FORTY YEARS' SERVICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20800, 17 February 1931, Page 10

FORTY YEARS' SERVICE.

ACTING-CHIEF POSTMASTER.

MR. J. J. KEARNEY RETIRES. PLAYED RUGBY WITH MR. FORBES. After 40 years''service in the Post and Telegraph Department, Mr. J. J. Kearney, assistant chief postmaster in Auckland for the past 10 years, retired on superannuation yesterday. Mr. Kearney was 18 years of age when ho joined the Post and Uelegraph Department in Wellington on February 16, 1891. He was on the first staff of the Dannevirke Post Office. Going there as a cadet, the staff numbering only three, he spent 10 years in that office. Ho was senior officer in a staff of 26 when he was transferred to Auckland in 1907.

Except for one period of a year Mr. Kearney has served continuously io the Auckland district for the past 24 years. He became chief clerk's assistant in the Auckland office, then located in Shorthand Street, in 1911. Three years !ater ho was appointed senior clerk. In 1917 he became postmaster at Onehurga, in 1919 postmaster at Devonport, and in 1920 postmaster at Feilding. On November 7, 1921, Mr. Kearney was appointed assistant chief postmaster at Auckland, a position he has since held, being on numerous occasions acting chief postmaster for periods varying up to a year, as was the case in 1929. Mr. J. Madden has been temporarily appointed assistant chief postmaster.

A picnic in Mr. Kearney's honour was held under the auspices of the Postmen's Welfare Club during the week-end, _ and the postmen later presented him with a travelling rug. Mr. Kearney was entertained at afternoon tea by the heads of departments yesterday afternoon, and later, at a general gathering of the staff, ho was presented with a wallet of notes. Mrs. Kearney was. at the same time made the recipient of a silver tea service. In making the presentations the chief postmaster, Mr. H. P. Donald, said Mr. Kearney's knowledge of the department s activities was nowhei'e exceeded. Mr. Donald read a letter from the secretary of the department, Mr. G. McNamara, who referred to the zeal with which Mr. Kearney had performed his duties and the high quality of his administration. A keen Rugby footballer in liis younger davs, Mr. Kearney retains pleasant memories of strenuous games contested as a member of the East Christchurch senior team, then captained by the present Prime Minister, the Right Hon. G. W. Forbes.