MR A. D. PARK

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11649, 13 October 1923, Page 3

MR A. D. PARK

APPOINTMENT ANNOUNCED ASSISTANT PUBLIC SERVICE COM MISSIONEfe. A CREDITABLE CAREER. The appointment of Mr A. D. Park (Acting-Secretary for Marine) as Act-ing-Assistant Public Service Commissioner (during pleasure) was announced yesterday afternoon The post ot Assistant Commissioner was rendered vacant by the appointment of Mr P. Versohaffelt as Public Service Commissioner, on the retirement on superannuation of Air W. R. Moi iie. Mr A. D. Park born at Waitak’, North Otago, on February Ist, 1882, was the third son of the late George Park, merchant, of Glenavy, Souto Canterbury. Educated at Waitaki and at Waimate High Schools, Air Park, at the latter, was holder of High School and Education Board Scholarships, end was dux of school. He twioe passed the Junior Civil Service examination, and received an early training in his late father’s business before joining the head office of the Public Works Department in 1900. SERVED IN SOUTH AFRICA. In 1902, he enlisted for service in the South African war; and, as a mem her of the forces attained the position of assistant paymaster, and remained for approximately six months in the service of the Defence Department after returning to New Zealand. On lejoining the Public Works Department Mr Park was tiansferred to Nelson to reorganise the office woTk there which was on an unsatisfactory basis. In 1905 he was transferred to Xaihape, as principal assistant clerk on the southern end of the Wollington-Auokland Main Trunk Railway works. In 1906 he was promoted •to Oliakune, as chief clerk and paymaster. Here he received from the Government a special bonus for straightening out the involved accounts work of a predecessor. In 1908, just prior to the completion of the above works, be was promoted to the position of chief clerk for the Public Works Districts of Otago and Southltnd. In 1910, at Dunedin, Mr Park received from the Government another bonus for special duties performed. In 1911 he passed the Senior Civil Service examination, also the final examination of the Society of Accountants and Auditors of New Zealand; and in 1913 he was selected by the Public Service Commissioner to reorganise the Public Works District Office at Auckland (the largest district office of that department in the Dominion), which was successfully done. In 1918, he was appointed to the position of senior accountant to the Department of Agriculture at Wellington, for the purpose of reorganising the accounts branch, and to introduce commercial accounting systems-for the special and experimental farms. , PUBLIC SERVICE INSPECTOR. In 1919 Mr Park was selected by the then Public Service Commissioner, Mr D. Robertson, for the position of Public Service Inspector. Here he carried out special inspections and investigations in practically all departments, •where his work was often the enhiect of favourable comment from the heads of the. departments concerned. In 1921, he was appointed an inspector for the purposes of the Public Revenues Act; and in 1922 when the Government had decided to give effect to the recommendation of the National Efficiency Board, that all departments should be required to produce and publish in commercial form an annual statement of accounts and balancesheet, a special committee .of professional accountants was set up by the Treasury for the purpose. Of this committee Mr Park was elected chairman. and in spite of opposition the committee’s work was successful. ACTING SECRETARY FOR MARINE In June, 1922, on the retirement of Mr R. Duncan from the position of permanent head of the Marine Department, Mr Park was for special reasons appointed by the then Publio Service Commissioner (Mr W. R. Morris) to fake charge, and has remained in control untO the present time. It will bo seen from the foregoing that three-quarters of Air Park’s service in the Government has been spent out of Wellington; and that, in addition to passing the Junior and Senior Civil Service examinations, he is an Associate Registered Accountant and a Fellow of > the Institute of Accountants and Auditors of New Zealand. In his younger days he was a representative player in both interprovincial footbqll and hockey.