TREASURY CHANGES

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 152, 24 December 1929, Page 10

TREASURY CHANGES

COL. ESSON RETIRES

MR. R. E. HAVES TO SUCCEED

IEB. A. D. PABK SECRE-

TARY

Important executive changes, which are to take place as from Ist January,

in the Treasury Administration were announced to-day by the Prime Minister (the Et. Hon. Sir Joseph Ward).

The present Secretary, Mr. E. E. Hayes, C.M.G., 1.5.0., is retiring from the positions of Paymaster-General, Re-ceiver-General, and Secretary to the Treasury, and will take up tho office of Financial Advisor to tho Government in place of Colonel J. J. Esson, G.M.G., who has relinquished these duties.

The Public Service Commissioner has appointed tho present Assistant-Secro-tary, Mr. A. D. Park, F.1.A.N.Z., F.R.A.N.Z., to tho position of Permanent Head of tho Treasury, rendered vacant by the abovo change.

COLONEL J. J. ESSON.

Colonel J. J. Esson, C.M.G., -was born at Picton, Marlborough, in 1869, and was educated at public schools and privately. He joined tho Public Service in the Post and Telegraph Department at Picton in 1881. Prom Picton lio was transferred to New Plymouth, Marton, and Wellington. In Wellington he was transferred to the accounts branch, where he took charge of the clearing room. After twenty-fivo years in the Postal Department, he was transferred to the Treasury, whore he held successively the positions of clerk-lu-charge of the pay and revenuebranch, and Chief Clerk and Inspector. In. 1916 he was appointed Accountant and Assistant-Secretary. On the re tireinent of Colonel Collins as AuditorGeneral, and the appointment of Colonel Campbell in his place, Colonel Esson succeeded the latter as Secretary to the Treasury. Colonel Esson's service in the Treasury was very successful, and was associated with the financing of the eoun* try through the war, and particularly in the post-war adjustment of finance Ho was a member of the Economic Commission set up by the Government and was also a member of the tJnitormity Board, covering the differentservices of the State, and the Stores Control Board. He was recalled from activo service jji connection with special work on finance and defence. He acted as Assistant Public Service Commissioner during the regrading of the service. Having had nearly 44 years' service, he was retired voluntarily on superannuation, and tho Government desirous of utilising his expert financial training and knowledge, retained him as Financial Adviser. In 1925 Colonel Esson was appointed Chairman of tho Royal Commission on Kural Credits, which investigated farm, lmanee m the various countries of the world, and furnished a valuable report to the Government as a basis for our present Rural Intermediate Credits Act. Subsequently he was appointed Chairman of the Rural Intermediate Credits Board, over which he will continue to preside. _ Having had lengthy service in the Volunteer and' Territorial Forces, he nas commander of the old Wellington City Rifles, and later of the Fifth Wellington Regiment. When war broke out he volunteered for active service and was selected for duty on the headquarters staff, being appointed Assistant Quartermaster-General to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. He saw service at Gallipoli, and was well and favourably known among the Australian Imperial Force, for whom he acted also in the same capacity as with the N.Z.E.F. He was mentioned in dispatches and awarded the C.M.G. After the evacuation of the Peninsula he was appointed Colonel Commandant of the N.Z.E.F. in Egypt.

MR. R. E. HAVES.

Mr. R. E. Hayes, C.M.G., 1.5.0., was born in Dunedin in 1569, and joined the Public Service as a cadet in 1885 at Dunedin. Ho was transferred in 1890 to the liead office of the General Post Office. In 1903 he was appointed accountant of the newly-established Department of Tourists and Industries and Commerce, and three years later was promoted as permanent head of the Friendly Societies' Department. In 1910 the National Provident Act was passed, and entrusted to him for organisation. The results of this undertaking have been noteworthy, as from the first. contribution of 2s in 1910 the fund now has an accumulated reserve of about £2,500,000, representing the small contributions of workers from 9d per week upwards. Mr. Hayes was associated with friendly societies' finance for 14 years, during which many important reforms and improvements .were effected in tho operations of these thrift organisations. In 1922 Mr. Hayes was promoted to the position of Assisjtant-Secretavy to the Treasury, and three years later became Pay-master-General, Secretary to the Treasury, and Registrar of Inscribed Stock. His Majesty in 1926 conferred the honour of Companionship of tlte Imperial Service Order on Mr. Hayes, and in 1929 tho Companionship of the Order of St. Michael and St. George. Li addition Mr. Hayes, who is a Jus-' tice of the Peace, is also chairman of tho Local Government Loans Board, superintendent of the National Provident Fund, and deputy-chairman of tho Government Stores Control Board. ■

MR. A, D. PARK.

Mr. A. D. Park, who succeeds Mr. Hayes as Secretary to the Treasury, was born at Waitaki, North Otago, on Ist February, 1882, and was educated at Waitaki and Waimate. He was dux of Waimate High School in 1899, and also was a holder of High School and Education Board scholarships. In 1900 he joined the Public Works Department at Wellington as cadet, after twice passing the Public Service Entrance Examination. He joined the New Zealand Forces for the South African War in 1902 as assistant paymaster, and from 1903 till 1905 served as chief clerk in the Public Works District Office at Nelson. In 1906 he became first clerk on the North Island Main Trunk Kailway Works at Taihape. For the two succeeding years he was chief clerk and paymaster on the North Island Main Trunk Railway Works at Ohakune, and from 1909 until 1913 he occupied a similar position at Dunedin for the Public Works districts of Otago and Southland. He spent the period from 1914 to 1917 as chief clerk of tho Public Works Department at Auckland, the then largest district office in the Dominion, for which he was specially selected for reorganisation purposes. In 1918 came promotion as senior accountant in the Head Office of the' Department* of Agriculture. Mr. Park being appointed to reorganise the accounnting systems of the Department. In 1919, 1920, and 1921 he was employed ».s inspector for the Public Service Commissioner, and also for the Treasury. In this position he had very wide experience in all aspects of departmental organisation. Mr. Park was appointed in 1922 chairman of the Special Committee of Professional Accountants for the purpose of introducing a general system of commercial balance-sheets into all departments, and Jate in the same year he became Secretary for Marine, being appointed permanent head of that Department for 'the purpose of reorganisation, eg.

pccially in respect ta staff nnd finance. During 1024 and ID-5 ho occupied the office of Assistant Public Service Commissioner, and took part in tho 1921 regi-ading o" all Departments under the Public Service Commissioner. From l'J2j until the present date Mr. Paik lias been Assistant. Secretary to the Treasury. ]n 1928 he was one of a special committee set up to report on slaft' and finances of Samoa. By examination M>. Park is a Fellow of tho New Ze.ii:ui(l Society of "Accountants and

Auditors, mul also r,F the Institute of Aecctmtants and Auditors of Now Zeulaml. He is also a Justice of Die Peace.