IN THE CAUSE OF EDUCATION

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 28, 27 July 1911, Page 7

IN THE CAUSE OF EDUCATION

A LENGTHY, USEFUL CAREER. Mr. James Wade, who is retiring from the Education Board on account of illhealth, was yesterday made the recipient of a handsome presentation by the members of the Board and its office staffs. The ceremony took place at the conclusion of the regular meeting, when the Board and its staff, with one or two unavoidable exceptions, gathered in the Board room. The task of making the presentation devolved upon Mr. G. A. Adlam, the oldast sitting member, with the exception of Mr. Wade himself, and the other members of the Board and several of the officials voiced their keen regret at the retirement of a chairman whom they all so warmly esteemed.

Mr. Adlam accepted it as a distinct ,honor that he should have been selected to make the presentation to his old friend and colleague, as showing their appreciation of his work, but he regretted keenly his inability to say all that should be said in discharging this important duty. He said he bad been associated with Mr. .Wade on the Board for the past twenty-five years, and he could honestly say that their present chairman had done his level best for the benefit of education. During his term as chairman he had attended to the duties apertaining to his position as well as a man could possibly do. Sometime he and Mr. Wade, or other members and Mr. Wade, had had their differences of opinion during debate, but they had always remained friends. It now gave Mr. Adlam great pleasure in presenting to Mr. Wade this memento of his term of office, and in wishing him a long life in which to enjoy his well-earn-ed rest.

He then asked Mr. Wade's accetpance of a handsome series of photographs of the New Plymouth Technical College, the Board's offices, its members and offi- 'j cials.

Mr. Kennedy spoke as the next oldest member, he having become associated with the Board early in 1!KH). He endorsed the sentiments expressed by Mr. Adlam. He referred to Mr. Wade as a gentleman always showing kindly sympathy with the teachers and an unvarying kindness and courtesy to the members of the Board. He regretted very much that Mr. Wade had seen fit to retire, but admitted that he well deserved his rest. They all appreciated the work of their chairman, because they bad some idea of the extent of it, hut, ,>yhilsfc it was n" n o appreciated by the iffpplo; of the district, they were unable to fully-grasp what hard work and what self-saqrifice were involved by the con-•jje-jentioiis discharge; of his duties. It jwa?.; often, said that' work on public ; bodies..!was a thankless .task, but Mr. had, at any rate, the satisfaction M -knowing he had done his best. He that Mr. Wade would look back MM I pleasure upon his connection with the Board, and live long to enjoy his leisure.

Mr. Morton was next in the order of seniority, and he paid a tribute to the worth of their chairman, and expressed his regret that this was the last meef.ing at which Mr. Wade would preside. H" had sat on the Board under three .(lifierent chairmen, and he could honestly .say that no chairman could have more conscientiously and faithfully discharged the duties apertaining to that office than the gentleman who was now about to vacate the chair. He had suffered from the disabilities of indifferent health and ripening years, which must have proved very trying to him sometimes in the performance of his duties. But the members and the staff knew how honestly he had done his work in sipte of all that, and that he had fully earned the rest which they all hoped Mr. Wade would long live to enjoy.

I -Mr. Tnmhle, speaking as one who had found Mr. Wade as chairman when he joniod the Hoard, said that 110 member • could ,>ay thut lie had ever mot with .anythinn; b„t unfailing kindness from Mr. Wade, lie also wished the chairman a lengthy life of rest. 'Mr. Rogers regretted Mr. Wade's resignation, .too, and. particularly referred to the lenient imuim'r in which members wre treated in delate, Mr. Wade's idea iK'iii!,' to encourage members in this way to express their views.

Mr. Ualcombe felt that the school com'imbtees and Uic teachers, were losing a powerful friend.

Mr. Young considered {he ..Board was losing the most courteous chairman that lie had ever had to do with. Mr. Car-gill said the presentation was a mark of appreciation of what one man. could do in a great cau.se by voluntary work by making the work his hobby and throwing into it ajk .ejiUmsiasm anil a mi .such as Mr. Wade had shown. Lntartunat-ely such work was seldom fully recogn,sed. Mr. Wade had done all that rested in hi* power for the benefit in Taranaki and throiHiout the • Dominion. He trusted that they would often meet their chairman agiiin and be privileged to draw upon his life» experience in educational work.

Eulogistic remarks were made by Mr 1 . S. Wlntwmihc, secretary, and Messrs. U. A liallantyno and It. G. Whetter, inspectors, the latter saying he was ■sorry on Mr. Wake's account'as well a, his own that he felt, compelled to wrench himself from his old associations. .Mr. Wade with difficulty found words to express his gratitude to the members for their kind expressions towards him. and for the thonghU'iilness which had prompted them to make a presentation of this nature. He had hoped, he said to say considerable, but he could not trust himself. During his term of office he had seen many changes. Tt was twenty-nine years ago since he was first elected to the Hoard. Six years later lie met with an- accident, which compelled him to resign, but he returned to the Board's table after an a.bsence ol three years. Since that time lie had sat continuously, and it was with the deepest regret (hat he had come to the conclusion that he should step aside and resign the work to younger and stronger hands. It was only natural. 0 r course, that he hail seen many changes—changes of ministers, changes in thc'|>"rsonnefof the Board, and great and good changes in its financial position. Sometimes, when the Board was "husbanding its resources-'' in the present meaning of the words., he could not help contrasting the position with that of the earlv dars when settlers had to be refused'schools because of the impossibility of finding the money to build them. In some casesthe settlers themselves advanced the money in order that their children misrht be educated, the Board repaying whenever it could. The Board seldom] if ever, handed over a complete school I ben! The buildings were generally unlined, and had to remain so for years. The Toko school, he remembered, was first opened in a cowshed, whilst the Central school in Xew Plymouth was conducted on the site of (he present headmaster's house, this sewing fnr residence, school

"ml |>l;ivjrroiiinl. After much (rouble (hoy <.rol ii footing on Poverlv Flat, the St. Micli-ml's Smiarc of to-da.v. ami limn, liv l.lip foresight of n member of the ljonrd who was working rpiieUv all (lie time. | lie whole of the square wan handed n->r for educational purposes. Tint for this, (here would probably have been no New I'lvinonlh Teohniea.l College, and no offices such as the Board had now.

IHe referred to the start and the growth' of the technical education system in , Tarana:ki, saying that it was on his moI tion that the Stratford Technical school, ■ the first technical school in the province, was opened, he being impelled by the ' desire to see agricultural and dairying instruction given. For years this school was the only one in the Dominion which gave this instruction. He concluded by thanking the members of the Board and tho staff for their courtesy ever extended to him, for this had made his work easy and genial, a labor of love. He hoped the good fellowship which had existed between the Board and its officers would always continue. "I thank you heartily, friends, for your kindness," he concluded, quite overcome; .Subsequently Mr. Wade entertained the Board and its officers and representatives of the press at luncheon. Mr. Wade will, at the request of the members, continue in office until his sxiccessor is appointed.