PERSONAL ITEMS.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13226, 21 September 1908, Page 7

PERSONAL ITEMS.

The Premier's political coming-of-age, which occurs next Saturday, is to bo suitably marked by tho members of both branches of the Legislature. It has been decided to make a presentation of silver plate, to be handed to Sir Joseph Ward at a complimentary gathering in Wellington this week.

The Hon. C. Louisson, M.L.C., and the Hon. E. C. J. Stevens, M.L.C., arrived from Wellington by the Maori on Saturday. Captain McDougall arrived from Dunedin by the Monowai on Saturday. Captain Hugo, who has been on tour of inspection of fire brigades as far south as Lawrence, went North on Saturday night. Mr Justice Denniston, Captain o'Sullivan, and Mr 0. Jones, left for Wellington on Saturday night. Messrs A. W. Rutherford, M.P., T. H. Davey, M.P., G. Laurenson, M.P., J. B. Clarkson, and the members of the Otago football team arrived from Wellington by the Mararoa yesterday. Arrivals in town yesterday included : Messrs G. Fleming (Napier), R. J. Drummond, H. Pearce. D. S. Chisholm (Wellington), T. A. Phillips (Windwhistle), and W. Heineman (Dunedin). Mr J. B. Christian has boon appointed secretary to the Ash burton Technical Association, to succeed Mr J. McLeod, who resigned on account of great pressure of other scholastic work. Major H. D. Tuson, Adjutant and Quartermaster-General of the New Zealand Defence Force, has just been transferred from the Manchester Regiment to tho Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, on the reduction of his lato regiment to lino battalions. Tho Rev. Dr. Gibb, of St. John's Presbyerian Church, Wellington, who is at present on a visit to Great Britain, is expected to return to New Zealand about the middle of November. Ho will not, however, be in time for tho meeting of the Presbyterian General Assembly at Dunedin in that month.

The Rev. W. E. H. Percival, 8.A., of St. Alban's, Armadale, has (says the Melbourne "Ago") been unanimously chosen as rector of All Saints', Bendigo, in succession to Archdeacon Watson, recently superannuated. Mr Percival, who graduated at tho New Zealand University, was ordained a priest by the Bishop of Auckland in 1885 t and was formerly curate in various parishes in New Zealand and Sydney. Mr Philip G. Palmer, who has been editor of "Progress" since the commencement of that journal, has resigned in order to take charge of the "N.Z. Builder and Engineer." At a gathering of the staff in Wellington the Hon. R. A. Loughnan. M.L.C., in presenting Mr Palmer with a set of technical works, referred to the hish esteem in which the recipient was held, and wished him every success in the future.

On Thursday evening a large number of friends" gathered in the Harewood Hall to bid farewell to Mr C. Stanley and family, who are about to take up their residence in South Canterbury. Tho Rev. A. Julius and Messrs" Nnnwcek. Twos© and R. Pearce spoke of the energetic and willing services rendered by Mr Stanley and family in the interests of the* church and district, and of the great loss their removal entailed. Mr Stanley has been for 2-5 years a vestryman of St. James's Church", and during lb years of that period was organist, his daughter, Mifs ft. Stanley, having succeeded her father in this position. On behalf of the church members tho Rev. A. Julius presented to Mr Stanley and family a silver tea and coffee service and a silver-mounted oak tray, suitably inscribed. Mr Stanley briefly replied.