LOSS TO NORTH

Northern Advocate, 29 October 1932, Page 10

LOSS TO NORTH

DISTRICT ENGINEER RETIRING,

‘ ‘ TRAIL BLAZER ’ ’ EXPERIENCE

MR McENNIS’ CAREER

At the end of next mouth Mr JMeEnnis, who for the past twelve years has been district engineer for Northland will retire on superannuation. Not only lias Mr McLnnis been an exceedingly capable and practical engineer, but also one of the principal movers in winning for Northland the recognition of her possibilities, and the opportunities for her expansion. He is one of the many prominent sons which the West Coast has given to New Zealand. Probably the West Coast and Waipu share the distinction of having produced proportionally the largest number of our leading men, due no doubt to the bard conditions of the struggle for life and. the necessity for solid and courageous effort for advancement.

Mr MeEnnis joined the staff of the Public Works Department as an engineering cadet in Wellington in 1893. His next movements wore: 1894 Midland Railway construction at Otira; 1897, railway survey between Napier and Gisborne; 1900, construction of 70 miles of line between Poro-o-Tarao and Horopito, including the famous spiral and the Makatolie viaduct, the biggest completed in New Zealand.

Advancement was soon to come to the keen young officer and in 190(5 he was appointed resident engineer at Cheviot, from which centre he also superintended the completion of two brandies of llio main trunk line in .Southland.

Mr MeEnnis first came North in 1008 when he was sent to Wayby to control construction of the line between Wayby and Kaiwaka. During this time he also was in charge of tile survey for the North Auckland main lino, and was an interested non-com-batant in the legendary “East v. West” dispute. In 1909 the Roads Department was abolished and amalgamated with the Public Works Department.

These were- red letter days in Northland Railway construction. The lino to Onerahi, so soon to be closed, was completed in 1011, ami the same year tlio steel rails reached ,Opua. A commencement was also made on the line from Otiria to Okaihau. In those days road construction was given a great impetus under the Public Works Department, the policy being to have main roads defined and started. Some of the highways of today were mere bridle tracks then—notably the. Mangakahia. There were far too many new- -settlers in the North Auckland district for all to receive roads, and they were well satisfied if they were given six feet tracks. The first immigration project in Now Zealand, at Ida Valley, was supervised by Mr McEnnis upon his appointment as district engineer for Otago in 1912. The big arch dam was constructed under his direction and the scheme proved to be a notable success. Between the years of 1915 and 1920 he was district engineer of Christchurch. Growing pains in the North demanded the services of the best man available, and in .1920 Mr McEnnis returned here to become associated with the great work of development which has resulted, in a few short, years, in Northland becoming one of the greatest producing provinces of the Dominion. The first big step forward was completed in 1925 with the bridging of the last gap in the rail connection between Auckland and Whangarei. Upon the Main Highways Act coming into force in 192-t, Mr McEnnis was appointed first chairman of No. 1 District Highways Council, a position which he has held with distinction ever since. The bettor reading of‘the North has been his hobby and his chief aim. His efforts have not been in vain and today an all weather route stretches from Auckland to the North Cape. Recently the district engineer has allied himself closely with schemes for the settlement of more people on the land, and several important drainage and reclamation works arc now under contemplation. Mr McEnnis is a sincere believer in the future of the North. His Domin-ion-wide experience, and the peculiar opportunities he has had for studying conditions make him an authority whose word must carry a great deal of weight. “The provinces which hold the greatest future in New Zealand, ” he says, “are Canterbury (with irrigation) and North Auckland. ’ ’

“Once a man gets bitten by the Northern bug," he is also often fond of saying "Ho gets a clear realisation of what has to bo clone to bring the territory to its own." ■

Mr Me Ennis’ successor has to follow in very exacting footsteps. It would be difficult to name a district engineer in tlie Dominion who enjoys to a greater extent the confidence of employees, local bodies and public. Mr 71. IT. P. Ronayne who succeeds Mr McEnnis is s man with a very high reputation. His father was well known as Commissioner of Railways, and he himself is district engineer of Wellington.