duties. Not that the young New Zealanders, who joined the service, were at all lacking in either zeal, energy or capability- For was it not a fact that many of the young men trained in the Public Works’ service in New Zealand had made their names in other parts of the world ! They showed their capability, because having passed the Civil Service examination and joined the service, they were sent all over the country and had to rough it considerably, which ,however, fitted them for their future walk in life. The New Zealanders would always hold their own in any competitive work. Mr Hickton also briefly responded to the toastTHE DEPARTING GUEST. The Chairman then rose to propose the toast of the evening, and was heartily applauded on doing so. He said that one of the bad phases of the Public Works’ Department, was that a man came from one place, settled down there for a time, yon made friends with him, and then either he was transferred somewhere else or he remained and you were shifted. That was the case in this instance, as their friend and guest, Mr Haskell, had only been on the Coast for two years or so, during which ‘time they had all learned what a “white man” he was and how thoroughly he had performed his duties. Personally he had known Mr Haskell in Canterbury and knew his capability well, and when he Earned that he was coming to the Coast, he knew that they would* all find out what he was. His duties had confined him to the Point Elizabeth Extension, which was a work that necessitated not only great skill and judgment, but tact and diplomacy, as there were difficulties to contend with other than those appertaining to the railway formation. But such had been Mr Haskell’s ability that all vexations or troubles had been surmounted and the work was gradually approaching completion. The exigencies of the service were, however, such that the North Island claimed him, and he had to leave. Mr Haskell had proved ®elf an honest, straightforward officer and the members of the Public Works’ stuff with one accord acknowledged his capability and what was due to him. To mark their appreciation of him as an officer and a friend, they had procured a pair of field glasses, which they asked him to accept as a memento of their thorough esteem for him and also to show him that they one and all wished him prosperity in his new location, they hoped he would find as goo--’ friends as those he was now leaving. Mr Dickson heartily endorsed all that Mr Lewis had said of their guest, as whenever it had been his pleasure to meet him, he had ganged his worth as a man ami an efficient officer. Mr Berthelson also echoed the previous sentiments.

Mr Beale, as representing the clerical staff, conveyed their best wishes for Mr Haskell’s success in his new districtEver since Mr Haskell bad been in charge of the extension works the clerical staff had found no difficulty nor had there been the slightest friction, which was due to Mr Haskell’s capable management of affairs. They reiterated all that Mr Lewis had said and wished their departing guest every prosperity in the future. (Applause). Mr Haskell, who was warmly received when he rose to reply, said he was really sorry to leave so many good friends as he had made on the Greymouth staff, and he thanked them, for the handsome present they had made him, but it would not be needed to recall the two years he had spent on the Coast, as they would

be engraved on his. mind. He haci often heard of the warmth of the West Coaster’s friendship before he came- here, but now he knew what it meant.. In conclusion, he thanked them for fheir kind expressions and for their opinions of him as an officer. “But,” ho added, “how could anyone be other than devoted to the service with such a chief as your' worthy chairman?” (Loud and prolonged applause, during which Mr Haskell sat down). OTHER TOASTS,-

“The Visitors,” proposed ,by Mr Beale was responded to by Messrs J. D. Gillies, D. McKay and L. Broad. “Our Gallant! West Coasters,” proposed by Mr Haskell and replied... to by Messrs W. Walton, E. Reynolds, D. McKay and J. McLean. “The/Ladies,” proposed ,by Mr H. Colvin and replied to by several of the' younger members of the staff present. “The,'Chairman.” was received with y-great/ enthusiasm. During/*the evening Messrs C. W. Yates/and G .McKay presided at the piano in turns, and songs were sung by Mt Broad, who contributed several highly -amusing character songs. Mr C. Gollop “Sleeping Camp”; Mr McPherson, “Will you no come back again,!’ after the guests’ health had been proposed, Mr Moston, “I want to see the old home again”; Mr Yates, “A Merry Monk and I.” Mr Gillies “The Veteran’s Song” ; Mr T. Goudie, “Kings of the Road,” and several recitations, etc.,_ caused the evening to pass only too quickly. AuldLang Syne brought the proceedings to a close at 'a late hour.