PRESENTATION TO DR LEMON.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1182, 26 October 1894, Page 20

PRESENTATION TO DR LEMON.

A large number of the officers of the Post and Telegraph Department assembled in the accountant’s room on October 24 for the purpose of presenting Dr Lemon, late head of the department, with a testimonial. The Premier and Postmaster-General were also present. The presentation took the form of a handsome massive silver-plate tea and coffee service and oak tray, together with an illuminated address. The latter, which has been artistically designed and executed by Mr Aston, a member of the Telegraph staff, bears the following inscription: —“ T. C. Lemon, Esq.., Ph. D., Wellington, New Zealand. Dear sir,—On your retirement from the position of head of the Post and Telegraph Department of New Zealand the officers ask your acceptance of the accompanying pieces of silver plate as a small token of the esteem and regard after your 30 years of active service in the department, and they express the hope that yourself and Mrs Lemon may long be spared in health and happiness to enjoy the rest you so well deserve. 30th June, 1894.” Around the inscription, which, with its frame, is about 4ft by 3ft, are circular water-colour views, the work of Mr J. Baillie, representing places and scenes with which Dr Lemon has been connected during his official career. They consist of the Oamaru Post Office, as it was when Dr Lemon was engaged there ; Cable Bay, Wakapuaka; the cable hut, Lyell Bay 5 the cable hut, Wanganui; White’s Bay cable station, the cable steamer Terranora, and a view of the Wellington Post and Telegraph Offices. Mr Baillie has performed his portion of the work in a highly creditable manner, and the framing, which is of a new and handsome design, has been done by Mr McGregor Wright, of Lambton quay. The tray which accompanies the tea and coffee service is also an interesting portion of the presentation.

It is made from a piece of oak taken from the barque European, which was. turned into a coal hulk at Wellington in 1865, and finally dismantled and broken up last year. The Postmaster-General, who was received with applause, said he wished for one moment to refer briefly to the history of Dr Lemon’s connection with the Post and Telegraph service of the Colony. He was appointed Postmaster at Oamaru in 1863, and on May 1, 1867, he was promoted to be General Manager of New Zealand Telegraphs; bn January-1, 1881, lie was made Superintendent of the Post and Telegraph Department, and retired on pension on June 30th last, after a service of some 30 and a half years. He need hardly say that after so . long a period of service when it was known that Dr Lemon was about to leave, the officers of both, departments felt they could not allow him to depart without marking the occasion in some way or other. The idea was suggested of a testimonial and presentation, and it was not necessary for him. to enlarge upon the manner in which that project was taken up by the service from the juniors to the seniors throughout the Colony. As showing the position of the service when Dr Lomon entered it and the position in which it now is, he might inform them that in 1867 there were only 7.59 miles of telegraph line, carrying 1498 miles of wire, as against 5513 miles of line and 13,515. miles of wire in 1894.; In 1867 there were, 21 stations, transmitting annually 7,0,952 . messages of a total value of -£12,840, as against 640 stations, transmitting 2,069,961 messages of a total value of <£140,783. (Applause.) But besides that the number of stations opened and the number of messages sent increased some 300-fold, but the cost of the business to the Colony reached less than 12 times that of 1867, the figures being <£10,558 and <£121,251. A. greater tribute to the progressiveness of the department could not be paid to their late Superintendent of Telegraphs. The charges also had been reduced from 6s 8d for .10 words to Is for 18 words, including address and signature. Dr Lemon had also gone in for the scientific branch of the service. In 1874 he introduced the duplex system of telegraphy in New Zealand, and when the transit of Venus party were here his services were so fully recognised that he was shortly afterwards honoured with the degree of ’ Doctor. of Philosophy. Dr Lemon had also brought the telephone service in this Colony to a brilliant success ; it was by far the cheapest service in the world, and those who used it should be content if it was not quite so good as the system established in the other colonies. With regard to .the cable service, they had made arrangements for repairing their . own cables < ; when broken, and the system by which there was another line for -use if one;was" brbkeir was entirely attributable to the judgment and foresight of Dr Lemon, and which had saved the Colony many thousands pounds. In 1881 the number of. letters handled in the department 'was: 25% millions, and the total post and telegraph revenue' was <£234,529. Last year.the number of letters was over 52 millions,' and the revenue was <£344,676, while when Dr Lemon entered the service the. number of letters for the Colony was under a million and a-half., The fact of the seryice • being continually in a transient'State had called into active force the intelligence of the heads, and he was sure the position to which both branches of the service had arrived was a high compliment to Dr. Lemon. In conclusion he could only say that during the time it fell to his lot to. be associated with Dr Lemon as head : of the Post and Telegraph Department, he always found him to be a straightforward, honourable and independent man, who performedhis duty conscientiously and in a thorough manner. He regretted he had left the service, but at the sanie time; they had to look forward to the time when officers who had earned a rest, were entitled to retire upon a pension.. .Dr Lemon. had honourably earned that pension, andy'ba. could only hope he might be long spaced to enjoy the benefits he would receive from the more pleasant and agreeable lifd of farming’ in the North Island.- He would beg his acceptance of the testimonial' and presentation, and hoped he-would value it, not so much for its intrinsic value as a link connecting him with the service He had so long and honourably controlled. (Applause.) . f: The Premier expressed his pleasure at being present on such an occasion, and said he had always found Dr Lemon an upright, honourable man, and who would, he was sure, always ha7e the confidence of those who were under him in the service. The present and past Governments had always had the greatest confidence in him, and it was greatly due to him that the telegraphs of New Zealand had been so far above those of most of the other colonies. He hoped that for the years Dr Lemon was spared ho might enjoy good health, and be happy and contented, resting assured that he had the goodwill of the service and of the people of the Colony, and the esteem and confidence of* the Ministers under whom he had served. (Applause.) „ - Dr Lemon returned thanks for the very handsome present which had been made to him, and then went on to give some details of the introduction of the telephone, and how it was kept in the hands of the Government. With regard to himself, he might say he was educated in a technical college in Kensington, England, and he based his knowledge of electricity on the experience he gained in that college. It . was not mere book learning, but instruments were put into their hands to work with, and that was the sort of thing he would like to see started in this Colony. The shilling tariff was introduced by Mr Gisborne, after careful consideration, because it meant a tremendous drop in the -revenue, and doubts were also entertained as to whether the wires would be able to carry the increase in the messages. However,, they were able to carry it, although there were 1500 fresh users of the telegraph in

■ " ■> the first month, and one man in Kaiapoi sent 76 telegrams in that time. He again thanked them for their very handsome present. (Applause.) Mr W. Gray (Secretary of the Department) emphasized what had been said by Mr Ward as to the presentation being a thoroughly representative one, and asked Dr Lemon to allow it to be exhibited in some public position in Wellington, so that those viewing it might see the sympathy that exists between the rank and file and heads of the service. (Hear, hear.) The proceedings closed with cheers for Dr Demon, Mrs Lemon, the Premier and the Postmaster-General. At, the request of the Premier the lady members of the staff were granted leave for the remainder of the morning in honour of the occasion.