MR MARCUS MARKS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11223, 31 May 1922, Page 4

MR MARCUS MARKS

RETIRING TO-DAY FROM READER BOY TO GOVERNMENT PRINTER. FORTY-FIVE YEARS’ SERVICE. Mr Marcus Marks, the Government Printer, retires to-day from a position which lie has occupied since he succeeded Mr John Mackav in 1896, and one in which he has earned the confidence, esteem and friendship of Ministers, members of Parliament, departmental heads and.' innumerable others. In, private life, also, he is held in great regard, and in social circles will keep a ripple of amusepient going with liis humourous i\necdotes and incidents which have occurred in his life.

TO SEE SOMETHING OF THE WORLD. In spite of liis strenuous 45 years of business life, ho still looks remarkably well, and fit to undertake the most intricate printing job that was ever put on the press. When questioned upon the subject of his retirement, he told the “Times” reporter that he intended to sec something of the world— Europe in particular—while ho had his health and strength, and that his decision to relinquish his official duties would give an opjxirtunity for advancement to younger men. HIS FIRST SALARY.

Mr Marcus Marks was educated at Mowbray’s Tliorndon school, and, at the age of 13, having passed all tho standards and secured a toWii scholarship (of which, by the way, he did not fully avail himself, principally for the. reason that he had just tasted bloodj in the shape of 12s 6d per week before! the result of the examination was made known). He entered the Government Printing Office in June, 1877, as a reader boy, in the days when the readers were giants of intellect, Henley, Scales, McGlasham and Warren—all long since passed away. At this time the office war situated opposite the present building, on a portion of the site whereon the Hotel Cecil now stands. The site of the present building was at that time covered by the sea, and there was a long jetty known as Brown’s wharf, which wag used as a landing for men o’ war when in port. This wharf was very much used by the printers of those days as a fishing ground anti' smoking lounge, and many rescues were effected by the employees of the denartment when Thorndon school lads, who also frequented this wharf every day, fell .overboard in their efforts and" excitement at the catch of a big kawhai or schnapper.

SOME TASTY JUJUBES. The school grounds were about 10ft higher and at tho back of. the offices, and it was a common thing for the boys to play monkey tricks upon the employees in the printing office. They would throw stones at the men, who returned the fire with the old, wornout rollers, which, made of a composition of thick, black treacle and glue, w ; e.;' : e promptly “scoffed” as jujubes by the lads with great relish. Mr Marks pleaded guilty, to having consumed quite a quantity of this 'delicacy” himself.

INDECIPHERABLE CALIGRAPHY. “Shall I ever forget my first day in the office?” said Mr Marks. “A iad of 13, among strange folks, endeavouring to decipher a letter written by Sii Julius Vogel, then Agent-General, to the Premier—a Parliamentary paper. No typewriting then—manuscript, all of it, and some of it most difficult. The writing, of Sir Julius Vogel was, to me, the copynolder. almost indecipherable. I halted and baulked, the reader impatiently scolding, giving me the impreßsion liint 1 was a useless duffer, and at the m ight of my misery I the boys—my old pals—rush out frofai school ‘like troutlets in a pool.’ ll was the play hour. Tile tears welled into my eves, but 1 kept them back and soon learned to understand my master’s liumour and the reading of the manuscript. A DEVIL OF A FELLOW.

“In a month or two I became quite proficient, and 1 well remember how l swanked it over the boys from my position of wonderful political knowledge, and made them understand ivhat a devil of a fellow I was, and how much I knew when the first change of Government took place—Major Atkinson defeated by Sir George Grey.” It was his first political excitement, said Mr Marks, and took place some three or four months after lie entered the office. Subsequently he was apprenticed as a compositor, and during the term of his apprenticeship the Te iYhiti trouble took place at Parihaka. He volunteered for service to quell what was considered to be a serious uative rising, but which fortunately was settled by a display of force in a few weeks.

