VALEDICTORY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5301, 18 July 1928, Page 2

VALEDICTORY.

MR. H. L. BRIFFAULT.

There was a large gathering of the Public Works Department’s staff at the local office on Monday evening to formally farewell Mr H. L. Briffault, who has been attached to the local office during the two years that he was overseer in charge of the erection of the Waihpu Riven bridge at Kopu. - . -

The resident engineer, Mr O. G. Thornton, presided, and referred w’tli regret to he fact that their guest was being transferred to Riverton. In paying a tribute to the woijk of Mr Briffault Mr Thorntoil, said that the Kopu bridge wus ; the. largest <of its kind in the North Island, if not in the Dominion. The work of construction had been handled by Mr Briffault in an expeditious and faithful manner. Difficulties had been met with, but all of them had been overcome. The bridge had been completed very closs to the estimate, a,nd Mr. Briffa,ult; had upheld the honour of the department in the district in no uncertain manner. Completing the structure within the Specified time also reflected, the) highest credit on the'r departing guest, and while sorry to lose him, the fact that he had been selected to undertake the construction, of another large bridge was a compliment to him and showed tlie value the department, placed on his services. In the opinion of the speaker Mr Briffault would go far in the service. In asking Mr Briffault to accept -a, case of silver-mounted pipes and a tobacco pouch as a slight token of the esteem i.n> which he was held by the staff Mr Thornton, said that should he meet with difficult problems on his new ,unde,ritaking he hoped the recipient would light up one of the p'pes and, in remembering his old- friends in Paeroa, the problem would work out easily under the mellow influence of the tobacco smoke. In conclusion he wished. Mr .Briffault continued success in his profession, and liis w'fe, family, and himself gpod health and! a long life of happiness and prosperity.

In acknowledging the presentation and eulogistic references Mr Briffault modestly referred the credit of accomplisth’ng the construction of the Kopu bridge so satisfactorily to the staff which had assisted him. The .fact that the work had been completed in goed time was mainly due to the Heady assistance and co-operation he had received from the higher officials. It was, with regret that he was leaving such a crowd of good fellows, and lie would also value tlie appropriate gift he- had received.