DEPARTURE OF MR P. G. PRYDF.

Otago Witness, Issue 2667, 26 April 1905, Page 14

DEPARTURE OF MR P. G. PRYDF.

COMPLIMENTARY SUPPER. *A complimentary supper was tendered to Mr P. (». Pryde, secretary to the Otago Edi-eation Board, at the Education Board offices on Wednesday by the members and ex members of the board, the occasion being Mr Pryde's forthcoming departure on j six months' holiday leave after 56 years of service with the board. The gathering was a \ery jovial one and many happy speeches were " made ; indeed, all the speakers inc'ined to humorous remarks and some in-t-rrosring reminiscences of " the good old days"' were indulged in Naturally, the pioceedings were _ prolonged until a late hour, and at 11.60 p.m. there were still several toasts to be dealt with. The supper was a most excellent one in every department, aud most artistically arranged The x catering yras undertaken by the licensee of the Provincial Hotel. , The chairman of the board, Mr D. Borne. ' presided, and on his right was the-guest of i the evening. Mr P. G. Pryde. Others present were the Hon. T. Fergus, Messrs T. Mackenzie, M.H.R.. J. F. M. Fraser, J. Mitchell, W. Snow. R. Peattie, J. Sim, . M. Cohen, W. Nicolson H. Harraway. O. j Macandrew, J. M. Gallaway, Inspectors Goyen Fitzgerald, Bo«ence. and Richard- j son. and Messrs S. M. Park f.-hiof clerk), ]

*A. Melville, Smythe, A. Pryde, J. Ryan, Miller, and J. Rodger (architect). Apologies for absence were received from > Messrs J. Green, John Macgregor, A. ( Marshall, M. Fraer. A. Kyle, H. Clark, ! A. M'Kerrow, the Rev. P. B. Fraser, and i Dr Stenhouse. j The usual loyal toast of his Majesty the I King was duly honoured. j Mr J. F. M. Fraser, in proposing th© , toast of "The Otago Education Board," j said the board had done noble service j towards this provincial district. He was, J it was true, one of the oldest members. j He belonged to the board in what might j bo called its strenuous days, . when its ; meetings resembled Foveaux Strait in a i gale. — (Laughter.) but he thought the efforts of the members of the past had largely conduced to the calm of the present day. The board had won the blue ribbon ( in education in New Zealand, and had reI tamed it ever since. Members went to sreat trouble to attend to the board's meetings; they travelled long distances, and I gave up valuable time to the service of , the board. The: • reward was in the apI preciation of the public of the work done. ! He could not help smiling when he saw ! the troubles over a meeting of a municipal 1 body discussing tramways. water, etc. ; j why, they were nothing compared with the troubles when the board shifted the site j of an established school. — (Laughter.) He j (Mr Fraser) had the most absolute and

profound contempt for farewells to men who left one street to go into another, or ! left for a trip to Australia, and who were presented with a toothpick or a walking stick, frequently paid for by themselves, and who received addresses drawn up by themselves ; but this was a different case. At this gathering there was represented, either by attendance or apologies, almost every class in the community — from ex-Ministers of the Crown, representatives of the learned professions, of the manufacturing interests, and last, but not least, of the great farming interest^ in this province, — and all had met to say farewell to Mr Pryde. They had only done themselves justice in coming, for Mr Prydo was a very old and tried servant of the board. — (Applause.) "When he {Mr Fraser) came on the board it was with the belief that Mr Pryde was the board — (Laughter.) He had many conflicts with Mr Pryde, but he ("Mr Fraser) did not change his opinion, for he left it with the still firmer conviction that Mr Pryde was the board, and that it was a very good thing that he was. — (Laughter.) When a board was composed of public men who came and went, it was absolutely essential for the prosper- ty of that body that there should be a permanent and competent executive officer. — (" Hear, hear," and applause.) He hoped he would never live, to see the Otago Education Board cease its functions. He desired to sound a warning note. The colony at present was bearing a

