“T.C.L.”

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 227, 7 September 1933, Page 6

“T.C.L.”

A NOTABLE RETIREMENT HONOURABLE JOURNALISTIC .CAREER. The familiar intials above, as our readers will at once recognise, are those of Mr Thomas C. List, whose retirement as editor of the “Taranaki Daily News’’ was announced yesterday. Mr List has given many years of distinguished service to New Zealand journalism and has, since his appointment as manager of the “Hutt and Petone Chronicle’’ in 1897, been an outstanding figure in the affairs of the Dominion’s provincial Press. Those who know him recognise his upright character, his clear and discerning brain, his exceptional powers of keen observation, his zeal as an indefatigable worker, and his happy knack of inspiring others with his own ideals and enthusiasms. Mr List’s active career is one upon which any man may look back with justifiable satisfaction. From the “Hutt and Petone Chronicle’’ he went in 1900 to the “Waimate Witness’’ as proprietor, and since 1904 he has served the Dominion with great acceptance as proprietor aud editor Of the “Taranaki Daily News.’’ iu addition to his journalistic work, Mr List has entered widely and effectively into public life, and has given good service as president of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce, as chairman of the directors of several companies, as chairman also of the National Park Board and of the Advisory Board of the Y.M.C.A. He is a director of the United Press Association, and was a member of tho Imperial Press Conference in London in 1930. At the recent International Rotary Convention held in Boston, U.S.A., at which 8456 delegates were present from all over the world, Mr List, in company with Mr Frank Milner, represented the Dominion. One significant action which brought Mr List into prominence was his presentation to Rotary International, through the hands of Admiral Byrd, of the Rotary flag which that distinguished explorer had carried to the South Pole. In the course of his reply, Rear-Admiral Byrd promised to dedicate a part of the new land he still expects to find on his next expedition under the name of “Little New Zealand. ’ ’ Another signal honour paid to Mr List was his reception, in company with Mr Milner, by the President of the United States at White House. Mr List is the author of ‘' The Briton at Home,” which is a collection of articles contributed to various journals. It is characteristic of the author that the book was published at his own expense and that the proceeds of its sale are to go to help the crippled children of New Zealand through Rotary channels. It is evident, as can be seen from our columns yesterday, that Mr List’s hand has by no means lost its cunning, and all who are interested in carefully and pithily written articles will joiin not only in wishing him peace and happi n ess in his retirement from active business, but in expressing the hope that for many years to come his familiar initials will head many more columns of the Press.