TWO POPULAR OFFICERS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 77, 24 December 1919, Page 6

TWO POPULAR OFFICERS

ME. GEOttGE ALLPOKT AND CAPTATN G. G. SMITH. Two popular officials of the Marine Department, Mr. George Allnort (Seer"Inr.v) and Captain George Gordon Smith {Superintendent of Mercantile Murine), retired ft-oin office yesterday, and the occasion was tnken advantage of by the lion. W. H. Herries, Minister of Marine, to convey to these gentlemen the Government's thanks for their lengthy and faithful service to the country. There was a large gathering of members of the staff and representatives of the branches, including Mr. R. Duntyin (Chief In«ncctor of Machinery), Mr. B. W. Millier (Chief Clerk), Mr. Tt. W. Holmes (Marine Engineer for the Department), Capfain 11. S. Tilaekburne (Nautical Adviser), Mr. K. If. Wilson (ex-lighlhouse-keeper), Mr. W. E. Douglas (Senior Intmeetor of Machinery), Mr. A. Walker (Lloyd's Surveyor), and Mr. F. T. O'Neill (late of the Lands Department), all of whom added their testimony to the Minister's eulogistic remarks. Each departing oflieer was presented with _a wallet of notes in token of the esteem m which ho was hold by his confreres. Tiorn at Stoke, Nel=on. in 1853. Mr. Ailport entered (he Murine Department as a clerk in 1875 and beenmc chief clerk in 1888. He was admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court in 18!)1, and was appointed Secretary of tho Dennrtment seventeen years ago. Captain Smith, who was born at Aberdeen in 1&1I-. Joiner! Dip Department as Superintendent of Ma-ine in 1800. lie pprved bis nppronticcshin to tho sea in the Aberdeen clipper line trading between London mid'.Win I *. s-flerwiiv.U serving as second mate, cliii'f officer, and master in the company's line of steam packets trading b"hvrrn Lfindon. Natal, nnd Mauritius. In 1831 he ioiml the State Sle-imshin Comnany of Glasgow and served as second officer on the armed cruiser State of Nebraska, stationed on the west coast of South America during the Russian scare of 18S5. He brought the Union Company's steamer Ovalau out to Port Chalmers in 1891. nnd. after serving with that company for about nino years resigned in », on b"ing appointed Superintendent of Mercantile Marine.