CLOSE ASSOCIATION

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 188, 8 May 1944, Page 4

CLOSE ASSOCIATION

Mr. Hunter And Mr. Bockett

Mr. J. S. Hunter, who has been appointed chief executive officer of the organization which is to plan post-war reconstruction, and the Controller Ox Manpower, Mr. H. L. Bockett, who will also be Director of National Service—the post previously occupied by Mr. Hunter —have been closely associated in carrying out important administrative duties in the Government service trom the time Mr. Hunter was Commissioner of Unemployment. Mr. Hunter joined the P. and T. Department as a telegraph message boy in 1903. Among the appointments he has held have been a Ministerial private secretary, official secretary of the Railways Department, assistant to the General Manager of Railways, Commissioner of Transport, Secretary for Labour and Commissioner of Unemployment, Director of the Social 'Security Department, and since June, 1940, Director of National Service. He was born at Picton 55 years ago and was educated at the Hawera District High School. Mr. Bockett was horn at Opotiki in 1905 and joined the Public Service ns a cadet in the Lands and Deeds Department, Auckland, in February, 1921. Two years Inter he took up a position in a law office nt Opotiki, but rejoined the Public Service in 1924. In July, 1932, Mr. Bockett was transferred from the head office of the Labour Department to the Unemployment Board as assistant accountant, and was appointed accountant to the board in April, 1934. When the administration of unemployment relief was taken over by the Department of Labour in 1936 he was appointed accountant to the combined departments. The establishment of the Social Security Department in 1938 absorbed the work of the Unemployment Board. Mr. Hunter was appointed director of the new department and Mr. Bockett as assistant director. They continued to occupy these positions till after the war broke out, when they were appointed to the National Service Department,