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After Forty Years
Retirement Of Mr. D. Rodie, Commercial Manager.

The retirement, on completion of forty years’ service with the Railways Department, of Mr. D. Rodie, Commercial Manager, was announced on 15th December last by Mr. H. H. Sterling, Chairman of the Government Railways Board.

Mr. Rodie joined the railway service as a Cadet in the Traffic Branch and was trained in every phase of the work of that Branch. He was District Traffic Manager in Invercargill in 1924, when he was selected to take charge of the Commercial Branch in Wellington, as Commercial Manager, when that phase of the Department's administration was organised as a separate Branch of the Department. The value of Mr. Rodie's services in developing commercial ideas in the Railway Department is well known to those whose business brings them into contact with railway activities. At the meeting of the Government Railways Board following the announcement of Mr. Rodie's retirement, the Chairman and the members of the Board made highly eulogistic reference to Mr. Rodie's career in the Department. They expressed very warm appreciation of the work which he had accomplished as Commercial Manager, and they voiced their keen regret at losing his services.

Mr. Sterling also announced the appointment of Mr. A. W. Wellsted, the present Chief Clerk in the Commercial Branch, to succeed Mr. Rodie. Mr. Wellsted joined the railway service in 1900 as Cadet in the Traffic Branch in Dunedin, and like his predecessor (Mr. Rodie) has had training in every phase of the working of that Branch. Mr. Wellsted was appointed to the position of Business Agent in the Commercial Branch in 1925, and occupied that position in the Auckland district until 1932, when he was appointed Chief Clerk to the Commercial Manager, and transferred to Wellington.

While in Auckland, Mr. Wellsted was largely responsible for consolidating the business of the Department in that area, and on his transfer to Wellington many prominent customers of the Department expressed their appreciation of the work that Mr. Wellsted had done while in that district.

Mr. Wellsted brings to his new position ripe experience, and the Board is confident that the principles of service and sound commercial method that have been so successfully applied by his predecessor will be applied in their fullest measure by Mr. Wellsted in his new position.

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