HIGH TRIBUTES PAID

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 26 August 1933, Page 4

HIGH TRIBUTES PAID

GOLD MEDAL FOR THESIS AWARD TO MR. G. A. DUNCAN. PRESENTATION CEREMONY. High tributes were paid to Mr George A. Duncan, of Haweia, at a distinguished gathering at Wellington vesterdav afternoon, when he was presented with the New Zealand Society of Accountants’ gold medal for his thesis on “The Accounts, Finance, Costing and Statistics of Dairy Factory Companies” (reports the “Dominion”). Among those present were the act-ing-Pr.ime Minister, the Rt. Hon. j. G. Coates, who made the presentation; the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. C. E. Macmillan; the Minister of Defence. the Hon. J. G. Cobbe; Messrs H. G. Dickie. W. J. Poison, R. A. Wright. M’s.P., and members of the Daiiv Produce Board. Air G. W. Reid, president of the New Zealand Society of Accountants, who presided, said that Mr Duncan had thoroughly deserved the high honour which had been conferred upon , He was sure that the publication at an early date of a text-book on the New Zealand dairying industry in which Mr Duncan’s treatise was to be embodied, would prove to be an epoch in the history of the industry in the Dominion.

JUDGES’ HIGH PRAISE. After outlining the steps leading up to the inauguration of the compet.tion, Mr Reid said that the winning thes.s had occupied about 400 pages. The society felt nothing but admiration for and gratitude to, xije judges Messrs H. H. Sterling, R. English, and R. Davis—who had given their services gratuitiously and who had most conscientiously undertaken the huge tasic of reading through and assessing the merits of”the respective entries. Mr Duncan, he said, had been unanimously chosen as tlje winner. The judges had spoken of h.s thesis in most glowing terms, and had expressed the opinion that the work was of such value that its publication was in the interests of the dairying industry in New Zealand. With that view the society concurred. The judges had referred also to the high standard ol the other entries, and altogether the societv had reason to believe that the results of the competition had been most successful. VALUE OF SERVICES. In making the presentation,, Mi Coates said it was a pleasure to U associated with a gathering assembled to do honour to one who had earned the respect and the admiration o; the New Zealand Society of Accountants, which was a feat in itself. The Government had watched Mr Duncan ; career with the closest interest and was fullv aware of the value of h:s services to the community and to the State. His thesis was not only highly thought of in New Zealand, but had been sought by foreign countries. Mr Coates expressed the hope that Mr Duncan would continue to place his services at the disposal of the country, and that his latest success would encourage him to even higher attainments. Mr Macmillan added his congratulations. and said that Mr Duncan had richly deserved the honour coni erred upon him. In a brief reply. Mr Duncan returned thanks to the speakers and to the The o-athering concluded with cheer? ■or the guest and with the singing o* “For He’s a Jollv Good Fellow.”