Personal Items.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 17021, 18 December 1920, Page 9

Personal Items.

1 A civic retortion will be tendered to the late High Commis-ioner, Sir Ti o.uas Mackenzie, in the City Council Chamber, Christchurc.il, at noon on Monday. Mr G. B. Hemsley, Inspector in thePublic Works Department, retires on superannuation on 31st insi.,_ after thirty years'. service, all of which has been spent in Dunedin. A Wellington telegram states that Judge Walter 1? aw son, of the Native Land Court, has been appointed Native Trustee, the oflico which was created under the Native Trustee Act passed last session. Mr John Findlay, for many years connccted with the Auckland branch of the -Government Life Insurance Department. has boon appointed organising secretary to the Auckland branch of the Industrial Corporation of New Zealand. At tlw* request of the Ohristchurch Royal Musical Society, Mr R. A. Horno proceeds to-night to Wellington to represent them at a conference which is to I>d held there for tho purpose of dismissing tho proposal to hold a Musical Festival throughout tho Dominion in the year 1922. Mi* A. J. Papps and Mr T. P. Grist have resigned from the teaching staff of Kinn's College, Auckland. Mr Papps will take up a position on tho staff of the- New Plvmouth High School. Mr Grist will stiorty return to England, after havinsr been two years at King's College as mathematics master. Mr D. Williamson, of Cashmere, was entertained at a complimentary social and dance by tho residents of Spreydon, under tho auspiecs of the Spreydon Burgesses' Association, and presented with a fountain pen. Cr. M. J. O'Connor made the presentation, and several councillors spoke of the good work done by Mr Williamson when a member of the Borough Council. The Addington 'Burgesses' Association was also represented. ~ Having completed 374 years' service with the Union Company, Mr P. Mudie, la to chief engineer of the Manuka, has left tho company's service, and taken up his residence in Wellington. Last week the engine-room and deck officers met Mr Mudie and presented him with a handsome cheque. The purser, in rofeiring to Mr Mudie's services, mentioned tnat he had spent 42 years of his life at sea. Ho had come to New Zealand in the old Takapuna in 1883. Opportunity was taken by tho masters of tho Boys' High School at the! presentation to Mr C. E. Bevan-Brown yesterday to say farewell to two other. members of the stnff, Messrs H. D. I Broadhead and T. "\V. Cane, who arej leaving to join tho Canterbury College j staff. Mr Cane, who has been a master at tho school off and on for 27 years, was presented with a pipe. Eulogistic reference to tho qualities of both mas- j ters was made by Mf E-. M. Laing, j who presided, and" Mr Cane briefly responded. J Mi- Charles Francis, one of tho best known of American printers, ia making a world tour to enquire into labour conditions, he having been appointed *a special representative of the United j States Department of Labour for thoj purpose. Ho left New York at the bo- ; ginning of August, and his itinerary includes New Zealand and Australia, in which latter country ho commenced his career as a printer. Mr Francis is to deliyer several lectures on matters of interest and importance in tho industry, and carries with him moving picture equipment with which to illustrate his talks. Referring to tho headmaster of Wellington Collego, tho chairman of the Board of Governors (Mr W. F. Ward) said in a speech at tho prize-giving ceremony on Wednesday, that it was difficult to select a successor to Mr Firth, but he believed tliev had chosen a man who would worthily carry on the high tractions of the school. Tho now headmaster Mr Cresswell, was a man of high academic attainments, and, fit. anv rate in his early years, of prowess in athletics. To a Canterbury audience, mention of his name would awaken memories of football in tho eighties and a pcrfect three-quarter. He had held high military rank, had been headmaster of a secondary school, nnd had lately been senior inspector of secondary schools, which had given him an insight into the methods of all j tho secondary schools of New Zealand.' While parting with regret from Mr and Mrs Firth, they wished to extend a, warm welcomc to Mr and Mrs Cresswell. j Mr P. W. Burbidge, M.Sc. (N.Z.),' B.A. (Cantab), who has been appointed to the Chair of Physics, at Auckland University College, is a native of Wellington, son of Mr W. Burbidge. Educated at Mount Cook School, he came firs'- in the primary school scholarship li«t. nnd went to Wellington College. There he distinguished himself by coming first in tho Dominion in the Junior Scholarships examination. From Wellington Collego he went to Victoria University College, where he graduated Winning tho lsol Exhibition Scholarship, he went to Cambridge in 3913, returning invalided through illhealth in 1916. On recovering hia i health he joined the Thirty-third Rein- J forcemonts, and saw service in France. | He was awarded an N.Z.E.F. Scholarship, and completed his studies at Cambridge. under Sir Ernest Rutherford, thp distinguished scientist. Mr Burbidge is 26 years of age. I