SERVICE RECOGNISED

Chronicle (Levin), 3 June 1947, Page 4

SERVICE RECOGNISED

. Mr. Monk Entertained By Locai Bodies Recognition o'f tlie long serviee he had rendered the Horowhenua distriet aud local bo.dfes geperally, was aecorded Mr. G. A. Mohk'at a soeial evening held. in the assembly hall of the fiorowkenua College, Levin, on Friday. Itepresentatives were present from the majority of eounties in the Wellington provmce and local bodiejS from as far as Waverley. ■With his recent a'ppointment to the Local Bodies Commission, Mr. Monk has been required to seyer all conneetion with other organisations. When reviewing Mr. Monk's activities, the chairman, "Mr. J. A • Nash, said Mr. Monk had been 36 years on the Horowhenua County Council, ahd ehair- . man sinee 1915, 23 years a member of No. 9 Distriet Highways Council, 25 years chairmah Oi the Horowhenua Power Board, 25 years a member of the Counties Associatiou exeeutive and npw senior vice-president, five years on the Rivers Control and ISoil Conservation , Council, 26 years on the Palmerston North Hospital Board, two years on lue Wellington Hospital Board, 15 years a member of the New Zealand Board of Health, and four years on the New . Zealand ' County Councils' Union of Employers;1 During the war he° had been deputy-ehainnan ^f No. 6a Armed Forces Appeal Board. He had also been conhected .witli the Waikanae Beacli and Waimeha Domain Boards, and had served for £>everal years on local school committees as chairman and secretary. Eulogising Mr. Monk's serviee in connty administratioii, Mr. A. J. (iimbiett, representative of the Horowhenua County Council, said Mr. Alonkhad been elected member for Te- Horo riding in 1911. Four years later he had been elected chairman of the council by men years his senior. He liad iilled that position with dignity in every re-' syect. One of the most outstanding achievements effected during his ehiairmanship^ was the sealing of the mam roads in the distriet. Mr. Alonk had t'oreseen the evolution in road traffic, and had set out to cater for it. On behaif of the councillors and ratepayers, he tendered his thanks and congratulations to Mr. Monk, making special mention of tne part Mrs. Monk had played. Her active assistanee to her husband was wortliy, he said, of the •greatest of credit. Representing the Power Board, Mr. W. E. Barber stated the board deeplv regretted losing its chairman, who had been a "tower of strengjth''' and- one who had made his influence felt tliroughout all local bodies.

Mr. Monk had been foremost advocate of the elefctrifiefttion of the distriet, and chairman of the board throughout its 25 years of existence. Spealcing on behaif of the combined boroughs of Levin, Shannon and Otaki, Mr. C. F. Atmore, Mayor of Otaki, said tlie Horowhenua County Council was exceedingly fortunate in having had so many able men around its table. They had made the distriet one of tlie most progressive- and best developed in the Dominion, and much of this was due to the farsi'ghte.dness of its chairman, Mr. Monk. M eonclusion, he referred to Mrs. Mank, whom he deseribed as a fine example of a wife of a public man. Representing the exeeutive offieers, Mr. F. H. Hudson said that tlie three main points of Mr. Monk's administrative ability were lovalty, impartiality aiid friendsliip. During his 25 years' association with Mr. Alonlc he had always been impressed with his impartiality. Consideration and fairness Were the dominating motives guiding his decisions. He was always generous in his conimendation of the work of his fellows, and his admonitions had been tempered with kindly understanding. He wished also to thanlc Mr. Monk on behaif of the exeeutive offieers of New Zealand-. As president of that institutiop, he knew the assistanee that had been rendered it by Mr. Monk. When refemng to Mrs. Mohk Mr, Hudson mentioned the tremendous amount oi work she had been called upon to do. Complimenting Arr. Alonk, on behaif of tlie counties of Ward 4, Mr. K. R. Dalrymple, chairman of the Rangitikei County Council, said the formation of the Local Bodies Commission was a new page in the history of this countrj^. "While we are sorry to* lose him, wa are proud that he was the only one to be pieked from the rural local bodies. He has the ability and knows every phase of local body troubles. No better man could have been chosen. " On behaif of the counties of Ward 4, he presented Mr. and Mrs. Monk with a dinnev wagon on which were a silverplated tea serviee and chi'na tea set, Speaking on befiajf of th.e Palmerston North Hospital Board, Mr. J". A. Nash said that Mr. Monk joined the Board on May 5, 1921. Only two members now remained who were there when Mr, Monk became a member. Mr. Monk iiad been a "tower of strength"' to the Hospital Board. It had been through his agitation that some rejjef had at last been given hospital rating. He always placed the pationts' welfare first and it was gratifying to see that Mr. Monk's council always loyally sup(Continued on Page 5)

SERViCE RECOGNISED (Continued from Page 4) portod li i m . M i'. Monk liad also been ti li i*iii suppoi'ter of the estalilisliment of tlie sanatorium and Otaki Materuity llome. It was interesling to note t.lmi thougli he had to leave his liome at 6.3«> in the nioniing in order to attend rtieel ings of the Hospital Boarl, Mr. Moiik had niaintained a record atlendauce. Mr. Mo.'ik had been a stnmg and will ing worker in the eause of suffering humanity and had besides been keenly interested in the vveifare of ihe otlicers and staff. He had justly earned the jiosition to wliich he had been appoint ed. 11 e was well iitted for the task and Ihe rurai bodies wonhl be safe in his hands. Jn eonelusion, he preseuteo Mr. and Mrs. Moiik with twu leatlier travelling trunks, and an order for ti special present wliich he intimated would shortlv be arriving troni Lng land. Mr. Monk Replies. "Leaving Ihe serviee of local bodies is a very grim all'aii," said M r. .Monk in the course of his reply. "At oue stage 1 looked npou it as oue way oi severing tliese eonneetions and slippiug oul quietly to take up my new dulies Jt is not easy to forget the pleasaut nieiuories of my association with locai bodies.'' He partieularly regretted severing his connection with Ward 4, and requested that liis thanks lo t'cllow iiiembers be eonveved to Lhem by Mr. IJalrymple. Continuing, he added a warning that politi"s should be kept out of local body afi'airs. "It won't uorK and if vuu see any eH'ort being niade to introduce politics do all you rau to stop it. l'rivate opinion should never be allowed to protrudc. " Keviewing his eonneetions with the various organisations he said it had been a wonderful experienee and praised all those with whom he had been working, makiug speeitie reference to iiiembers of the Power Board and County Council stalf. In eonelusion he thanked those who had been rosponsible for arranging the evening and t'or thckind reniarks made in regurd to his family. Speaking of the distriet press, he stated that though he had never sought publieity he had never had a eomplaint to make of niisrcpreseqtation and had always received fairness and eonsideration by it. In a sliort address Mrs. Monk also thanked tliose who had arranged the eeremony. During the evening ilenis were rendered by Messrs Tovvnrow, James and Lumley, Nurses Hoben and Cribb and Miss L. Lind. Supper was provided by the home science pupils of llorowhenua College.