PERSONAL MATTERS

,'The Hon ; Sir James Parr. (Minister of Education and Justice) returned to Wellington from Auckalnd to-day. Sir James has- been; the recipient- of many- congratulations' on his knighthood, arid he is to leave for Thames next week to at,tend a civic reception jvhich is being arranged in his honoui; for it was at Thames that he spent his early school days, and it was- there that he won the scholarship which took him to Auckland Grammar School. While' at : Thames, Sir James Parr will take the opportunity of attending to Home urgent matters which concern the Department of Education. ' • . ■■-• ■

The Minister of Agriculture (the Hoh. W. Nosworthy) and the Minister of Customs (the Hon. W. Downie Stewart) will return to Wellington from the South tomorrow. .

. The Hon. G. J. Anderson (Minister of Mines and Marine) will leave for Auckland on Saturday, and. will visit' the Coromandel and Thames districts in connection'with mining and marine matters. While at Thames, the Minister, will perform a pile-driving ceremony in connection with the' inauguration of new harbour works there. He will*be absent from Wellington for a little over a week.

Sir Joseph Ward' arrived in Wellington from the South by! the Maori this morning. . ... . : "

Sir George Fen wick, who returned to Kew • Zealand shortly before Christmas after a tour of America, and GreatOßritain, arrived in Wellington from the North yesterday. After spending a part of the holidays with relatives in the Auckland district, Sir ' George joined a camping party near T& Whait-i, in the Urewera Country.

Mr. J. G. Brown, of the staff of the Wairarapa High School, has accepted an appointment under the Education Department in Fiji, and leaves to take up his duties in the next term. • '

The Rev. Fdrrest^Salej senior Anglican missionary in Fiji,"arrived at Auckland on- Monday from Fiji by the Irlakura.. He is. accompanied by his wife and intends-to spend a holiday visit in the Dominion.' ■ .;■'■'

' Among the visitors staying' at tho Royal Oak are: Sir.Merrick Hollins and Ladyi Hollins, Sir Thomas; Henderson and Lady and Miss Heri'dersou, Sir Joseph Ward, Sir George and Lady Fen wick, and Sir George Clifford. . .

The Rev. W. A. Sinclair, of Auckland, who has been on a holiday visit to.; the „United7iKingdbm",' .returned' by the Marama, which arrived at Auckland from Sydney on Tuesday. He was accompanied by. Miss Sinclair.

Mr. Charles.. Holdsworth,'managing director of. the Union Steam Ship Company, is returning to New Zealand by the new liner Aorangi, -via Panama and San Francisco, to Auckland, Wellington, and Sydney. Sir James Mills is a passenger by the vessel to San Francisco. It 1 is understood that he is not coming to New Zealand.

Mr. W; Grounds, chairman of the New Zealand Dairy Produce Export Control Board, arrived at Auckland on Tuesday by the Marama from: Sydney. Mr.; Grounds has been ori a nine months' trip abroad in the interests of the 1 board. Mr. W. Claude Motion, who has been on an extended trip abroad in the interests of the New Zealand Dairy Produce Export Control Board, also returned by the Marama. ■

The funeral took place yesterday afternoon at the soldiers'• cemetery. Karon of Sergeant W...5. Barr, who died at his residence at Majorib'ankVstreet on .Mondaylast at the age'of .47. Deceased left New Zealand with the Canterbury Kegiment at the beginning of 1917, and suffered war disabilities: froni which .c never recovered. Those present at the services at the house and at the graveBide included . Mr. J. Calmer, g To W n Werk representing the Mayor, Captain Kockstrow, representing, Hhe General Officer Commanding the New Zealand Defence Forces, Afajor Watson, secretary of the Wellington R.S.A., and a representative of the Pensions Department The services were conducted by the Rev. Mr: Baird, of'the: Kent Terrace Presbyterian Church

M^ n TKd' andn Wf, dely resPect«l colonist; Mr. Thomas Galloway, passed away at aay. Ine deceased, who was in his 93rd year, was born. in. Cupar, Fifeshire, in 1853, and migrated Australia in 1854 subsequently coming over to New Zealand m the early/sixties and taking up business as a general merchant in Pic--ton, Blenheim, and Havelock. About 30 years ago he retired info private life. Throughout this long span of years: he has enjoyed robust health, and up to a week before hi, death was to be seen husily engaged in his. garden. His -wife died many years ago. He leaves behind him a .large family, among whom are: Mrs Frank Raymond, .Tlmaru; Mrs. Dr Hutson, Wangahui; : Mrs. Kins Sydney;^. S.Xamahan, Fall Crtfi U.S.A ; Miss^ E Galloway, Wellington and Messrs. Wilham, Thomas, Douglas and Malcolm Galloway.. ■„.■•.' The death of a veteran of the Burmese and South African Wars, Mr William Fidler, aged 62 years,- occurred at x? c laud Hoal>ital oh Sunday. ••Mr. .-J!idler; wasi born in Surrey, England *nd ,n 1883, at the age of 20, he, enlisted in the Second Queen's Regiment, and was drafted to India in the following year. He went through the Burmese campaign from 1885 to. 1889, and afterwards he was stationed at various places ■ m India until 1896, when he was discharged. At the" outbreak of the South African War in-1899 he enlisted in the Northern Reserve, but later served with the R.A.M.C. He returned to England at the end of the war, and came to New Zealand in 1913, working chiefly, in the Wairarapa district. He' held the Burmese Medal with two clasps and the South African Medal with three' clasps) -' ■ • . •.. ;••:..

■ Mr. John Endean, a. well-known resident of Auckland, died on Saturday, at «»e age of 80 years, at his residence, Parnell. Many years of Mr: Endean'g mo,were spent on goldnelds in various parts of the. world, and he was wellknown at Thames, where he was one of the first tributes. He was bom in Cornwall, in 1844, and when 19 years of age migrated to Australia to seardh for gold, but a year later he departed for California,-where he'participated in the famous "White Pine" rush in Nevada. . Reports of the rich finds at Thames attracted Mr. Endean to New Zealand, and he left San Francisco in 1870. He later went to Auckland, and took over the Waitemata Hotel, which is now conducted by his son, Mr. J. Endean. The members of his family now residing in Auckland.include Messrs. J. and W. P. Endean, and Mrs..F. E. N. Gaudin. Another son, Dr. Endean, and a married daughter, reside in England. .