strain ahout as heavy as it could bear in the cause of education. Let the public beware how it added the last straw to break the chain. There was a possibility; he ( trusted it was not a probability. — (Applause.) Mr D. Borrie (chairman of the board), in responding to this toast, expressed his pleasure in seeing such a number of his old colleagues there. He had been colleague with a great number of men on the board, and a more disinterested number of men on a public body he had never met. — (Applause.) Their whole interest had been the good of the cause of education. The board no doubt had made mistakes, but it had done ite best to avoid them. It could not please everybody; but there was one j man he tried to please, and that was himself. — ("Hear, hear," and applause.) { Mr Snow also responded. He expressed his deep regret that ill-health should be the cause of Mr Pryde's holiday leave. When he (Mr Snow) joined the board he i was biassed. — (Laughter.) He had heard about Mr Pryde a« a despotic old gentleman, but after six months on the board he (Mr Snow) found the statements were not correct. Mr Pryde was bad enough — (laughter), — but was not as black as he was painted. — (Laughter.) While he (Mr Snow) was chairman he had never wished to have a better set of men under him, and the order and method of the office under Mr Pryda's guidance was always excellent. He trusted Mr Pryde would have a thoroughly good and health-giving trip.— (Applause.) Mr Mitchell, in the course of some highly humorous remarks, said those of the present day were reaping the fruits of the labours of those who preceded. The founders of this province were wise men, j and one of the great things they did was | to lay down the foundation of the splendid educational system.-— (Applause.) During the last two years the boa-rd had not been able to raise a single " ruction," but members lived in hopes that when Mr Pryde | was on the high seas they would be able ' to raise " a good row." — (Laughter.) He j had always found Mr Pryde the essence of , courtesy as far as he (Mr Mitchell) v*a.s j concerned, and always an admirable secretary. — (Applause.) Mr Fraser had sounded a note of warning of impending danger. It was not only a financial danger, but it was one that, if allowed to com© to pass, would take away the right of the people to look after their own affairs, and that danger was centralisation of everything in Wellington. If tKat time came the educational system in Otago, which had always been the pride of the people of Otago and an example to the colony, would be done away with. — (Applause.) Mr Nicolson said he had been a member of school committees ever since there was a member elected, and for some 17 or 18 years contiuously he had been chairman of the Hampden School Committee. He had never come into contact with a man who knew his business better than did the secretary of the Otago Education Board. — ('• Hear, hear," and applause.) He hoped and trusted Mr Pryde would come back m better health in every way.— (Applause.) The Chairman then proposed the toast of " Th-e Guest of the Evening," and, in doing so, said some time ago Mr Pryde a medical adviser came to him (Mr Borrie) and said unless Mr Pryde was sent away on a long sea voyage — the longer the better, so that he might have complete rest — his health might break down, and the board might be sorry afterwards. At the next meeting Mr Pryde applied for leave of j absence, and he (the chairman) was glad to \ say that the board unanimously granted j leave of absence for six months, or loneer if required.— (Applause.) It was 1* years this month since he was first elected a member of the Education Board, and he believed he had more connection with Mr Pryde in his official capacity than any other member of the board. Mr Pryde was a credit to whoever gave him his training in his youth, for •& more methodical man in charge of an office could not be met.— (Applause.) Mr Pryde was an excellent officer, and he had excellent officers under him —(Applause.) It was with the greatest regret members of the board realised the holiday was necessary on account of ill- j health and they only hoped Mr Pryde would come back ready for another quarter of a century's work.— (Applause.) The mem- j bers of the" board. Mr Pryde's fellow officers, ! and the ex-members of the board desired to make him a email presentation, and to that end they had procured a gold sovereign case and match box for him, and for Mrs Prvde a gold and diamond brooch, both of which he had much pleasure in handing to Mr Prvde.— (Applause.) A the invitation of the Chairman, Messrs Gallawav. Macandrew, Cohen, and Harrawav added tributes to Mr Pryde's long and faithful service. - Mr Pryde, in responding to the toast and in* returning thanks for the presentation, said he held— he might be wrong— that a. public servant who was all things to all men and was spoken well of by all men, was a bit of a humbug.— (Laughter and applause.) This was the first time he had been called on to make a speech, and he had to thank them all very sincerely # for the spontaneous expression of opinion given that evening. He could assure them he was not using the term in ordinary conventional sense when he said,. he could not find words to express his thoughts and his snnse of the honour conferred on him. Mr Prvde then went on to refer to old and well-known members of the board and his happy relationship with them, and, continuing his speech, he said: — I must make a very liberal discount indeed before I can credit myself with being the possessor of even a few of the good qualities which you ascribe to me. But after deductoins are drawn and allowances made there still remains the fact, as this meeting proves, of your goodwill and esteem. After many years, in a relationship to each other often somewhat trying, it is evident that I have not forfeited the goodwill of the members and officers of the board, and it would be mere affectation on my part to say that this

does not afford me the liveliest gratification and pleasure. — (Applause.) After the somewhat hard knocks I Have received during my long career as a public servant this meeting comes "as balm to a wounded conscience." This is the first time that I have been called upon to make a speech, and, as you know, working and not speaking is more in my line. I hope you will excuse me if I fail to find words to adequately express my thanks for your very great kindness to me this evening; please accept "the will for the deed." "if I had the tongue of a ready speaker it would have been easy to have recalled some experiences of my 36 years' service which might have both interested and amused you. I could have furnished some statistics which would have shown what the board's service ha-=! grown to from a very small beginning. I realise, however, that

