UNIQUE RECORD

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1064, 30 August 1930, Page 10

UNIQUE RECORD

PARLIAMENTARY JOURNALIST IS HONOURED TWENTY-FIYF. YEARS’ SERVICE TII E 8 UX'S Parliamentary R t porter WELLINGTON, Friday. Members of the Xqw Zealand Parliamentary Press Gallery gathered last evening to do honour to one whose record in New Zealand political journalism is unique. He was Mr. Charles E. "Wheeler, who completes this year 25 years of unbroken service in the Press Gallery. The occasion was marked with a presentation to Mr. Wheeler of an engraved set of pipes. In addition to members of the gallery, there were present the Speaker of tho House of Representatives, the Hon. Sir Charles Statham; the Acting-Prime Minister, the 1-lon. A. E. Ransom; the Leader of the Opposition, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates; the Leader of the Labour Party. Mr. IT. K. Holland; the Minister of Labour, the Hon. S. G. Smith: the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. A. J. Murdoch; the Senior Government Whip, Mr. G. C. Munns; Mr. Vincent Ward, member for Invercargill; and Messrs. A. W. Mulligan, T. K. Aickin. and F. M. Sherwood, representing the secretarial corps. Also several past members of the gallery were present.. The toast of the guest of honour was proposed by the chairman of the Press Gallery, Mr. K. L. Usmar, who extended to Mr. Wheeler the gallery’s heartiest congratulations upon the attainment of his Parliamentary “silver wedding.” Members of the gallery took a personal pride in Mr. Wheeler's record of achievement, and were unanimous in the hope that many years of active service were ahead of him.

The Acting-Prime Minister paid tribute to Mr. Wheeler’s services to journalism and to New Zealand as a whole. The Press wielded a powerful influence in the Dominion, and it Was gratifying to know that its representatives in the gallery were of so high a standard. In his 25 years of service Mr. Wheeler had had a unique opportunity of serving the public, and the fact that he had stayed so long in the gallery was ample proof that he had satisfied not only his employers but also members of Parliament. He wished Mr. Wheeler the best the future could bestow upon him. The Leader of the Opposition warmly congratulated Mr. "Wheeler.

Speaking both as a Parliamentarian and an old working journalist, Mr. Holland expressed his delight at being able to associate himself with the Press Gallery in doing honour to Mr. Wheeler, who had done so much for New Zealand journalism. Laughingly. Mr. Holland referred to the value of Parliament as a means of providing jobs for Parliamentary pressmen. He had known Mr. Wheeler since he had first come to New Zealand, and had learned to respect his ability and personal qualities. Sir Charles Statham spoke of his long acquaintance with Mr. Wheeler, and said that his own association with the Press Gallery had been of the happiest nature. He knew that, it was the aim of every member of the gallery to guard jealously the privileges granted by Parliament. There were several other speeches in similar vdln. and Mr. Wheeler was presented with the engraved case of nipes. Tn his reply he traced interestingly the development or Parliament and the Press Gallery during the past 25 years.