FAREWELL FUNCTION

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 70, 24 March 1937, Page 6

FAREWELL FUNCTION

MR. P. E. TINGEY LEAVING THE CITY. EULOGISTIC REFERENCES. Mr. P. E. Tingey, who leaves to take up residence in Wellington after March 31 as managing director of the firm to which he belongs, was farewelled by a representative gathering at the Rendezvous last night. Mr. W. J. Gibson Hughes, president of the Wanganui and District Development League, which sponsored the gathering, presided and among those present was the Mayor of Wanganui (Mr. W. J. Rogers), who presented the guest with a Wanganui manufactured travelling rug. The attendance totalled over 60.

Mr. H. C. Jenkins said that the fact that Mr. Tingey had been able to so promote his company that he had to take himself away to the alien city of Wellington, which had none of the charms of Wanganui, proved the ability of the man. Building up a business required two things—opportunity and the capacity of the man. The opportunity was there so far as Mr. Tingey was concerned and the capacity of the man also. Wanganui, unfortunately, kept losing its good men, and in saying that the speaker did not cast any reflection on those who were left. The speaker mentioned several who had done well in other spheres.. He referred to Mr. Tingey’s tendency to listen and his capacity to disagree and still be warm friends with those with whom he differed.

Mr. G. H. Trott, representing the Wanganui Employers' Association, said that it was often a peculiar thing that absence had to come about to prove the presence of virtues in certain people, and the speaker made bold to predict that that which had almost become a tradition would be proved again by Mr. Tingey. In the speaker’s opinion Mr. Tingey was of the stuff of which reformers or martyrs were made. There were few who had the fearlessness to express their opinions and show a total disregard for what the public thought of them because of that fearlessness. Other speakers were Messrs. F. G. Beaven (timber mills and kindred trades), W. E. Walpole (builders), A. E. Rankin (Chamber of Commerce), R. Snelling (Retailers’ Association), G. H. Pownali (Tourist and Development League), H. Robins (Social Credit), J. Siddells and J. Mackie. Mr. Rankin said that while he had never agreed with Mr. Tingey, he had never found him wrong. Mr. Pownali looked to Mr. Tingey to be an advocate for Wanganui, and reminded the departing guest of his boyhood days. The speaker knew that in his heart Mr. Tingey would never alter in his regard for his home town and would not let the traditions built up by his father and his uncle suffer in any may whatever. Mr. Tingey, in his reply, said that he had invariably been actuated by a philosophy of John Ruskin. The speaker had not taken upon himself any civic duties, but for all that, he had done what he could for Wanganui. He had endeavoured to apply to his conduct and to his advocacy of monetary reform the teaching of Ruskin: “Straight is the line of duty, Curved is the line of beauty; Follow thee the straight line and the curved line will ever follow thee. The Mayor, making the presentation, paid tribute to Mr. Tingey’s citizenship. Replying, Mr. Tingey said that he would ever keep Wanganui to the fore. He predicted a bright future for New Zealand and said that the world was living in a new era.