BUSINESS FAREWELL

Taranaki Daily News, 17 September 1935, Page 3

BUSINESS FAREWELL

GATHERING FOR MR. BIGWOOD. POPULAR CUSTOMHOUSE FIGURE. " A tribute to the popularity and capabilities of Mr. L. G. Bigwood during his 11 years as examining. officer for the Customs Department at New Plymouth was paid yesterday, when nearly 30 of the merchants, Customs agents and shipping company officials of the town met to wish him success and happiness on his transfer to Wellington. Mr. P. J. H. White, who presided, announced several apologies for absence and read letters of good wishes from others unable to be present. With the public departments such functions were far too frequent, said Mr. White, for no sooner did an officer become really well known than he was transferred. The present gathering had been held because it was desired, to show the esteem in which Mr. Bigwood was held. There was a much different feeling between the merchant firms and the Government departments now from that of the earlier days, when Government officials were looked upon often with a good deal of suspicion, which was returned in many cases. Nowadays it was felt the public servants had their jobs to do, and it was the work of the business community to help them. Mt. F. Hooker said that he believed Mr. Bigwood’s work had been made more difficult by the imposition of so many duties and taxes in recent years. He presented Mr. Bigwood with a golf bag and a set of steel-shafted golf clubs as n token of appreciation from those with whom he had come in contact.. Mr. S. F. Burgess gave it as his opinion that New Plymouth had been very fortunate in its Customs officials. In spite of the efforts of the Chamber of Commerce it had not been possible to get them up-to-date accommodation. He was sorry to see Mr. Bigwo-d go, but he was worthy of promotion. When Mr. J. M. O’Reilly’s turn came to go to a higher position he hoped .Mr. Bigwood would come bac 1 as “Keeper of the Western Gate.” Mr. O’Reilly said Mr. Bigwood had been at New Plymouth in a relieving capacity in 1919 before receiving a permanent appointment in 1924, and an official report of thcL tL.ie had characterised him as a “very reliable, industrious and courteous official.” If the Comptroller of Customs gathered round him men like Mr. Bigwood the department would be in a position to do its work in a truly practical manner, which was as it should be. Mr. Bigwood was destined for higher positions than that of an examiner, Mr. W. G. Stewart, stationmaster at New Plymouth, said he and his staff had greatly appreciated the excellent co-op-eration they always received from the Customs Department and Mr. Bigwood. Tributes and good wishes were added by Messrs. N. Gow, K. Ward, J. Medhurst, J. Petheram, C. Hannan, H. Masters, A. Adam, J. F. Devine and W. J. Hutchings, all of whom spoke in appreciative terms of the assistance they had received from Mr. Bigwood. Mr. Bigwood said he appreciated the sentiments that had made the gathering possible. His period at New Plymouth had given him 11 years of happy memories. As a Customs officer he had always tried to be fair, and it seemed by the gathering that he had been successful. Departure from New Plymouth would not be easy and he would like to come back some day; there was no town in New Zealand in which he had more friends than Naw Plymouth.