we are not met here this evening to discuss educational matters or to digest figures, but that we have met in a friendly, social way to enjoy ourselves, that " talking shop " and digesting figures would be altogether out of place, and that these matters can better be left over for a more convenient season. I should like, however, to ask you to bear with me while I say how much I have benefited in my work, and how much I owe to the able and zealous gentlemen who have filled the position of chairman of the board from time to time. — (Applause.) Starting in 1878 we were launched on troubled waters by the initiation of the present system of education. To Mr Donald Reid, the late James Fulton, and Dr Shand, the first three chairmen, I owe a good deal, and to their great experience and sagacious counsels are due much of the success which attended the working of the education system in its early stages. — (Applause.) From the gentlemen who followed I reoeived great assistance, courtesy, and consideration. There is one name, however, which I cannot at this stage omit to mention, and I hope you will not think it invidious of mo to mention it — one who would fain be with us to-night but for the infirmities of age — a name which has only to be mentioned to command respect. I refer to Mr Henry Clark, whose practical common sense, far-seeing wisdom, and sound judgment I have always held in the highest resp-ect. Mr Clark's connection with this board will ever remain green in my memory.— (Applause.) Right down all these years I have received great assistance and many an act of kindness from the chairmen and members of the board, and I have to thank them for their assistance to me in my work, and for their courtesy and consideration to the whole staff. Sir, you were good enough to refer to my successful management of the board's business. Whatever success has attended tno management I only lay claim to a small portion of it. " No' matter howcapable and zealous the head of a department may be, he can only carry on succe--sfully the work if he has capable and zealous officers under him. I claim for the officers of this board just as much credit for the successful working of the board's business as you are disnosed to give to me. and I should be disloyal to the^e officers under me if I did not grant to them equal credit with myself. — (Applause.) The board has as efficient, loyal, earnest, and hard-working a staff of officers as it is possible to have in any service. When on the subject I may be .allowed to say that since I took charge of the board's business in January, 1878. there has not been one shilling paid for extra clerical assistance, and that your staff all these years knew no Shops and Offices Act. and for many months each year eight hours' work per day has been to us an unknown quantity. I never made a call upon their time — and I have made many, too many. I am sorry to says — but what it was promptly and cheerfully responded to. The midnight oil was plentifully used, but pleasantlyburnt, and I take this opportunity of thanking them for their earnestness and interest in the board's business, and for their loyalty to myself. — (Applause.) The work of the office has increased at a most unreasonable rate during the last year or two. Change after change follows so quickly that one is quite at a loss to know what to expect next. The old order has changed so frej quently and so rapidly that the change I most desired by all parties now is the i change of leaving things alone. I am j pleased at the arrangements made by the board for carrying on the work during mv absence. I am leaving the. management in good hands. The work is well advanced, the finances are in a good position, and there does not appear to be " troublesome times" looming in the distance. I sincerely hope you will have a pleasant time during imr absence. — (Applause.) And now, sir, m connection with this evening's proceedings, the crowning act of this board's many kindnesses to me. allow me to say I that I hope it will be an incentive to me | to renewed zeal and earnestness in my work in the event of my being spared to return to this fair city, which I love so dearly, and to the work I take such an interest in. Again, allow me to thank you j all for the many acts of kindness which have bee l shown to me, and for the forbearance and consideration which have been extended to me. I am quite well aware of my own faults and shortcomings, and that they may have given offence. I have often been told that my somewhat brusque manner and plain speaking have made m-e enemies. I -can assure you that if I erred at anytime in my actions, or *hay© .given offence. I had no intention of doing so. There is no man but has his I faults, and if I have committed any errors | they have been errors of the head, not of the heart, and I have never carried \ public feeling into private life. — (Applause.) I thank you most heartily, for myself and for Mrs Pryde, for your kind presentations.— (Applause.) Mr Harraway, In a neat speech, then proncsed the health of the inspectors, and to this response was made by Messrs Goyen, Fitzserald, Bossence. and Richardson, who all dealt with amusing incidents they had happened across in their professional careers.

Other toasts were: " The Clerical Staff." proposed by Mr M. Cohen ; " Ex-members of the Board, proposed by Mr Fitzgerald : " School Committees," "The Press," etc. During the evening songs were contributed by Messrs R. Armstrong, Melville. and Mitchell, a reading by Mr Sim, and! recitations by Messrs Bossencc and Park.

Ab Hamilton (Waikato) last .week a man was fined £3, with £7 2s costs, on a charge of using insulting and obscene language. The evidence showed that the accused challenged the informant to get out of a sulky and fight.