VALEDICTORY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1706, 22 December 1919, Page 5

VALEDICTORY.

MR DAY'S DEPARTURE.

PRESENTATION *RO>! CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Mongers of the F^^NorUa,ha,n. several voars past, Has pee« *; lua Vt^TMfTcib, took the The president.(Mi £«• \\" J r Mo ,._ opportunity of Ho <■«»„ k. pui without wessy^Dw? faction' thoy ihul «lw»J» felt «* "J,",?-, ffiness t,i -1 -cly courtesy iho nul- ■£ A*■ *;.£ tow... and had yet always oombmedj; w. hj a proper realisation of hie dufyfg «g Railway Dopartme.it.. Mr Crabb thin ex pressed his pleasure in asking Mr Day . accept a fountain pen mounted u»d c craved as a mark of their esteem, and good wlshTs for the future, from the bus.noss people of the town. MP t . v The Mayor (Mr J. A. Nash M.P.) exproi nis regret at Mr Day's depjrtare on behalf of the townspeople. His own perSiS relations with Mr Day had always bej . on the pleasantest of friendly foot ngs\\ thou't fear of contrad cjion he could say. that the position of stationmaster in r»hmerston North was one of the hardest in Now Zealand, as he presumed Mr Morgan was already finding out. The faculties for handling trafiio were_ too restricted for the volume that pawed through, but ho hadl reason to hope that better things were in store. With all tho worry consequent upon tt.e congestion Mr Day had always been courteous and it was a reflection of his undoubted abilitv. that everything had run smoothly. Of Mrs Day, tho Mayor spok ; in terms of, the highest regard from observations, gained in personal friendship. 1■• hoped that in Wanganui Mr Day wou < have an easier time; certainly he would have tram-cars to ride in. (Laughter). Air J M Johnston spoko in eulogistic Strain of Mr Day's administrative ability. He also referred to tho loss sustained by tho totfh in the departure of Mrs Day. . Mr W F Durward briefly referred to Mr Day's untiring exertions during the period of "tho epidemic, and Mr L. A. Abraham also spoke of his associations, as a business man, with Mr Day in tonus of warm regard. Mr Day replied that the expressions of approval and regard from tho business people of the town had almost overwhelmed him He would say, however, that the secret of his success—and apparently there had.been a success, judging by the laudatory remarks of members—was the co-operation of the business people. They had always boon willing to accommodate themselves in any way .that would tend, to. his assistance as the exigencies of time, or pressure of traffic dictated. He had had a, strenuous timejn Palmorston North. At the timo of the big camps at Rangiotu 270,000 men had been conveyed backwards and forwards to Palmorston North without a. single accident declining. That was a tribute tho efficiency of the traffic'staff. He felt sure, however, that wfibn his successor, Mr Morgan, was leaving he would have htill better things Bflitj about him. Mr Morgan spoke briefly a.nd thanked tho Chamber for its reception. Ho had been gratified' to hoar the good things said of Mrs Dav. It was proof that a railway man and his'family were not entirely wrapped up iii the service and were able to take on interest in the community. It showed also that nilwaymon were not "bottom-dogs" aa they were regarded in the Civil Service. He would do all in his power to emulate the' successes of his predecessor. Though Palmorston North wa.s a peculiarly difficult station to handle owing to the volume ol traffic and tho restricted facilities at tho

disposal of t!io officials, he would hope for a successful run, to which tho sympathetic co-operation, ho know ho would rcceivo frcrr the business people, would go far to contribute.