Our Boss Book-Man

NZ Truth, Issue 984, 4 October 1924, Page 7

Our Boss Book-Man

Getting Back To Liber- land

"Old Times-er," evidently one of the big- army of admirers of Charles Wilson, ex -pedagogue, ex -journalist, author and literary reviewer par excellence, and present. Parliamentary Librarian, is pleased to pay tribute to "Truth's" high regard for men of proved brains and ability by advane-. ing that well-known fact m justification of the following contribution: "It is great and good news to know that Wilson, our outstanding authority on books, is to return to New Zealand very soon, greatly benefited m health by his trip to Australia. You were good enough, m a recent article on the appointment of- Wauchop as assistant Parliamentary Librarian, to give expression to an obviously genuine hope that it would be a long time before C. W. had to hand over the senior responsibilities to his , new assistant. That this was said without any disparagement of Assistant Wauchop was clear from your rebuttal of attacks on the qualifications of a man whose ambition to succeed had led him -to adopt unorthodox yet quite legitimate methods. " . "You will feel strengthened m your typically fair- play attitude when I tell you that Liber Wilson was a member of. the special committee set up by the Minister to advise him as to a suitable successor to Mr. James. . On that committee, also, were the Hon. .W. H. Triggs (chairman of the Library Committee), Sir William Hall- Jones (chairman Recess Library Committee) and three professors of Victoria Col-, lege. There were nearly 50 applicants. The best of them, after careful consideration of the credentials of all, were interviewed personally. Some of them were undoubtedly highly qualified. I know most of them and I can assure you that Wauchop, for various reasons — apart from those you have enumerated so impartially — was an easy first. ' I had never met him before so "cannot be accused of bias. "As an old-timer who has been' associated with Charles . Wilson, /.but has lost touch with him for many years, I know how loyal he has always been to his staff. It is certain that he would not have looked outside nis staff had it been possible to find a suitable successor upon it. It is no serious reflection upon the staff that an exceptionally well-qualified outsider has. been chosen to fill si- position calling for exceptional qualifications. "I learn from friends that Mr. Wil-, son is returning m better health than he has enjoyed for a long time. I have been looking up my old records, and I find that when he took charge of the library m. 1901 the shelves held 38,000 books. To-day they are laden with about 110,000. It is a mistake to think that this array is available only- to politicians. Many hundreds of citizens — including students— take advantage of the recess privileges. And these citizens are not, the only ones who look -with disfavor on unduly prolonged sessions. "My little appreciative contribution must end with a sad note. 'Truth' and its thousands of readers will regret to learn that Charles Wilson— the viceuntainted Charles — is reported to have been to the races m Sydney ■when Gloaming was beaten! Perhaps you will pardon him for going to the races —so many big people go there just to encourage the breeding of the noble steeds — but to allow Gloaming to be beaten is inexcusable!"