TRANSPORT HEAD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22532, 24 September 1936, Page 13

TRANSPORT HEAD

MR. GODFREY RETIRING A KTEW COMMISSIONER MINISTER'S ANNOUNCEMENT POST FOR MR. G. LAURENSON [BY TELEGRAPH—.SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLI NO TON, Wednesday The retirement of Mr. G. C. Godfrey, Commissioner of Transport, on account of ill-health, was announced t)i is evening by the Minister of Transport, the Hon. It. Semplo Mr. Godfrey is to bo succeeded by Mr. -George Laurenson, who is at present assistant commissioner. The Minister said that Mr. Godfrey would relinquish his duties in a. few days, the Cabinet having agreed to the conditions of his retirement. Mr. Godfrey would retire with three months of absence on leave, and it was not until that period had expired that Mr. Laurensqn could be officially appointed. In the meantime Mr. Laurenson would act as commissioner.. Minister's Confidence

"I am satisfied from my association with-» Mr. Laurenson that he is a competent, diligent and well-informed officer," said Mr. Semple. "I have always found his advice to bo sound, and his judgment oil the many difficult technical points which have cropped up has invariably been reliable. He is a man who will go a long way in the task of making the transport service of this country what it should be."

Mr. Godfrey, who became Commissioner of Transport on June 1, 1935, first entered the Public Service in February, 1897. In 1901 he became private secretary to tho then Minister of Public Works and Marino, Sir William Hall-Jones, and was with him during the three years when New Zealand's principal shipping and seamen's legislation was placed on the Statute Book. He accompanied tho Minister to England on two official visits. Marine Unemployment When Sir William became High Commissioner Mr. Godfrey was appointed assistant chief clerk of the Public Works Department,; was made chief clerk in 1914, and was promoted to the post of. Assistant Under-Secre-tary on the retirement of Mr. W. S. Short, on superannuation, in 1920. Mr. Godfrey was appointed to the position of Secretary of Marine in October, 1923, and in February, 1932, became Commissioner of Unemployment and Under-Secretary for Labour. Mr. Laurenson, who was born at Lyttelton and was educated at Lyttclton and at Wellington College, joined the Public Works Department as an engineering cadet in 1911. From 1916 to 1919 ho served overseas with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, being attached to tho Third Field Company, New Zealand Engineers. On his return to New Zealand he continued with the public Works Department until 1930, when 1 ho was transferred to the Transport Department as a civil engineer. He was appointed Assistant . Commissioner of Transport in 19.'3 a.

A Wide Experience While in the Public Works Department Mr. Laurenson gained a wide experience of different classes of work. He was for some time engaged on irrigation works in Central Otago, and was later associated with the survey and construction of the North Auckland Main Trunk railway. Other works on which he was engaged were railway construction in the Tauranga district, and railway and road construction and surveys on the West Coast of the South Island. He was for some time harbour engineer at Westport. Mr. Laurenson is a son of Mr. George Laurenson, wild was M.P. for Lyttelton between 1899 and 1913.