HALF-CENTURY’S SERVICE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 532, 8 December 1928, Page 13

HALF-CENTURY’S SERVICE

NORTHCOTE’S TOWN CLERK MR. H. W. WILSON’S JUBILEE Hale, hearty, and still in harness at the age of 65; treasuring vivid recollections of an unbroken half-century of public service in two cities; looking forward with almost boyish eagerness to the celebration, on Tuesday next, of his jubilee day. Surely Mr. H. W. Wilson, clerk for the Borough of Northcote, has every reason to be proud of his record. Fewpublic officers may claim a longer or more consistent period of service. When a Sun man called this morning, Mr. Wilson was able to outline without the slightest hesitation his career from its commencement. He has a remarkable memory—a merit that accounts partly for his undiminished efficiency as a public officer — and he can call to mind the sights and circumstances of the great fire in Princess Street, Dunedin, when he was about four years of age. Mr. Wilson is more widely known as ex-town clerk of Auckland, a position he held for 20 years. EMBRYO PIANO TUNER He was born at Royal Terrace, Dunedin, and educated at private and public schools, afterwards entering the service of the Dunedin City Council as a cadet in the town clerk’s office. “It is remarkable how certain incidents alter the whole course of a man’s life,” lie said with a reminiscent chuckle. “I was to become a piano tuner for Begg and Co. It was all arranged, and I would have been a tuner to this day but for the death of Mr. Charles Begg.” He can recall clearly the visit to Dunedin of the Duke of Edinburgh, and the Chinese band with its weird music which took part in the procession.

“That band has been worrying me," he added. “I can’t just understand why it was there.”

He remembers the Chinese arriving for the trek to the gold diggings, and their settlement, the “Devil’s Half Acre,” a notorious neighbourhood, which was within sight of his home. He remembers, too, the capitvity of the proud chiefs transported to Dunedin after the Maori Wars. Shortly after his apprenticeship to the Dunedin Council, the town clerk became involved in a scandal, and fled the country. The second in command was sent to Australia to collect evidence for the prosecution that followed, and Mr. Wilson, aged 18 years, was in charge of the office. He toiled for 14 hours each day, but walked on air. HANDICAP OF YOUTH In IS9O the paucity of his years caused him to fail by two votes in his application for the position of town clerk. However, the illness of the chief during the last 18 months of his stay' in Dunedin resulted in his being town clerk in everything but title, and in 1899 he was formally appointed acting-town clerk. In March of the following year he arrived in Auckland as town clerk —a position he held until 1920. A few weeks after taking up his new duties he had the unpleasant task of straightening up civic affairs following a scandal involving three of the principal officers. From then on his regime was a peaceful one. It included such events as the visit of the present King and Queen, then Duke and Duchess of York, the visit of the Prince of Wales, the building of the Grafton Bridge and Town Hall, and the first visit of the American Fleet. THE PROUD ADMIRAL "When we were arranging for the coming of the U.S.A. warships, we were given valuable assistance by a British admiral who, with his flagship, was in port,” he said. “He helped us in every way until we found it necessary to request that he should move his ship about half a cable’s length in order to make room for the Americans. To our surprise, he replied: ‘A British anchor stays where it goes down!’ So that was that.” After his resignation in 1920, Mr. Wilson rested for a time, and then accepted his present position as town clerk and treasurer of Northcote. In his youth he was an enthusiastic cricketer and footballer, but his leisure hours are now spent on the bowling green. He has taken an active part in friendly society work, and his services to the Anglican Church include a record of 35 years as a licensed lay reader. On Tuesday evening, Mr. Wilson’s jubilee will be recognised in a fitting fashion by the Borough Council. A eulogistic resolution 1)1 congratulation will be moved by the Mayor, Mr. A. E. Greenslade.