PERSONAL MATTERS

' The death is announced by Eeuter's Agency of Mr. H. W. Massingham, a well-known English journalist, at one time editor s of- the "Daily Chronicle,'" Star, \and'"The Nation "' ' ?

Dr. F. I. Bowerbank, physician on the honorary staff of the Wellington Hospital was-yesterday granted • twelve months leave of absence, and was thanked for his past services. ■

Dr J. S. Elliott, consulting surgeon on the Wellington Hospital honorary staff, has been appointed fto represent the Wellington -Hospital' Board at the Hospital Conference to be held in Buffalo,; u:s.a. •■ . ■ ■ •

The •superintendent of the Bank of Australasia in Melbourne has received cabled advice from London that Mr. John Saziderson, of John Sanderson, and Co., Melbourne, has been appointed a director of the bank.

On Thursday evening, at Government House, His Excellency the GovernorGoneral, Lord Jellicoe, presented to Sir Henry Lindo Ferguson, M.D., C.M.G: of Dunedin, ' the Letters Patent of Knighthood in connection with the- honour of Knight-Bachelor which was conferred upon that gentleman ,by Hi's Majesty the King on 3rd June last. ' : Mr. John Mason was on Wednesday selected by the Divisional Committee of the Poetical Reform League as its official candidate for the Napier, seat at the next General Election, states a Press Association message. The names of Messrs. Mason, J. Vigor Brown, arid J. B. Andrew (Mayor) were 'submitted to the committee. ■ '■:■■. .. \ ' :

Messrs.: James Brow;n (Dunedin) James Morrison (Christehurch), and H D. Vickery (Wellington), having retired from the Council of the .■ New. Zealand Institute of Accountants, votes of appreciation of their .services'" for many years ito the institute as members of \ the council .were passed, at the annual meeting yesterday. Officers of the.local Railway Goods Agent's staff'met recently to bid farewell to Mr. W.'Pimm, who is retiring after (forty years'- service. In presenting the retiring member with an easy chair and a case of pipes, the Goods Agent, Mr. Lezard, congratulated Mr. Pimm on his retiring in perfect health; and added that it was generally felt the Department was losing one of its most loyal and efficient officers.

At a meeting of L the: Dunedin City Council, Councillor Begg referred to the 'matter that had been' brought up in the House of Representatives receritlyan regard 'to the. new power boards which were -being established in the, North ,Island' (reports -",-The Post's"' corre-= spondent). , It was stated that munci-, palities; owning gas plant's were: objecting to electric power coming into their districts, imagining"; that the consumption of gas would suffer. .As far as JJunedin was concerned,' he could ssy that;_instead of the gas 'consumption decreasing,' it had increased. Councillor Scott stated that there was" no'competition between the gas department and' the electric' department/ and gas consumption had never'shown a decrease. '

I The sudden death occurred iii Dun- . edin yesterday of Mr. E. S. Wardron whose figure was one of the best known ! m the streets of the city. He' carried on the business of the Dunedin Fibrous I Plaster Company, which for many years was practically the only firm carrying on this class of work. Mr. Wardrop (states "The Post's" correspondent) was well and popularly known in the Dunedin Commercial Travellers and I Warehousemen's Association, of which he was one of the oldest members. He was president of the commercial travellers entertainers, whose adjuncts included a choir. Deceased was Pa*t , krand Master of the Masonic Lodge Sf Andrew, and was one of the trustees lof Linden Lodge (Oddfellows). He was a vice-president of the -Kaikorai Football Club. Mr. Wardrop, whose age was sixty-six, had been in business in Dun-edin-for twenty-four years, having come from Victoria- to Dunedin. He was >a~ prominent, cricketer in" Victoria' in his jounger days. The following were yesterday admitted as associates of the Institute of Accountants of New Zealand :—Messrs W i BJ' OW" and-H.'G. Lyttle (Christ W)-.?- A- Carter and F. E. Clarke (Stratford), S. G. Dalley, C. \E. Crawford and P. H. Harris (Wellington), A; a. 'Dukeson (Putaruru), I. H. Reefy (Dunedin), V. A. D. Thomson (Hast.ings), and B. S. B. Williams (Masterton). \ *

The death of Mr. Alfred Baldey, a former member of (the' Legislative Council, 'was referred to in the Council yesterday afternoon. In moving a vote of regret, Francis Belksaid that- Mr Baldey sat as a member of the Council ,or two': consecutive terms of seven years. ,He died at the great age of 88 iH7fiS> ni ng\ beeli born in England in 1836. After :.bemg educated at Home . i.™jEft for the(..Victorian, gbldfields in' i-V,bi, and was one of those who were present ;at r the Eureka Stockade in the famous 3allarat riots., , He arrived in , few Zealand in 1861, and commenced iarming operations in Southland, where he made his residence:> Mr. ißaldey was a member: from W to time of the ! Southland County.'Council, the Bluff .(Harbour, Board, Education Board,. and Hospital and Charitable Aid' Board He was called to the Council in 1903, and at the end of his second term in 1917 he retired, and lived quetly .in Wellington until his recent death. Sir Francis H"d a tribute. to. Mr. Baldey's devotion • o duty, and! remarked that although he j was a consistent opponent''of Governn^nt measures he was always considerate in dealing with them. .The motion was seconded, by the ftonrj. Barr and; carried. -.■....■ . .

The Dairy .Produce Control 'Board has decided to appoint Mi-. F. W. Grainger as as Inspector and Supervisor, of Shipping. Mr., Graingerisatpresent manager of 'the' VVest Coast Refrigerating Compiny at latea, and of the Soufh Taranaki Shipping Company^ He served his apprenticeship with Messrs. J. Niven and Co', at Jsapier, and was for many years engineer with the North- British and Hawkes Bay Freezing Company in the Kame town., Later he went to sea to qualify for a" first-class marine engineer's certificate, which he • now holds. ' He was appointed . engineer, aid manager of the, West Coast Eefrfeerating' Company •when the works opened at Patea 23 jears.ago, and has held the position ever since. This company was the first to install cold storage for cheese. "Just lecently . Xr. Grainger was- sent to Glasgow by his directol-s to supervise thei building of,,a steamer to carry'dairy Lioduce from Patea. .While in Great Jintain he took evei'y 'opportunity of securing information relative toHhe unloading and handling of dairy produce ot the main ports tliei^e. , ■ .'. •. •- •

A cable.'message from Sydney v states that George David Melville, 25 years of age, has been remanded to New Zealand on a provisional warrant charging him with a serious offence. He returns-in' charge of Deteetiv^Fitzgibbon, of Hastings, who produced; the original warrant". ■ Mcssrs^C. W." Price and Co., 78, Lanibton quay,' will sell unredeemed: pledges, on-behalf of the City Loan Office, in the jnart on Monday and. Tuesday next, com-1 mencms at 10.20 a.in. each d", •■■■■■-■•.