FAREWELL TO ENGINEER

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 353, 14 May 1928, Page 2

FAREWELL TO ENGINEER

FUNCTION AT PUKEHUIA At midnight to-morrow the section of railway line from Waiotira to Kirikopuni will be formally handed over to the Railway Department, and will be then in charge of the stationmaster at Waiotira. The train-running staff will be housed at Waiotira and it is probable that a porter will be stationed at Kirikopuni. The Minister of Public Works has granted all hands on the work a half-holiday on full pay to-morrow to enable them to attend the opening ceremony %at Kirikopuni. Mr. L. L. Marshall, railway transport officer, who has been in charge of the Waiotira-Kirikopuni section of line, returns to Auckland after formally handing over the section on behalf of the Public Works Department, to which department he has been on loan. The engineer in charge of the section, Mr. E. A. Gibson, has bean transferred to Westfield. A public farewell was tendered to Mr. and Mrs. Gibson at Pukehuia on Friday evening, when over 250 people were present, including representatives of many local bodies and organisations. The speakers, in saying “Au Revoir” to their popular official and his wife, referred to the happy relationshiD which had always existed between Mr. Gibson and members of the Public Works organisation. Mr. F. C. Bedwell. on behalf of the settlers and workers in the district, handed to Mr. Gibson a canteen of silver and cutlery, and a cheque for a substantial sum to Mrs. Gibson. Mr. Gibson suitably replied. Mr. A. C. Jenkins is to succeed Mr. Gibson in connection with the Kiriko-puni-Dargaville section of the line as engineer in charge of the Public Works Department.