PERSONAL.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 304, 20 December 1912, Page 6

PERSONAL.

I In the recent (November) law professional examination, Mr. John Buchanan passed in contracts, torts, criminal law, . property and evidence. ' Mr. J. M. Ritchie, general manager foT 1 the National Mortgage and Agency Com- ! pany in the colonies since 1877, died in i Dunedin at midnight on Wednesday, in '■ his seventieth year. Mr. R. D. Harman, architect, of Christ- ! church, a prominent tennis player, has I arrived in Auckland on a visit, and is staying at " Cargen." ; Colonel and Mrs. Jollie, of India, arrived by the Marama this morning, and i are putting up at "Caigen." Colonel i Jollie is on furlough, and intends touring the Dominion. Mr W. J. G-ddis, of Napier, has been , offered and accepted the position of ' managing director of the "New Zealand ' Time?" Company, Limited.—Press Aa- ! sociation. Mr. and Mrß. C. J. Parr leave to-mor-row for Cambridge, there to spend the Christmas holidays. The Mayor returns i to Auckland about the commencement 1 of the New Year, and purposes spending * the "remainder of a fortnight's holiday i in cruising in his launch around the Gulf. Captain D. C. Spencer-Smith, who has been attached a3 assistant military secre- ! tary to the Commandant of the New ' Zealand forces, leaves by the Marama. . this evening on his way to rejoin his J regiment, the Royal Artillery, in England. , Messrs. C. P. Dixon (captain), J. C. Parke, A. E. Beamish, and F. G. Lowe, . members of the British tennis team, . which won the Davis Cup contest in Aus- . tralia, arrived by the Marama to-day. i They remain in New Zealand till Janu- | ary 10th, returning to Sydney to catch the Suez steamer at that port on February 11th. , Colonel Hughes, a well-known figure in Australian mining circles, arrived by the ', Marama to-day, his intention being to put in several weeks visiting the various tourist resorts of the Dominion. l Mr. A. Tolhurst, who some years ago t was prominently connected with the 7 Bink of New Zealand, but is now asso--3 ciated with mining ventures in Australia, r arrived by the Marama from Sydney thii T morning, to spend a six weeks' holiday .in New Zealand. He intends visiting the t Hot Lakes districts, and will subsequently proceed South. t A large and enthusiastic meeting of - Irishmen was held yesterday afternoon , in Smeeton's Buildings to present to the 7 Rev. R. J. Hall a gold watch and an easy - chair, as tokens of esteem and affection ? because of his able and whole-nearted f advocacy of Home Rule for Ireland since t his arrival in Auckland. Mr. M. Sheahan i presided, and Messrs. J. J. O'Brien, . Moore, Dwyer, P. Oleeson, D. O'Donot gliue, J. Sullivan, M. O'Connor, J. C. . Gieeson and other speakers eulogised 3 Mr. Hall's work in the cause of Home c Rule. Mr. Hall replied in very feeling t terms, pointing out that while the religi--3 ous denomination to which he belonged 1 was more diametrically unlike that of the Church of Rome than any other, yet j such difference did not, either here or 7 anywhere else exercise any influence in \ disturbing the good feeling between \ him and his fellow-countrymen. Mr. } Sheahan made the presentations, the in- , scription on the watch reading: " Pre- * sented to the Rev. R. J. Hall, M.A., in token of friendship and esteem from his Irish Nationalist friends, Auckland, N.Z., December, 1012." On the easy , chair was a shamrock trefoil, engraved ' as follows: "Presented to the Rev. R. J. . Hall, M.A., from his Irish Nationalist friends, Auckland, N.Z., December, 1912." Captain W. H. Archer, a distinguished Canadian who has been a visitor in , Auckland for the past year, is a passenger by the Marama this evening, on his re- - turn to Canada, accompanied by his : daughter, Miss Lydia H. Archer. Our - visitor started life as a n_val cadet and I student at the Naval and Military Aca- ' demy. Dublin, and later as a student at l the Polytechnic Gunnery School, Paris. - He afterwards went in for architecture 1 and the line arts, and is a Fellow of the 1 Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, : and a fellow of the American Institute f of Architects. Captain Archer was or- - ganising officer and captain of the l Marine branch of the Legion of Froni tiersmen for the port of Vancouver, hon. i captain and organiser of the Canadian i Naval Volunteeis, and organiser of the f Maxim gun battery, while he was instrul mental in procuring H.M.s. Egeria as ) a training ship for the port of Vancouver. As a clubman his name is well * known throughout Canada, while as the i owner of the launch Arrow, and a i houseboat which is said to be the hand- : somes. <_ Canada, he is a popular figure in aquatic _<_e_L