40 YEARS’ SERVICE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 78, 24 November 1943, Page 2

40 YEARS’ SERVICE

PRESENTATION BY SPORTSMEN TRIBUTES TO MR W. A. ANDREWS Nelson sportsmen gathered in the Anglers’ Club room last evening for the purpose of making a presentation to Mr W. A. Andrews in appreciation of his services as a member of the Nelson Acclimatisation Society Council and as its secretary for a period of over 40 years. Mr C. R. Fell, chairman of the Acclimatisation Society Council said Mr Andrews had been a very good friend of Nelson sportsmen and for many years had held the position of secretary to the society. When he handed in his resignation at the last annual meeting it was accepted with regret and references were made to his services. However the members of the society felt that that was not a sufficient expression of their thanks and appreciation of his services and so a presentation had been arranged. He mentioned that as the society secretary for many years Mr Andrews had refused to accept his salary. For many years Mr Andrew’s had been responsible for stripping ova to keep the hatcheries going and his expert help in that connection had been most valuable to the society.

Mr J. H. Byrne, president of the Anglers’ Club, said that the anglers of the district were pleased to be associated with the presentation and wished to thank Mr Andrews forJhis many years of service to the sportsmen of the district. He always felt that there was not a man in the Dominion more experienced in acclimatisation matters than Mr Andrews.

In his work for the anglers and shooters Mr Andrews had always been impartial, said Mr McConchie. He was the finest example of a sportsman and gentleman. Mr L. Taylor, as one of the oldest members of the society expressed best w’ishes to Mr and Mrs Andrews.

Mr J. W. Ashford, of the Internal Affairs Department thanked M$ Andrews for his assistance in teaching him his work in the stamping of opossum skins and the collection of royalties. When he came to Nelson he knew nothing about those duties and he was most grateful for Mr Andrews’s kindly help. Captain A. M. Squires said that the Nelson district enjoyed some of the best sporting in New Zealand and it was Mr Andrews’s efforts which had been largely responsible for it. Further tributes were paid by Messrs J. G. Ingram, R. B. Newport, and S. Wiggins.

On behalf of the shooters and anglers of the Nelson district Mr Fell then presented Mr Andrews with a wireless set and expressed the hope that Mr and Mrs Andrews would get pleasure from it and that they would soon be able to hear the peace news through it. Mr Andrews said it was not necessary for him to have any token to remind him of the good fellowship and qualities of Nelson sportsmen. In 1891 when he came back to Nelson from Melbourne he joined the local deerstalkers. In 1900 or 1901 he was elected to the Society Council. At that time most of the society’s revenue came from deerstalkers’ licenses. The fishing licenses did not total more than 30.

Mr Andrews related incidents at annual meetings of the society when meetings packed by anglers would throw out the shooters on the council. On several occasions all the followers of shooting or fishing would lose their seats on the council and he was pleased when the late Mr O. W. Hanby introduced the rule providing for the retirement of three members of the council annually. That practice had allowed for continuity in policy. The speaker said he had now passed the 80 year mark and he was pleased to have retained the confidence of the sportsmen of the district for so many years. Ever since he had been associated with the society he had never met anything but kindness and the greatest consideration from its members, and he felt sure that whatever the outlook and opinions of members of the council over the years, they always had the interests of the society at heart and worked for the good of sport as a whole. Mr Andrews accepted the presentation and thanked the sportsmen of the district for their friendly gesture and good wishes.

During a social hour which followed the presentation a toast to Mr and Mrs Andrews was honoured, the guest of the evening being accorded musical honours.