LONG SERVICE TO THE WAITOTARA COUNTY

Wanganui Chronicle, 26 January 1948, Page 4

LONG SERVICE TO THE WAITOTARA COUNTY

TRIBUTES TO MR. W. MORRISON RIDING MEMBERS MAKE A PRESENTATION. Tributes to the long service to the Waitotara riding of the Waitotara county, to the county itself, and to New Zealand in the wider sphere of the New Zealand Counties Association and the main Highways Board and Farmers’ Union, and to Wanganui on the Harbour Board and WanganuiRangitikei Electric Power Board, were paid at Maxwell on Saturday to Mr. William Morrison, who has retired as riding member and chairman of the Waitotara County. Mr. H. Siddall presided over lx large attendance of settlers and their wives from the riding and a number of people from outside the riding who had cause to appreciate Mr. Morrison’s service, which, in lengtn of time and its wide sphere, is regarded as something of a record in the Dominion. Associated with Mr. Siddall was the Mpmber of Parliament for Patea (Mr. W. A. Sheat), and not only the chairman of the Waitotara County Council (Mr. W. McKee), but the chairmen of the neighbouring countycouncils of Wanganui (Mr. A. 11. Collins), Rangitikei (Mr. K. W. Dairmyple) and Patea (Mr. W. G. Belton), and the two executive officers of the Waitotara Staff (Mr. T. Dix, engineer) and the clerk (Mr, W. Broadhead). PRESENTATION MADE. Mrs. Wilson Handley presented Mrs Morrison with a bouciuct. and Mr. Siddall, from the residents in the riding and some outside the riding, presented to Mr. and Mrs. Morr.srn a silver tea service. Mr. Siddall traced the record of service Mr. Morrison had given—42 years riding member on the county council, nearly 29 years chairman of the county, between 33 and 34 years a member of the Manganui Harbour Board, a member of of the Wanganui-Electric Power Board since its inception, some 23 years ago, chairman of the New Zealand Counties Association, the highest position on that body, a county representative on the Main Highways Board for 15 years, a member of the Board of Agriculture, and one of four members of the Advisory Committee of the Farmers' Union. Mr. Siddall also referred to Mr. Morrison’s volunteer service in the Alexandra Cavalry from which he retired with the rank of captain. Speaking from personal experience, Mr. Siddall said that he himself had come to Maxwell 30 odd years ago and the first person he had met was Mr. Morrison, later Mr. Tom Alexander. Mr. Morrison had been in a gig outside the store, on his way to the train. That was the mode of travel in those days. Manychanges had taken place since then and Mr. and Mrs. Morrison could look back and say that they had taken their full share in bringing about that progress. With Mr. and Mrs. Darbyshire they were about the oldest residents of a progressive district. “And what a record it is for one man and his wife to have made,” said Mr. Siddall. (Applause.). TRIBUTE TO MRS. MORRISON. “I am especially pleased to see Mrs. Morrison here,” said Mr. Belton. “I have been to a good many gatherings such as these and the better half of the man being honoured is never mentioned. We who have had any share in public life at all, know that without the moral support and interest of the wives, the work could not be done.” Mr Bolton referred to his association with Mr. Morrison in the New Zealand Counties Association. Progress of the district had been uppermost in Mr. Morrison’s mind , all the time, but often it was the case that the amenities that were provided by such men were accepted as a matter of course, and the men who brought them about were forgotten. Mr. Collins, in his tribute, referred to the time when he, a modest riding member of another county (Wanganui) had become chairman. He was fortunate in having a good clerk to put him on the right path, but there were many problems on which a clerk could not only advise the chairman, and Mr. Collins, when those problems came, found Mr. Morrison of great help and guidance. Mr. Collins also paid a high tribute to Mrs. Morrison and endorsed what had been said about wives of men in local body service giving them moral support. Unless things are right in the home a man could not have given the service Mr. Morrison gave to local bodies in the way he did, always bright, smiling and cheerful,” said Mr. Dalrymple, who contrasted the position of roading in New Zealand today with what it had been. CHAIRMAN MISSED. Mr. McKee, Mr. Morrison's successor in office, said that Mr. Morrison’s experience would be missed. He had realised that at the first meeting after Mr. Morrison had resigned, when it was apparent how much the “man at that end of the table” had to do. "I have been associated with Mr. Morrison for close on 30 years,” said Mr. Dix (retiring county engineer), “and claim to know probably more than most people what he has done for this district and for the county as a whole.” Mr. Dix traced the finances of the county and conservation of rates over that period and then paid a tribute to Mr. Morrison on behalf of the county staff. Mr. Broadhead (county clerk) endorsed the tribute on behalf of the staff and referred to the declarationof main highways in the county which had been brought about largely by Mr. Morrison’s interest—highways which earned a £3 Government suosidy for every £1 of coupty money expended on them. Mr. Broadhead also traced the growth of the county financially. •The outward appearance of a district always reflects the character of its people,” said Mr. Sheat. ‘Mr. Morrison has made a great contribution, not only to his district, but to the whole of New Zealand local bodies.” Mr. Sheat added that but for the service such men gave, but for the way that local bodies were conducted and administered in New Zealand, Parliament could not function. Mr. Morrison, in his reply, said that he and Mrs. Morrison felt that anybody who lived in a district should do what they could to help that district along. He would be devoid of human feeling if he did not appreciate all that had been said of the service he had given. It made him feel that perhaps that service had been worthwhile, and was some encouragement to him in the knowledge that he had not given up all his local body work, and was retaining his memberships of the Harbour Board and Power Board. He spoke of long association with Mr. Belton and with Mr. Dix, and paid a high tribute to the work of Mr. Dix as engineer of the county, reminding his ' hearers that an engineer could make the roads as good as the amount of money the ratepayers were prepared to spend.