VALEDICTORY

Otago Witness, Issue 3525, 4 October 1921, Page 58

VALEDICTORY

MR GEORGE M. CLARK. In the Anglican Church Hall, Kaitangata, on Thursday evening, members of the staff of the Now Zealand Coal and Oil Company, Ltd., and other representative citizens met 1 to bid farewell to Mr George Moram Clark on the occasion of his retirement from the company’s service. Mr Clark, who recently attained his seventy-first birthday has been in the service of the New Zealand Coal and Oil Company, Ltd., for j years. He will be remembered by many of the older commercial men as railway guard on the company’s line, which posij lion he held for 26 years. For the past 12g years Mr Clark lias been storekeeper at the mines. In the ui avoidable absence of Mr Robt. Lee, general manager, and Mr O. G. Lockhart, Mr Win. Carson, mines manager, presented Mr Clark, on behalf of the as- | sembled and other friends, with a very j substantial monetary gift, which, in a neat i speech appropriate to the occasion, he re- | ferred to as a very inadequate measure of I the real appreciation and affection in which | Mr Clark was held by his friends present and absent. Mr Carson referred particularly to the almost unique length of service attained by Air Clark with the company, and the . manner of that service, which, he said, had never been confined to a mere study of his pay sheet, a feature which he (speaking generally) would commend to all men in honourable service who had the national wellbeing at heart to-day, and in that manner creating mutual confidence between employer and employed. Mr Clark, who was feeling his position as the x>arting guest, replied suitably but briefly. Mr Andrew Smith, on behalf of the local Benefit Society, thanked Mr Clark for his honourable and courteous attention while a trustee of the society, an honorary position which he had held since its inception. Mr A. Gillanders represented the local Athenaeum. He referred to the time, labour, and enthusiasm which Mr Clark had given to the furthering of ihe interests of the institution and its members during his long tenure of ihe presidential chair, and tendered acknowledgment to Mr Clark on behalf of the present committee for his devotion to the cause of literature. Mr W. Houston and Mr Donald Marshall associated themselves with the previous speakers, the former enlivening the occasion with a few humorous anecdotes relating to the guest of the evening. A short but delightful programme of music had been provided, and, after the performers and the ladies responsible for the claintv repast served had been duly acknowledged, the evening closed with the time-honoured singing of “Auld Lang Syne.” Mr Clark will proceed to Christchurch to take up residence with his son and family. Mr Clark will also be remembered by many of the older residents of Port Chalmers, where he spent his earlier years. His father was Air Charles Clark, master mariner, and latterly ship’s chandler in that town, whose name will recall to the memories of a. few the incident, of the old stfeving ship Don Juan, the skeleton hulk of which still lies beached in Deborah Bay. The la to Mrs Clark was a Miss Margaret M'Kinnon, daughter of Air Gordon Al'Kinnon, master mariner, also of Port Chalmers. A very plea, .'if evening, tendered to Messrs J. W. Ilan. J. Crow, and D. E. Ivory, who are retiring from the Post and Telegraph service, was given by the local telegraph and telephone, staffs at the Savoy lounge on Thursday evening. Mr J. Alexander (superintendent), who occupied the chair, presented Messrs Hull and Ivory each with a set of bowls, and Mr Crow with field binocular glasses, re - furring in very complimentary terms to their long and honourable service, and wishing them the best of health to long enjoy their well-earned retirement. Air Hall, in reply, thanked the various speakers for the very kind remarks made about himself. Continuing. Mr Hall traced his official career when he- first joined the service 40 years ago at Wellington. Mr Crow, who followed, spoke at length principally about the early days of the service in Otago. Air Crow first joined the service at Lawrence, at that time a most important mining district and (he chief commercial centre of the Goldfields. Air Ivory said he joined the service as the first letter carrier at Rangiora in 1882, from where ho was transferred to Lyttelton as a cadet, finally being transferred to the Dunedin Telegraph Office in 1891, where he has remained ever since. The evening was brought to a close with the singing of “Auld Lang Syne” and cheers for the retiring officers.