BOWLER AND FRIEND

Taranaki Daily News, 15 April 1935, Page 5

BOWLER AND FRIEND

FAREWELL TO MR. W. H. FREEMAN.

NEW PLYMOUTH CLUB GATHERING.

Mr. W. H. Freeman, who has been appointed stipendiary magistrate at Invercargill, was on Saturday farewelled by the members of the New Plymouth Bowling Club. Mr. Freeman has taken a prominent part in the game in the province, having been singles champion of North Taranaki for two years and twice runner-up for the Taranaki championship. The farewell, which was held in conjunction with the closing day for the season, was attended by representatives of other New Plymouth clubs as well as *by a large number of his own clubmates. Before asking Mrs. J. Franklin White to present Mr. Freeman with a travelling rug, Mr. Franklin White, president, said Mr. Freeman’s departure would mean the loss of easily the best player in the club. Mr. White said he had been playing with Mr. Freeman for seven years and had always found him a man to be relied on when the need arose. He mentioned Mr. Freeman’s generosity in lending the club a billiard table for a period of years. Mr. J. T. Pavitt, Fitzroy club, apologised for the absence of Mr. E. Dingle, the president. He said that when he came to New Plymouth in 1926, practically a stranger, he went to live at Waiwaka Terrace, next to Mr. Freeman. Not once in the ensuing nine years had they had a cross word'.

Mr. J. Christoffel, president of the West End club, congratulated Mr. Freeman on his appointment. Mr. Freeman was wellknown throughout Taranaki not only for his skill as a bowler but also for the fact that he always played the game in a friendly spirit, said Mr. Christoffel. He would have liked Mr. Freeman to have won the singles championship of Taranaki before leaving the province, but it was to be hoped that some day he would be transferred back to New Plymouth and thus have another opportunity of winning the title.

Mr. T. J. Griffin said Mr. Freeman was not only a first-class bowler but a gentlemanly bowler. Mr. Griffin considered Mr. Freeman had many qualifications for success as a magistrate. He was fair-minded, even tempered, gentlemanly and sympathetic. Mr. E. R. Bean recalled having been beaten by Mr. Freeman when they were both first-year players. Mr. A. K. Smart said he was proud to have helped to develop Mr. Freeman-from a “colt” into a very excellent bowler. He would miss Mr. Freeman from the selection committee. Messrs. W. H. Skinner and T. C. Fookes added tributes. The latter said the New Plymouth bar appeared to have special qualifications for the magistracy, for Mr. Freeman was the third local lawyer to be appointed, others having been Mr. William Kerr and Mr. Jack Wilson. Mr. Fookes also referred appreciatively to Mr. H. Gilmour Smith, who recently retired as registrar of the Supreme Court. Mr. A. Boon, who played in Mr. Freeman’s rink for seven years, was another speaker. Mr. Freeman said that when Mr. Moss persuaded him to join the club 13 years ago he regarded bowling as an old man's game. He held that view then because he was ignorant of the game, but now he would advise every young man to play bowls, for there was no finer collective game as a moulder of character. It taught players the need for self-con-trol and it did not encourage selfishness. “I intend to follow the advice of brother magistrates who have written to me, that the most successful magistrate is a listener rather than a talker,” said Mr. Freeman. “I hope to uphold the dignity and honour of the bench in a way that will justify the things said of me this afternoon. He added that he hoped to become the Southland champion of champions. He would have happy recollections of his friends at New Plymouth and he hoped to return in about five years to visit a town he regarded very highly. What other town of the size was there to compare with it? it had all the attractions of the city in the country. Mr. Freeman concluded by paying a tribute to his brother practitioners. He had not had one crosfi word with one of them since he had been at New Plymouth.