PERSONAL ITEMS.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15772, 13 December 1916, Page 10

PERSONAL ITEMS.

Professor Benbam, of Duncdin, was a through passenger from the south by tho sccond\ express last evening. Sir Robert and Lady Stout arrived from Wellington by the Maori yesterday morning. Mr S. D. Mayo, who has acted as traveller in Southland for Messrs Ross and Glendining for some time past, has been promoted to Christchurch. The Heathcoto County Council last night gave six months' leave of absence to Mr G. M. Hall, who is leaving for England in the near future. Professor P. J. Marshall, of Dunedin, who has been appointed principal of the Wanganui Collegiate School, passed through Christchurch on his way North last evening. Constablo J. A. McNeece, who has retired from the police force in order to enlist for the front, was on Saturdav evening met by the Invercargill members of the force, and presented with a gold medal, suitably' inscribed. The Vicar of Tologa, the Rev. Mr Barrett, has been instructed to report to Wellington on the 20th inst., to take up a position as chaplain on the hospital ship Maheno. The R-ev. E. A. ilc-Cntcheon, of Gisbornc, has been appointed to the vacancy. Giovanni della. Chiesa, brother of his Holiness the Pope, is an admiral in tho ; Italian navy, and has a son lighting on the Isonzo front. loung della. Chiesa was studying in the Genoa Engineering College before Italy went into the war. He at once joined the Military School at Turin, and was among the first of the new officers to go to the front. Mr J. B. McKinney, secretary of the Invercargill branch of the

Y.M.C.A., has. owing to the unsatisfactory state of his health, been compelled to relinquish his present duties for a time. Mr McKinney will probablv take up his lesidenco in the country shortly, but hopes in the course of a few months to be able to resume his position in the Y.M.C.A. According to tho "Nelson Diocesan Gazette" Dean Weeks lias offered the assistant curacy or the Cathedral to the Rev. H. Warren Austin, M..T., curate of Walcot, Bath, but at present serving a« cliaj>lain to the forces in Franco. Mr Austin was, prior to his ordination, n member of the _ Dean's congregation in England, and is also a graduate of his college (Queen's) at Cambridge. Mr Austin cannot relinquish his present work for some months. In the recently-published list of reciplients of awards for valour on the battlefield is the name of Private David Ourrv, a son of the late Mr William Curry, of Akaroa, who (lied only ' week". Private. Curry was born at; the old homestead on Long Bay road, near Akaroa. lie left New Zealand with the Fourth Reinforcements, and saw service at Gallipoli, where lie was wounded. Later ho went to Franco wilh the Main Body. His relatives and many friends in Akaroa are naturally proud to hear of the distinction ho has won. The members of the Sumner Volunteer Fire Brigade met last night to bid farewell to Branchman J. Hines. who is leaving with the Motor-boat Naval Reserve. Superintendent Carter presided over a full attendance of mem-

bers. The chairman, on behalf of the members, presented the departing guest with a safety-razor and shaving outfit, and in doing s-,o referred to the excellent services rendered by Branchman Hines during the seven years he had been a member of the brigade. He had been a most regular attendant at tho practices, and he would carry with him "tho very best wishes of all his comrades. The San Francisco "Argonaut" says:—"John Monasli, recently promoted to the rank of major-general in the British Army, is the 1: professing Jew to attain that rank. 'ere have been British generals beU.. of Jewisn birth, but no Jew has hitherto risen to that rank and at the same time remained a member of the Synagogue. Major-General Monash bad' for some time previously been acting as a brigadier-general, but otherwise until the present occasion no English had risen above the military rank of colonel." Major-General Monash is the Melbourne engineer, who left with one of tho first battalions, and did great work in Egypt and Gallipoli. Mr S. J. Gilbert, assistant-secretary of the local Y.M.C.A., has been appointed to go into tho Maori camp at Narrow Neck, Auckland, as field service secretary. This is a preparatory measuro to his leaving for the front with the next Reinforcements. evening the officers of the Association and the boarders and friends met round tho tea-table for tho purpose of wishing Mr Gilbert God-speed and a safe return. On behalf of the members, the general secretary presented the guest with a small memento of the esteem and appreciation in which he is held. Mr Gilbert will bo missed, not only in his official capacity as assistantsecrctary, but also from the social functions of the Association. He leaves for Wellington to-night, staying a few days at Trentham and Featherston camps en route to Auckland.