PERSONAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 185, 30 April 1908, Page 6

PERSONAL ITEMS.

Tho only members of the Ministry at present absent from Wellington are the Hon. W. Hall-Jones and the Hon. Dr. Findlay, both of whom return this, evening.- V Sir Joseph Ward has been' confined to his house since Monday night with .'a severe cold. He hopes to leave for the West Coast, however, ]on Saturday, in . connection' with tho official 1 opening of,tho Otira tunnel. Mr. W. F. Massey, leader of the Opposition, leaves for the Grisborae district to-day. Mr. E. Jones, manager of' the "Oamaru Mail," was a passenger from Sydney by-the Maheno. Captain Johnston, harbourmaster, returned from Australia yesterday evening by the Maheno. : Mr. Tompsitt, manager of To Aro House, arrived' from Sydney yesterday evening' by the. Maheno. : .•'■■■. Lady Mills . will leave for London by the Shaiv, Savill Steamer lonic, sailing from Wellington on May'2l'. ' ■The Hon.v H. F. Wigram and Mrs.' Wig L ,ram>, of Christchurch, .intend, leaving... for London by tho lonic. Messrs. j. B. Reed and W. J. A. Cook, of Dunedin, were passengers . from Sydney, by the Maheno. yesterday. ; Mr. E. Kane, Bills Clerk to the House of •Representatives, returned yesterday from a holiday trip .spent in Sydney. . ' Mr. M. Beck,' accompanied by Mrs. Beck, returned from San Francisco, via Australia, yesterday evening by tho Maheno. Mr. J. S. Evans, solicitor, Invercargill, has been: appointed Magistrate ''and Warden at Thames, in succession to Mr. R. S. Bush. . Captain Norbury, of the Northern l Steamship Co:', who has been on a visit to Australia, returned; to Wellington by tho Maheno. The Hon. G. P. Richarilson, who has been ■ attending a conference of surveyors in Australia, returned to Wellington, from Sydney, yesterday by tho Maheno. . Tho Hon! R. M'Nab (Minister for Lands) this evening for the Kinloch Settlement and Akaroa on Departmental business. Ho will return on Sunday next. ' The Hon. T. W. Hislop will bo sworn in as Mayor of Wellington for tho year 1908-9 at a special' meeting' of the Council called for the purpose at noon on Wednesday next, May 6. ■. ' Mr. J. H.\ Greenwood, of Springfield College, New York, arrived in Wellington, by the Maheno .yesterday, under engagement as physical director at the Y.M.C.A.'s new building. . • ... ..• Mr. F. G. Roach was seized • with > a fit, whilst walking along FeatherSton Street yesterday morning. Be was ' taken into'.,'the ■Central Hotel, and after being attended to by Dr. Henry recovered sufficiently to walk to his office. . ■ ' S Colonel Denny, shipbuilder, of Dumbarton, and Miss Denny will spend to-day in Wellington, and leave for the Hot Lakes tomorrow. • They have already visited the Cold, Lakes in the South Island. They will remain in the Dominion till June 8, when bdat will bo taken for Sydney,'the return to England boing made via the Canadian-Pacific. Mr. William Ferguson, consulting enginoor to the Wellington Harbour Board, who has been absent iii Melbourne preparing a report for tho Victorian' Government on the port of Melbourne, Teturncd by tho Maheno last evening. Mr. Ferguson doclined to be interviewed, but stated that the report had been submitted to tho Government: Included in tho passengers who have booked for London by the steamer lonic, which is to sail from Wellington on May 21, are Mr. J. Strang and family, of Palmorston North; Mr. F. W. Maunsell and family, of Masterton j Mr. E. Hallcustein and family, of Dunedin; Miss D. Roskrugc, Wellington; and Mr. H. Gaby,'of Kilbirnie. Mr. W. A. D. Banks, Clerk of the Court at New PJymouth, will succeed Mr. W. ■S. Fisher as Clerk of tho Court at Christchurch. I Mr. Banks has been about 25 years in tho Government service, and before going to New Plymouth, about fivo years ago, hold positions under tho Justice Department in Wellington, Auckland, and Christchurch. 'While passing through Canada a few months ago, Colonel Denny, of Duriibarton, who is now visiting Wellington, was very much struck with the great number of immigrants that were .'constantly arriving from abroad. Ho also remarked that a large proportion were foreigners. Whether it was duo to this influx or not he could not say, but. living was'very costly. , Eggs, for instance, oost 95 cents per dozon, and butter cotiid uot be bought at 39 oents a pound.