P. AND T. APPOINTMENTS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 77, 26 December 1918, Page 4

P. AND T. APPOINTMENTS

MR. R, B. MORRIS THE NEW A SSISTA NT-SE CRETAR Y.

By the death of Mr. F. V. Waters, the position of Assistant-Secretary to the Post and Telegraph Department became vacant. This office has now been filled by the appointment of Mr. B. B. Morris. promoted from the position of Chief Inspector. Mr. R. B. Morris (who is a brother of Mr. W. R. Morris, Secretary of the Department) joined the service as a cadet at Timaru on December 6, 1875, so that he has already over 43 years' service to his credit.. Two jears after he joined up ho went to Cliristchnrch, and in 1579 became a clerk.' Ten vears later lie was transferred to Auckland. In 1891 fie became associated with the money order and savings bank side of the business, 1903 saw him promoted to be second clerk, and in 1901 lie was raised to the position of senior clerk in the Moffiv Order Branch. Two years later he became chief clerk at Cliristchnrch. In 1907 he was appointed Assistant-Chief Postmaster at Cliristchnrch, and the next year at Wellington. 11l July, 1911, Mr. Morris was appointed Chief Postmaster at Cliristchnrch, a post he held until he was appointed Chief Inspector in 1915. Since September of this year ha has been acting as Assistant-Secretary. He is an officer of all-round ability, a fine accountant, and a good administrator and organiser. It was he who was sent to Samoa by the New Zealand Government to put the postal business on a sound basis. Before that was done there was a good deal of complaining about the manner in which mails were handled, but Boon after Mr. Morris's visit the service became as efficient as could be desired, considering the restricted shipping connections between Australia, New Zealand, and the Samoan Group, He was also the officer who conducted the inquiry into the affairs of the Defence Stores Department during the war. Mr. J. C. Williamson, at present Chief Postmaster at Auckland, will succeed Mr. R. B. Morris as Chief Inspector. Mr. Williamson, who is well known in local bowling circles as ft keen ex-member of the Kelburn Club, joined the Postal Service at Outrani (Otngo) on July 1, 18(7, and worked through the lower clerical grades for ten years until appointed Postmaster at Duvauchelles (Banks Peninsula) in 1888. The following year he was transferred to the staff of the General Post Office in Wellington, was correspondcnco clerk, and becnnio 6econd dork at Head Office in 1907. and chief clerk four years later. He was promoted to bu Chief Postmaster at Auckland in April, 1916, in sucoession to Major F. D. Holdsworth, now in charge of the Postal Service with the Now Zealand Expeditionary Force (in England), who is about to be relieved by Major G. B. Dall, now en route to 1 the Old Country." The appointment of a successor to Sir. Williamson at Auckland has not yet been made.