Retirement Gifts to Mr. H. Caselberg
Representatives of Government departments and farming interests from Kaitaia to Invercargill attended a cocktail party and dinner given as a farewell for Mr. Herbert Caselberg at Massey Agricultural College last night. The function was organized by the rural field cadets, of whom Mr. Caselberg has been supervisor since 1940.
Special guests invited were Mr. R.H. Bevin, executive member of the Meat and Wool Board and former lecturer at Lincoln Agricultural College; Mr. V. P. McGlone, successor to Mr. Caselberg; Messrs M. B. Cook and H. E. Garrett (Lincoln) and Dr. A. Stewart and Mr. J. N. Hodgson (Massey).
Mr. Caselberg is retiring from Government service after many years as supervising valuer for the State Advances Corporation. He has represented State Advances on the Primary Production Council the Land Settlement Board, the Consultative Committee on Rural Education and the rural advisory committee of the Public Service Commission.
Mr. Caselberg was the organiser and instigator of the rural cadet training scheme, and many cadets who had passed through his hands gathered to honour him last night. Mr. T. F. Molesworth, on behalf of the cadets, made a presentation of a mahogany table and set of six chairs to Mr. Caselberg. In all, over 120 guests were present.
Mr. Caselberg was also Government representative on the Guaranteed Price Commission in 1938, and since 1950 has been Government representative on the Dairy Products Marketing Commission. He has twice been overseas on dairy marketing business, and. last year he was guest speaker at a bankers' conference held in Canberra.
Lack Of Knowledge
Mr. Bevin, the guest speaker, said the introduction of the rural cadet scheme followed dissatisfaction with the type of graduate from college, in terms of field work and knowledge of valuation. The level of recruitment was established in the choosing of school prefects and sports leaders.
The need to establish sympathy and co-operation with the departments led to the establishment of liaison with Mr. Caselberg, and later with Mr. S. Barnett when he was in charge of Public Service staff training.
Visits to Sunday schools by representatives of Lincoln College brought the scheme forward for the recruitment of cadets to go through three years of farm work, and then two years at Lincoln to complete their diplomas in Valuation and Farm Management.
After 12 years of the scheme, the great satisfaction now was to, see the former students filling responsible positions in the departments and in other organisations servicing agriculture and farming interests in New Zealand.
The scheme, as encouraged, did what was expected of it, and justified the hopes of its originators, Mr. Bevin said. He paid tribute to the work done by Mr. Caselberg.
Team Effort
Mr. Caselberg said he was glad the scheme was considered successful. It was a team effort, and among those particularly active were Mr. S. T. Barnett, now undersecretary to the Justice Department, Mr. Bevin, Professor Eric Hudson, Sir Geoffrey Peren and the late Professor W. Riddet. In addition there was the calibre of the cadets and the help of farmers, employers, professors and lecturers of the colleges.
The object was to produce leaders, Mr. Caselberg continued. It was promising that the course had now changed from a diploma to a degree course.
“The first two degree students finished their course this year, and I am proud to say that Arnold Bryant, one of these two, was nominated and is today before the selection board for a Rhodes Scholarship,” Mr. Caselberg said.
Professional Status
He emphasised the need for trained field officers at a time when the whole world was moving quickly and scientifically. Field officers should have a professional status, he said. It was a great point that colleges were tending away from diplomas.
Mr. Caselberg welcomed his successor, Mr. V. P. McGlone, assistant fields director of the Lands and Survey Department in Wellington.
“I am confident that the changeover to the degree scheme will be a forward move,” said Mr. McGlone. “I think the group of field cadets selected to begin in the year 1960 are at least up to the standard of previous selections, and will maintain the high standard that has been set in the past.
“We are gathered here to pay tribute to Mr. Caselberg and the work he has done in the rural field cadet scheme. Anything he says is quite meaningless unless there is support for the changeover to degree.”
That move was initiated by Mr. Caselberg, said Mr. McGlone, and represented the fulfillment of his work in connection, with the scheme.