THE TWELVE APOSTLES. A few months after his apprenticeship was completed, New Zealand, with the rest of the world, struck bad times, and all the other single men of the department were retrenched “till such time as the position improves.” This was the famous retrenchment policy of the Atkinson Government by. which many State servants lost their positions. The composing staff of the office was reduced to ivhat was known at that time as “the twelve Apostles,” this being the facetious name given us the permanent staff, which at that time numbered 12. The remainder of them were put off, and, with many other young fellows, Mr Marks took his departure for Australia. This was in 1883. Being a competent shorthand writer, he had no difficulty in securing employment in Sydney. Ho spent two years on the Australian papers, the Sydney “Daily Telegraph,” “The Age,” and “Daily News” ;MeJ-

bourne). In the last-named office the work was very strenuous. A NEWSPAPER RUNNER. It was a new paper, and the runner* boycotted its sale. and. as a consequence, the whole of the staff, after they had got the paper to press, were compelled to assist in im sale to the public. By tlii.- time things had much 'improved in Now Zealand, and tho then Government Printer, Mr George Didsbury, wrote offering him good prospects if he would return to tho Dominion, an offer which he accepted. He returned in January. 1886. and was shortly- afterwards appointed to the reading staff. He regards the schooling lie received from the eplendid men on that staff as principally responsible for any advance be made in the profession be had adopted. Shortly afterwards the new office was built, and a irjivr made “across the road.” At thin time the office had got to be a large concern, and new machinery and plant was installed to cope with the increased work. In 1895 a special committee of Parliament inquired into “Hansard,” with the idea of effecting improvements, and as a result of their ‘report, Mr Marks was appointed “Hansard’* supervisor, his work being to take charge of this official organ from the, reporters'' notes, forward to members for correction purposes, subedit it, and pas# it through the press

“HANSARD" REVOLUTIONISED. . The new methods of publishing completely revolutionised “Hansard.” and from being weeks and months behind, frequently there were only two or three days between the debate and publication. During the twentv years Mr Marks occupied the position of “Hansard” supervisor, he, of course, enmo in close personal contact with Ministers, members of Parliament, and departmental heads, and many strong snd personal lifelong friendships have peen formed as a result of these associations.

“NOT ACCORDING TO COCKER.”

“During this period many things could be related of the peculiar positions in which I found myself,” said Mr Marks. “There was the new member who said that which was knocked ‘galley west’ by subsequent speakers, and desired to have his contribution to the debate eliminated, which, of course, could not be done, as it was not according to Cocker. On the other hand, there was the older and more experienced veteran, who, to make his ‘marble’ good, desired to put so much matter into an hour’s speech that it was a physical impossibility to read it in two hours. Again, there was the member who sent in illustrations to be published with his subject, as he thought it would make it more decorative, and would, therefore, be more extensively perused. In the latter case, I explained that, though it would enormously improve the appearance of the journal. “Hansard” was a ‘dry-as-dust’ publication, and must not be ornamented.”

Needless to say, it is hardly possible to be in such a position for twenty years without having many humorous and delightfn! experiences, most of which are, of counse. not for publication, by reason of their being of a decidedly private nature. BECAME GOVERNMENT PRINTER.

In March, 1896, on the retirement of Mr John Mackay, Mr Marks was appointed Government Printer; his retirement to-day is only two weeks short of forty-five years from the day he entered the office as a lad of thirteen. The office has grown up from an establishment of about seventy-five employees all told, to nearly 600. It is equipped with the best of machinery in all its branches. The latest and most improved methods of typesetting take the place of the old hand composition, and the offioe is capable of undertaking as fine a class of work as can he done in any part of the world. The rush work of the session would have seemed an impossible dream a few years ago. Only lost session the office succeeded in sending to Parliament for laying on the table in one day a voluminous Budget, 400 pages of estimates—nearly twice the size of the ordinary yearly estimates —and the new schedule of the proposed Customs tariff, for which the Prime Minister forwarded his personal thanks and compliments for what he described as “a splendid piece of work.” This will give some idea of the amount of work which can be undertaken and successfully dealt with by the New Zealand Government Printing Office. The working conditions have also much improved, and it contains composing. binding and machine rooms superior to anything this side of the world. Much confidential work is done in the office, and those in high positions have repeatedly testified to the integrity and trustworthiness ot its staff.

VALEDICTORY. "I leave the department after forty, five years with very mixed feelings,” concluded Mr Marks. “I shall be glad to rest from the strenuousness of tho last few 1 years, especially during war time, when the successful carrying out of the requirements of State entailed much worry and anxiety; but it is nevertheless a wrench to tear myself away from the place where my life has been spent, where many friendships have been engendered, and which speaks to me so loudly, in song and story, of the happy days I have spent here.”

TO TRAVEL. Mr Marks intends to renew his acquaintance with Europe and to travel to other parts of the world. He proposes to take his sister with him, and will be absent from A\ ellington for a couple of years. Ho then hopes to return to W ellington to spend his remaining days and resume the old associations and friendsnips during his long official life. To-day Mr Marks is to be entertained bv the whole staff, male and female. The Minister is to present him with an address signed by every member of the staff.