VALEDICTORY

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11653, 18 October 1923, Page 3

VALEDICTORY

EDUCATION BOARD OFFICERS MESSRS R. PORT AND E. DAWSON FAEEWELLED. At the conclusion of yesterday’s meeting of the Wellington Education Board, members took the opportunity of farewelling two officers, now retiring, who have served the board for many years past —Messrs Robert Port (clerk; and Ernest Dawson (accountant). ASTER 40 YEARS. The chairman (Councillor T. Forsyth) said that Mr Pert was retiring on superannuation after forty years' service; and Mr Dawson, after sixteen years’ service with the hoard, was retiring to enter commercial life. Orien officers, who year in and year out, doing most excellent work were never seen by members of the board, and that applied to some extent to the two gentlemen in question. He thought that he was ox- i pressing the feeling of all members of ; tho board in saying that they greatly ap- j preciated Mr Port's long period of ser- I vice to the board, covering a long lifetime They recognised the great changes j he had seen in the board's work, how it : had gTown from very small beginnings to i its present dimension*, and recognised his • share in the work that had been donev ■ He wished to thank him heartily on bo- ' half of the board for all the years of , work hehad put in on behalf of educa-: tion in the Wellington district. He Would have the satisfaction of knowing that he was retiring with the goodwill, ] not only of his fellow members, but also of all members of the board; and their good wishes that he and Mrs Port would live long to enjoy together his well- j earned leisure. (Applause.) | TO ENTER COMMERCIAL LIFE. j

To Mr Dawson, added the chairman, he would like to say that the members of the board regretted losing him. He was going into commercial life, and one could hardly blame him, because the prospects of commercial life, so far as the financial side was concerned, were very much better than those that public work could give. He expressed to Mr Dawson the hearty thanes of the board for the very valuable services he had rendered and for his uniform courtesy and helpfulness to its members. Their relations with Mr Dawson had always been of a very pleasant character; and on behalf of the board he wished him every success and prosperity In his new sphere. (Applause.) All the members of the board heartily endorsed all that chairman had said. Mr A. J. White (chairman also of the School Committees' Association) heartily thanked both officers for their uniform courtesy and helpfulness to tho various school committees in their work.

Mr F. W. Bakewell (senior inspector) and Mr G. L. Stewart (secretary), on behalf of the board's staff, also paid high tributes to the retiring officers; who briefly and suitably responded.