MR SLINGER HONOURED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17068, 28 July 1917, Page 10

MR SLINGER HONOURED

PKESENTATION AND ENCOMIUMS. Tho esteem in which Mr A. Slinger, until roccatly engineer to the Dunedin Drainago Board, is held by tho citizcna of Dunedin was strongly evidenced last night, when a largo number of prdminent business and professional gentlemen assembled in the Haia 'Pea Rooms to do him honour. Tho entertainment took the form of a smoko concert and was presided over by tho Mayor of Dunedin (Mr J. J. Clark}, tho guest of the evening occupying tho seat of honour. After tho usual loyal toasts had boon disposed of. tho Chairman said they had assembled to 'bid good-bye to their very good friend, Mr Slinger, who would shortly bo leaving tho city. Tho work ho had done for tho city as engineer of tho Dunedin Drainage Board would bo a standing monument to their guest long after many of those present, including himself, were forgotten. When Mr Slinger came to Dunedin it was recognised m a dirty and unhealthy city, and; ho can now realise that ho was leaving a city, of which, from a sanitary point of view, anyone might well be proud, and much of tho credit was due to their guest. They not only knew Mr Slinger as an engineer and a' man, but as a keen soldier, and one who has done much fcrr the > Territorial system. It was not Mr Slinger s fault that he wajs not leading a body of our men in France, and incidentally towards Berlin. Mr Slinger had won their appreciation, esteem, and regard. Re was a man who was tho soul of honour, and one whose main idea was to do what was right. Everyono regretted that he was leaving, but his friends could not allow him to depart without giving him something ■which would tend to remind him of his many good friends in Dunedin. It wan thought that it would bo well to give him something for his home, whicn would make Mrs • Slinger realise that her husband had many good friends. He concluded by expressing the earnest hope that wherever Mr Slinger's lot was cast his future would be bright and prosperous. He then presented him with a handsome .silver roso bowL Mr Blair Mason said he was pleased to bo present to do honour to Mr Slinger, who had been known to him since he came to Dunedin as assistant drainage engineer to the Drainage Board, and later aissumed tho office of chief engineer to that body. During Mr Slinger's connection with the Drainage i. Board he had proved himself a loyal officer and servant, and he questioned if there was a more able man in his particular profession in any part of tho Southern Hemisphere The work he had in in this city might not have been of any great magnitude compared with some of the works in tho larger cities of Australasia, but he could honestly say there was no city where work was more honestly performed than that done by Mr Slinger in Dunedin. They were losing a man who was an ornament to the city as an engineer. As, ; president of the New Zealand Institute of Engineens he had heard Mr Slinger's good .qualities discussed, and he was unhesitatingly recognised as on© of the best engineers south of the line. Major Brett Shand said that as a territorial officer he had probably more to do with Captain Slinger than any other man present, and he could testify to his many good soldierly qualities. It had to lie remembered, too, that Captain Slinger'6 territorial work was undertaken voluntarily, when even the expense of uniform and equipment had to be borne by the man wearing them. He, for one, hoped shortly to hear of Captain Slinger taking a prominent part as an officer in the Expeditionary Force, and he knew that when ho did get away ho would carry on the good work he began in the territorial camps of Otago.

Mr H. E. Moller, who wa3 asked to propose the health of Mr Slinger, said that their guest belonged to a fighting school; and every chairman of a local body knew that there was nothing else whick spurred him on to greater effort than to have a strong fighting executive officer. In the matter of drainage, Dunedin as a city was second to none in the dominion. It was also a noteworthy fact that in tho carrying out of the drainage system, which Mr Slinger had charge of, there was not a single fatality connected with the work, and the magnitude of the scheme might be gauged from the fact that over £500,000 was spent. Mr Slinger, on rising to respond, was vociferously applauded. He expressed thanks for the handsome present, which he need scarcely tell them :he would cherish, and also for being honoured as their guest. It was very pleasing to know that in carrying out his duties his efforts had been ' appreciated. When he came out to Australia some 15 years ago he had no intention of settling in New Zealand, his idea being to return to the Old Land within 12 months of his leaving it. However, he was induced to remain here, and he did not regret it. He had made many sterling friends, and it was here that he was married. With regard to his connection with military work, ■he had_ always taken a keen interest in it! When in Britain he belonged to the Yorkshire Dragoons, a body of yeomanry, and when he settled down in Dunedin he could not resist tho temptation of throwing in his lot with the Otago Hussars, which he joined as a trooper. ■In the very near future he presumed he would be leaving them to take up military duties. Whilst he did not like to enlarge on.these things, he thought_ it only right to mention that ho had enlisted on two occasions, and it was his intention to have been away before this, but to-dav he still stood as an enlisted soldier, ' and when they were ready for him he was ready."—(" Hear, hear," and applause.) Mr J: C. Stephens, who proposed the toast of "Tho Army and Navy," and Colonel Macdonald who replied, both referred_ eulogistically to Mr Slinger's good qualities. The other toast honoured was " Our Boys at the Front," proposed by Mr R. Hawcridge and responded to by Mr E. Kellett. The following contributed to a musical and elocutionary programme, interspersed with the toasts and speeches:—Messrs A. C. Hn.nlon, ,T. T>aker, J. H. Oliver, S. H. Osborn, G. Errington. A. Rawlinson, A. Slinger, French, and R. Haworidge. The last-named acted as accompanist.