NEW YEAR HONOURS.

NEW ZEALAND RECIPIENTS. (By Cable—Prea* AaeoeiitKm —CoprrJjht,) (Auitnlian and N.Z. Cable Awocittion.) LONDON, December 81. The New Year honours include the following:— Barons. Four new peers are created: Sir R. Nivison and Sir James Buchanan, distillers; Mr Joseph Watson, n director of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company; and Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Willey, chairman of Francis Willey and Company, Bradford. Baronets. The new baronets include Mr Hyde, proprietor of the "Birmingham Post," and Mr Jarvis, a director of the "Financial News." K.C.M.G. The Hon. Sir Walter Lee, Kt., Premier of Tasmania. Knights Bachelor. Mr James Coatee. Mr John Ross (Dunedin). Mr Justice Cussen (Melbourne). Mr F. B. Moulder (Adelaido). Mr William Vicars (Sydney), Mr Jeans (Bank of Australasia), Mr Charles Hawtrey (tho well-known actor). Mr Gerald Du Maurier, another wellknown actor. Mr James J. Shannon, R.A. C.M.G, Mr J. H. Gunson, Mayor of Auckland, Mr Newland, (Adelaide). Dr. Paton (Sydney). 1 Dame Gr&nd Cross of the Order of The -British Empire.

Mrs Hughes, wife of Mr W. M. Hughes, Prime Minister of Australia. Mrs Hughes receives her honour for services rendered to Australia during the war. A large number of Knights Bachelor have been created for services rendered, by business men and financiers during the war. Companions of Honour of the British Empire include Sir Henry Newbolt, the well-known author, and Mr Havelock Wilson, of the National Seamen's and Firemen's Union, Sir James Barrie receives the Order of Merit. The Sunday papers are annoyed at beinjr deprived of first publication of the New Year honours. It was originally intended to publish them to-day, and the official list was sent to the Sunday papers, but ns publication in the newspapers must not precede official publication in the "London Gazette," which has never been published on Sunday, Downing street requested the Sunday papers to withhold publication,. SIB JOHN ROSS. Sir John Ross was born at Halkirk, Caithness, in the latter part of November, 1834. He comes.of an old Sutherland family, and his father when a boy nine yew# of age was a victim of one of Hie "Sutherland clearances" when in 1315 large numbers of people were evicted from their homes. Two of the family moved to Caithness, one went to JjMinburgh, and one migrated to Canada. Sir John began 'his school days at ilangag and after further schooling at Calclor, be completed this stage ,of his education at the age of thirteen at'the Halkirk parish school. The openings in Halkirk were few.- 'and in 1849 Sir John tramped forty mile 3 to Lybster and accepted indenture with Mr Wallace, general there. The terms were three, years service with no pay. He passed on to be assistant to Mr James Gerrie, a Thurso merchant, and a few years later came first into touch with' New Zealand through joining Messrs Begg, of " Golspie. One of the brothers, Mr Robert Begg, set up business in Dunedin, and Sir John was eventually offered a partnership with him; Sir John accepted the offer and in 1861 Bailed for New Zealand with some, £3OOO worth of goodj* * in the barque Velore of 447 tons. The part, nprship arrangement was never carried out and Sir John was left in Dunedin with the goods on his'hands. In spite of . the turmoil that the discovery Of. gold;, had excited in Otago about this time. Sir Joha decided to,stick to his merchant business, and became a member, of, the .firm of Begg, Christie and Go., general drapers, Princess street, Dunedin, At the end of a year Sir John sought oiit the other partners and took into partnership Mr Robert Glendining. Business prospered and in 1866 they Bold out their retail business to Messrs BroTfn, Ewing and Co., and established their wholesale business in Stafford street. In 1870 it became necessary that one of the partners should live in England, to be in close touch with the markets of the world, and it *ras decided that Sir John should go. On July Ist, 1870, he married Miss Margaret W. Cassels, ft native of Fife, and the same day they left for London, where they resided for the next 35 years. ?>uring that time, however, Sir John made constant visits to New Zealand, In the course -of which _ lie has crossed the equator some 24 times, In 1879. the firm of Ross and Glettdining entered' upon the business of manufacturing r.nd began with hosiery. The manufacture of woollen and worsted goods was soon taken up also, and the Roslyn Woollen Mills were erected in the Knikorai Valley. There are now two large mills there employing over 600 hands. In *9OO the'firm was form--1 ed into a limited liability company with a capital of £600,000. In 1917 Mr Robert Glendming died. The company was subsequently recast, and in June of this year it 3 capital was increased to. the sum of £1,250.000. As the result of its wonderfully successful enterprise the firm now gives employment to over 1500 people. For many yearß the firm had a sheep station of its own on which it pastured shoep. The products of the Roslyn mills are all wool and comprise tweeds, dress-tweeds, uniform cloths, shirtings, tennis cloths, plaidings, white and coloured flannels, blankets, travelling rugs, and wheeling yarns. The worsteds comprise coatings and trouserings, worsted and silk mixed tweeds, dress and costume cloths, serges, threeply. four-ply, and five-ply fingering yarns. In the hosiery department are made stockings, socks, singlets, knitted costumes, etc. In Auckland the firm manufactures a special waterproof material of the rubber type after a patent process of its own. In the factory in Dunedin are made every class of boots and shoes, felt hats, straw hats, mantles, and costumes, blouses, ana even frocks, boys' and men's clothing, shirts and denims. In the Auckland factory every variety of male and female attire is produced, and, in addition, enormous quantities of canvas and felt coverings. Branches of the business exist in ail the chief towns of New Zealand. Owing to his long absence trom the Dominion, Sir John has not prominently connected with its public affaire. Since his return to settle permanently in Dunedin in 1905, however, Lady Ross and he have activelv interested themselves not only in the com- ' fort and welfare of their employees, but in. the social advancement of the whole community. When such conveniences were little beard of, Sir John

