HEAD OF POST OFFICE

Southland Times, Issue 23782, 1 April 1939, Page 8

HEAD OF POST OFFICE

DIRECTOR-GENERAL RETIRES MR McNAMARA BORN IN INVERCARGILL

After being for 12 years DirectorGeneral of the Post and Telegraph Department, Mr G. McNamara, will begin leave on retirement today. Mr McNamara has completed more than 42 years in the service. His retirement was announced by the PostmasterGeneral (the Hon. F. Jones) who expressed the regret of the Government and the country at losing Mr McNamara’s valuable services. Mr Jones praised Mi McNamara’s action in having continued at the government’s request after giving notice of his intention to retire after 40 years’ service. He will today begin three months’ leave of absence during which time the Director-General-elect, Mr J. G. Young, will assume the duties of the senior position. Mr McNamara, who was born in Invercargill in 1881, is a brother of Mrs J. P. Butler, of Invercargill. He was educated at the Park school, and upon the conclusion of his primary course he studied for some time under the Rev. James Henry. He entered the Post and Telegraph Department at Invercargill in 1896 and has served in every branch of the service. After a year on the

counter side in Dunedin he was transferred in 1908 to the General Post Office in Wellington, where he was associated with Mr A. T. Markman, the former secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department, in staff work till 1920, when he was appointed second assistant secretary. Upon Mr Markman’s retirement Mr McNamara succeeded him as secretary. The title of the office was subsequently changed to that of direc-tor-general. Mr McNamara accompanied the former Postmaster-General, the Hon. Adam Hamilton, to Sydney in 1935 to discuss the preliminaries of the Empire air mail scheme and subsequently attended a conference in Wellington at which Britain and Australia were represented. Mr McNamara was New Zealand’s representative at the Imperial Cables and Wireless conference in London in 1937, when the opportunity was taken of further advancing the Empire air service between England and New Zealand.

INNOVATIONS CARRIED OUT Under Mr McNamara the Post and Telegraph Department has carried but many innovations, the most important from the public viewpoint being that the factor of service to the public has been so fostered that it is regarded probably as being the least “red tape” of any State organization. It has kept abreast of technical developments and gone after business in the manner of the ordinary commercial concern. The establishment of a commercial branch of the department was one of his in—novations. Allied with this branch has been a system of publicity enabling all matters of interest associated with the department to’be freely made known. New Zealand had not for many years produced any distinctive new stamps until Mr McNamara revived the pictorial series, a highly popular move. Then came the special Anzac stamp, the Jubilee and Coronation issues, and the set which commemorated the holding of the Empire gathering in New Zealand of the Associated Chambers of Commerce of the Empire. Finally the retiring Director-General was able to plan a series of 12 new stamps which will suitably mark in a philatelic sense the centennial celebrations of the Dominion. FINANCES REORGANIZED

One of the most important developments under the direction of Mr McNamara was in the financial relation of the Post Office to the Treasury. The records show that when he took direc-, tion the Post Office was running at an annual loss, but the finances were reorganized, and interest on capital was paid monthly to the Treasury, while at the same time adequate reserves were gradually built up. Surpluses also began to appear, and in 13 years, according to the department’s annual reports, it has paid to the Treasury, in relief of general taxation, profits amounting to nearly £2,000,000. The depreciation funds of the department now stand at £3,750,000.

PRESENTATION MADE IN WELLINGTON

APPRECIATION OF WORK FOR DEPARTMENT

■ (United Press Association) WELLINGTON, March 31,

The retirement of Mr G. McNamara from the position of Director-General of the Post and Telegraph Department was marked this afternoon by a very large gathering in the general post office, presided over by the acting DirectorGeneral, Mr J. G. Young. The. representative attendance included many former officers of the department and also the Postmaster-General (the Hon. F. Jones) and Mrs Jones. Mr Young said that during the 12 years of Mr McNamara’s able administration of the department there had been many changes and momentous events and he had reached the termination of a brilliant career. The gratifying response to the movement to provide the retiring director-general with some tangible reminder of the respect and affection of his large staff showed particularly how his humanitarian efforts on behalf of the service had been appreciated. This was so marked that a request w'as made for a second division officer to voice personally that feeling of the service at the farewell gathering. Mr Young briefly traced the career of the retiring director-general. He said a tribute to the service of Mr McNamara would take the form of a grandfather clock. He desired to associate with all these expressions of esteem and goodwill Mrs McNamara, who had been so loyal a help to the director-general and so charming a hostess. Mr Young then read a message of ap~

predation from the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage). The Postmaster-General remarked that he came to the farewell gathering, so far as Mr McNamara was concerned, with a certain amount of regret, but he was pleased to have an opportunity of expressing appreciation on behalf of the whole Dominion of the splendid public service which he had given to them. Mr Jones said there was no more outstanding personality among the heads of Government departments than Mr McNamara. He had given splendid service, not only to the post office, but to New Zealand, and that was recognized in 1932 when he received the honour of Commander of the British Empire. Mr McNamara said he was glad of the opportunity of saying farewell to the service and of telling them how much he appreciated their help during the years he had been associated with the head office. At the request of the Government he had stayed on a little longer than he needed and he was handing over his task with some feelings of relief for the duties of the head of the department were not always pleasant. However, the more pleasant duties brought their own reward. He particularly appreciated the presence of many former officers of the service and also the Public Service Commissioner, Mr T. Mark, an old friend. He enumerated many sections of the department to which his thanks were due for loyal co-operation. The Government, too, he wished to thank for its consideration. As adviser to them on post and telegraph matters, one did not always expect that one’s advice would be accepted, but the Government had always treated him in a considerate and kindly manner.