A NEW APPOINTMENT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2460, 26 March 1909, Page 5

A NEW APPOINTMENT.

TRADE AND IMMIGRATION COMMISSIONER.

MR. T. E. DONNE’S CAREER

Mr T. E. Donne, who has been ap pointed Trade and Immigration Commissioner for New Zealand in London, has had an active career during the 33 years lie has been connected with the public service of the Dominion. He was'-born at Toorak, Melbourne, in 1859, and at the 'early age of three years was brought to New Zealand by his parents, ivho settled in Dunedin, and afterwards at Queenstown. -After leaving school he studied law, but not finding the perusal of legal tomes to his liking, he accepted a cadetship in the Telegraph Department in 1875. Mr Donne states that he can still click a message over the telegraph, and now and again he finds it useful still when travelling. Only a few weeks ago he arrived at a telepragh office where the sole operator’s wrist had given way, and he was labouring through a long message, so Mr Donne took a spell at the key. His association with the Department-, from which so many prominent officials have risen, commenced .in Wellington, and it was during his initial three months’ service that he remembers having seen the -first shipment of timber arrive for the Government Buildings. BEFORE THE CABLE CAME. After a spell of four months in Wellington he was transferred to the Bluff, which at tliat time was a most important station. This was before there was anything in the nature of cable communication between New Zealand and Australia, and as the Bluff was the first port of call and last port of departure for the Melbourne steamers, a large staff had to be kept there to cope with the business. The arrival of the Melbourne boat, which usually got in late in the afternoon or evening, usually meant an “all-night sitting/’ While at the Bluff he had for a fellowoperator the Right Hon. the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) who was accounted a pretty smart hand. From the Bluff:’ Mr Donne was sent to Taiaroa Heads to teach the. lighthouse-keep-er’s daughter telegraphy. ’Tliat done, he went into the Dunedin office, where he was associated with Messrs L. Rose Jaggar (now manager for the Atlas Insurance Company), W. R. Holmes (of Auckland, Jas. Ivirker (Postmaster at Courtenay Place), William Crow (Ministerial Secretary), Thomas Muir (of Muir and Moodie, photographers, of Dunedin), and Ballard (now Inspector of Telegraphs). Dir J. K. Logan (now Superintendent of Electric Linos) was in charge in those days at Dunedin,. "In 1§77,” says Mr Donne, “I and four others (Messrs Baxter (Stores Manager at Wellington), Walnut (Tourist agent at Auckland), C. L. Russell (secretary to the Horse-breeders’ Association, Melbourne), and another), wore lent by the Telegraph to the Railway Department. and I was placed at Caversham as railway telegraphist and postmaster. After about twelve months of this the Telegraph Department attempted to re-c-laim us, but we liekl a conference, and as the result made strenuous objection to going back. We made it so strong that‘eventually we were permanently" transferred to" the Railway Department. I was sent to take, charge of Waitati, and it was whilst there that I met Butler, the notorious murderer and burglar. : OLD CRIME RECALLED. “'Many will remember that on March 14, 1880,. a butcher named Dewar and his wife were murdered in Dunedin. After the double murder the house was fired, and the daughter was smothered in the smoke. That same night a man came to the Saratoga Hotel, at Blueskin, when I was having supper was served, and left a little later. I don t know what roused my suspicions except that lie seemed to start when mention was made of the murder, but I was so suspicious that I communicated with the police, and the man—Butler —u_as arrested seven miles further on. He resisted capture, and attempted to shoot the policeman. He. was acquitted on the charge of murder, but was given 18 years for arson and 10 years for burglary, the sentences to run concurrently. That was on April o, ISSO. 1 know" the”'date because he threatened to ‘slit my weasand’ as soon as he got a chance. He was liberated from the Wellington Gaol on August 4, 1895, and w r ent to Rio and London, w hele he did 10 rears for burglary. He- subsequently‘'turned up in Melbourne as » dson. and was a gain, sentenced for burolarv, and under the name of -James Wharton was hanged for murder m Queensland on July H, HOo. Sutler was a pretty desperate- chap, and I feel easier, now lie. is out of the way. MANGLED BY A TRAIN. “I next went to Edendale, and afterwards Gore, where I got smashed up by a train. I Had attempted to put the brake on some carriages and trucks that were moving smartly down the main -line, but instead of the brake actum as it should, the lever merely dropped. I was so anxious when 1 saw the trucks would collide with the w siting express that I fell across the rails, and one of the wheels crunched into my side just below my ribs, and 1 was pushed along the line, uutil my body, acting as a spr’ag, stopped the. trucks. After that I lay m the Dunedin Hospital for six mouths without moving. The wound in my side is not a pleasant sight to-day. TR ANSFERRED" TO WELLINGTON. “I was then on notice of transfer to Wellington, and it was on crutches that l first appeared as stationmastcr in; this city. Later I was appointed Traffic Manager on the-. Wellington sec-,-tion, then did the same duty on the Wellington and Napier sections be ore they were made one, and m those days I had to travel between the rad-ends bv coach. I was in charge of the Auckland section m 1901. when I was appointed general manager «u- the Tourist Department and. See ret aiy *oi Industries and Commerce. One of inj first duties was to manage the four oi the Duke and Duchess of York, of the • arrangement of which I was placed m charge. In 1904-5 I represented the Dominion at the St. Louis Exhibition, and then went to England to make ar-rano-ements at Home in connection with, the "New Zealand Exhibition,, of which j - W as- a commissioner, and vice-presi-dent. lam also, it member of the J onoariro National Park Board, the Clarification and Scenery Preservation Boards, and the first- official Mayor oi Rotorua.” *. . Mr. Donne says that he expects to f< »- m «-«k s