established a restaurant for his workers in the Roslyn Mills. Three years ago a generous profit-sharing scheme was introduced into the business, under which every employee who has had a year s unbroken service receives a bonus in proportion to his wages or salary. Many of Sir John's gifts and endowments will remain unknown to the public, "but some of them have been such as could not be hid. To Knox College, the magnificent residential and tutorial college of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, he has given £20,000. Through his gift of £SOOO the Presbyterian Home for aged and destitute people—called after him, the Ross Home—was established a few years ago. On the spot on which stood the school in his native Halkirk he has erected the Ross Institute, which comprises a public hall, a library, reading room, and recreation rooms. To th* Y.M.C.A. and tho Y.W.C.A. his donations have been numerous and generous, and it would indeed be difficult to find any thoroughly deserving cause in the community" that has not benefited by his supnort. For some years Sir John served on the Council of the Ota go University, but advancing years led to his retirement. The great business which Sir John and Mr G'.endining built up is now larpely in the hands of a younger generation, one of Sir John's sons being manngino; director of the firm, while another is in charge of the woollen mills. The honour now conferred is undoubtedly a singularly apnropnato one, which will he endorsed with the heartr approval of the whole eommunitv. There will be many who wi'l connect it with the renerous gifts with w'ncli Sir John has "so often and so wisely served 'nis fellows, but Sir John himeelf regards it rather as a token of recognition of the commercial community with which he has been so intimately and honourably associated hero for the past sixty years. SIR JAMES COATES. ! Sir James Coates was born in Auckland in 1851. His father, tho late Mr James Coates, arrived in Auckland in 1840 with his Excellency Captain Hobson, R.N., who had been appointed Governor of New Zealand. The late Mr (Joutea was his Kxcelieney's private secretary, but subsequently became CierK ot the Legislative Council, which position he he»d until his death in 1854. Sir James was educated at the Church of England Grammar School, under the late Rev. Dr. Kinder, M.A. He commenced his banking career in the Bank of New South Wales in 18G8. subsequently joining the staif of the National Bank of New Zealand on its establishment in New Zealand in 1873. Ho was made general manager of the lattor bank in 18'J3. The headquarters of the bank were then in Dunedin, Mr Coates proceeded to London to consult with the directors, and on his return to New Zealand, in 1894, he arranged the removal of the head office to Wellington.' Mr Coate3 retained the position of general manager of the bank for twenty-one years, residing in Wellington during the whole of that period. In 1914, having reached the age limit, he decided to retire on pension, and proceed to London, Shortly after his arrival there he was elected by tho directors to a seat on the Board, in recognition of his long services to the bank. Throughout the war he remained in London, and. .along with other New Zealanders there, became greatly interested in the care and comfort of our soldiers. He was an active member of the committee, and treasurer of tho, New Zealand War Contingent Association, and of the London branch of the New Zealand Red Cross. He was also the New Zealand representative on the executive committee of the King George and Queen Mary's Club for Overseas Forces at Peel House, of the Navy League Overseas Fund, and of the Belgian Orphans fund. He was apposed by the late Mr Beddon as one. of the Royal Commissioners for Wellington during the visit of our present King and Queen then puke and Duchess, of Cornwall and Yorlj. In 1901 Mr Coates was selected by the London Debenture-holders of the N.Z. Midland Railway to act as Receiver and to arrange the settlement with the N.Z. Government of the Company's claims. In politics Sir James Coates has always been a Liberal, and having enjoyed the confidence or Sir George Grey, Mr Seddon. and Sir Joseph Ward, he was naturally well versed in the political history of his native land. It is well known that his advice on financial matters was often sought by the leaders of the Fatty. Especially so was this the caso during the Bank of New Zealand crisis, any the value of his counsel on that, occasion may be gauged by the fact that he was offered by Cabinet the position of first president of the bank in its new sphere as a semi-state Bank. Sir James Coates, however, mainly out of loyalty to the institution with which he. had already been so long connected, decided not to noeept the offer. Sir James Coates, who,' by the way is a bachelor as well as a Knight Batcholor, returned to New Zealand in December. 1919, and is at present residing in Wellington. MB G. H. GUNS ON, C.M.G. Mr J. H. Gtinson is a native of Auckland. He was born in 1877, and is the eldest son of the late Mr W. Gunson. He was educated at Auckland Public Schools and at the Auckland Grammar School duHng the headmastership of Mr C. F. Bourne. On leaving school in 1892, Mr Gunson entered the business of his late father, which he later conducted on his own account. Mr Gunson has had a long and honourable public oaroer. In 1908 he was elected a member of tho council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, and during his presidency the Vancouver mail service to Auckland was inaugurated, this being largely due to his activity. In 1909 he was elected to' the Harbour Board and held the position of chairman for several vears. During this period many important harbour*works were carried out, including valuable reclamations and Lhe re-modelling of the whole waterfront on the western side of the city. In 1915 'Mr Gunson was elected Mayor of Auckland and has held that position ever since, his civic administration having gained for him the admiration and respect of public men in general. During the war his patriotic activities did much to assist the troops abroad, and returned soldiers, Mr Gunson stood for Parliament at the last election, his campaign l>eing conducted by others during his absence in America, and he was defeated by Mr V. H. Potter.