PERSONAL MATTERS

Mr. Culford Bell returned to Wellington from Invercargill to-day. Mr. E. Palliser is leaving by the Ulimaroa for Sydney to-morrow upon a visit to Australia.

Mr. William M'Donald, of W M'Donald and Co., n-aa yesterday elected a member of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce.

« ,\ ,• J- M'Gowan, vice-president of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce o S o Australia *by the Maunganui on 2nd September, on a health recruiting tnp. Mr. M'Gowan. expects to be away about five weeks

Mr. William Scott, employers' representative on the Arbitration Court will ue unable to proceed with the Court to Aew Plymouth and Wanganui next veek, owing to the illness of Mrs. Scott, who is. at present in a private hospital. Mi-. JJ. L. Hammond, as deputy employers representative on the Court, will act in place of Mr. Scott until such time as the latter is able to resume office. The .Agricultural'and-Pastoral Industnes and Stock Committee of the House oi Representatives placed on record recently its " high appreciation of the splendid services rendered 'to the Dominion by the late Sir Walter Buchanan, who was for many years a valued and arf-ive raember of the Committeee " The resolution is to be entered in the Journals of the House. . A similar resolution 'vas passed by the Education Committee, of which the deceased was also a member.

\uni ol T <J-, c?lonlst in the person of Mr Alfred Baldey passed away quietly yesterday morning, at his residence 248 The Terrace, at the ripe old ago of 89.' The late Mr. Baldey left England for alelbourne in 1852, went to Bendi«D and was presenfat the. Eureka Stockade' Coming to New Zealand in 1856, he. took up farming in Southland, and participated actively in many public affairs dnrinnhis residence there of twenty-six yeav° In 1903 he was appointed a "member of the Legislative Council, and took up his residence in ..ellington, where he has resided ever since. He was a gentleman of the old school, whose kindly disoosition gained for him a wide circle" of

X *n- \ ,? ennett h°rth, who arrived • i i ? r ll"laroa yesterday, accompan--13-1 by Madame Korth; and who will judge vocal and musical sections of the I^4 Competitions, is making his first visit to xNew Zealand, but Mr. John •Hopkins, the elocutionary jud"e who Wis also a passenger by the Ulimaroa, is aheauy very well known to competitors m several New Zealand centres- He has twice judged elocutionary sections at Wellington in 1921 and 1922,.has acted at Uiristchurch on four occasions, and na ? also judged at Auckland and'Dun-' edin Mr. North will adjudicate in the vocal, _ instrumental, choral, and school bands sections af the Dunedin Competitions before returning- to Sydney.

llie death took place last night of Mr Binnarck ("Bis") Shannon, who had been an invalid for the past ten years. AU-. . Shannon was well-known in the journalistic and theatrical world of i\ew Zealand. For a number of years „?r, was attl»ched to the literary staffs of •Ilie Post" and "New Zealand Times " As-a writer of theatrical gossip lie.con-ti-United to many papers in New Zealand, Australia, America, and England, aria possessed a valuable collection of Photographs of theatrical celebrities programmes and day bills. He-also had a wonderful memory for events of the past jn connection with the theatre len years ago he was obliged to relinquish his position on "The Post," and foe some years past'had been confined to his bed.' Mi. Shannon was fifty years ot age, and was born in Gliristchurch Wo was the third son of the late Mr X Shannon; at one time a well-known bookseller and stationer in Christclmrch -I"« ll, roth cei' s nre Mr- Per°y Shannon, ?!,• o SP°rtsnian," Sydney, and Mr. Ulic Siiannon. the well-known sportinowriter. The funeral will take' place to* morrow morning.