The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-03-16


faithful servant" With this feeble at
tempt ut Il presentation allow me. on
behalf of those prcscn, here tonight,
to wish you and yours Il thousand God
speeds.
Responding. Mir. Barton said:
MIR. G'Cunnor and Gentlemen of the
department:
! want to thank each and every
member of this department who has
contributed so generously towards the
purchase of this testimonial which YOU
have here presented. 1t is very graft
Ting 10 me to know at this time that
have the confidence and esteem of
those with whom | have been 50 i'll
,ilEatrly associated during the past
two years. This silver service, repro
sehtlng as it does Your cordial good
will and friendship, shall be highly
priced by me. aud have 10 doubt but
tiiat ii will be the source of many
pleasant and gratifying recollections
OF the state weighing department at
Minneapolis and of all those holding
positions in the department. ut the
present time, no matter TO what field
Of labor we may be called after leav-
Ing here. 1t is not always pleasant to
contemplate possibilities or probabili-
ties, for l fear that some of you, as
well as AIr. OBricn and myself may
soon be disconnected with the public
service and likewise with the state
treasury, but l trust the fates may
deal kindly with us all, and that those
OF you who do fail to connect with
the present board of railroad and
warehouse commissioners may soon
find yourselves even more contentcdly
and prolitably situated than you have
been here.
Speaking for myself desire to say
that l leave the department without Il
complaint. l never cared to remain in
a position where l was not wanted.
and this is clear case. | did not
have to read between the lines of the
communication l received to discover
it. But l step from under the duties
ard responsibilities of the position |
have held, entertaining the highest re-
gard for every one ut present con-
hcctcd with the weighing department.
al,
success, it is but just to say that | at
tribute it largely to the fact that the
Individual members of the force have
at all times manifested Il perfect will
illgncss to so wherever requested and
to do whatever might be required. Or
course, the real work of the dcpart
ment, the work in which the public is
most deeply interested, must be done
outside the Office. When we consider
the magnitude Of the work, and cst-
mate the hundreds of thousands of
dollars that is transferred annually
from the bank accounts of one set of
individuals into the pockets Of the
producers, and that all settlements are
based upon the returns you make to
this office, then we can understand
why the public is concerned in know
ing that your work is being done faith
fully, honestly and accurately. In di-
rccting this work, as far as it has been
in my province to do SO, have faith
fully cndeavored to be absolutely fair,
a proposition not always easy to go up
against, rs you must readily under
stand. l have shirked no duty or re-
sponsibility, because l have believed
from the first that the public had a
right to demand, and that we owed it
as n duty to ourselves and to those
directly responsible for placing us in
these positions to render the best ser
vice possible. l have believed also
that Indifference or neglect of duty
must alike bring discredit upon the
individual and upon the department.
Actuated by these motives have Ia
bored tndustriously to make the de-
partment success. And IL l have
failed, let it be attributed to my in
ability to do any better than l have
done. Again let me thank you for the
kindness and consideration which you
have shown me from time to time, and
for the splendid testimonial which you
have given me tonight, which will al
ways be source of pride to me, and
to my family as we'll.