PERSONAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 230, 22 June 1908, Page 6

PERSONAL ITEMS.

All members of the Ministry will be in Wellington to-day with the exception of the Hon. G. Fowlds, who is in Auckland. The Prime Minister returned to Wellington from his Kawhia trip on Saturday. The, Hon: E. M'Nab, Minister for Lands, returned from the South yesterday.. The, Hon. J. A. Millar, Minister for Lab-' our, returnodr from Napier on Saturday night. . . Mr. Edward . Tregear, Secretary, for. .Labour, is suffering from a severe cold and was unablo to leave his house yesterday. The Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) will make the last trip in his pre-sessional itinerary on Wednosday next, when ho will pay a long-promised visit to the Wairarapa. It is understood that Sub-Inspector O'Donovan, who is to take charge of tho Palmerstou North police district, is to leavo Wellington before tho end of the month. . Tho Anglican Bishop of Wellington (Dr. Wallis, formerly Fellow of Caius College), was the University preacher at Cambridge on May 3. Ho referred to the Archbisbop ot Melbourne's negotiations with the Presbyterians with a view to a scheme of reunion. Mr. Charles Hume,- late resident secretary of the Australian Widows' Fund Life Society, was entertained by some of his friends at dinner at the Wellington Club on Friday evening, prior, to his departure for Australia. Mr. Hume leaves by tho Sydney boat on Friday next. 1 The Rov. J. Flanagan, representative of tiio English Primitive Methodist Conference, who has been conducting a mission in New Zealand, leaves on Friday for Sydney. Ha will spend a month or five weeks in Australia before leaving for England, and will probably visit Palestine on the way Home.

Mr. Geo. C. Fache, chief clerk, of the Old Age Pensions Department, and well-known formerly in football circles, undorwent a serious operation yesterday.- The "report, received last evening was that the operationwas successful, and the; patient was doing as satisfactorily as the circumstances allowed. The Rev. Ralph Bray, assistant curate at Dunstan (Southland), has been appointed to assist Rev. A. M. 1 Johnson, Vicar of St. Mark's, Wellington. Mr. Bray, who is a young ~man, is a member of an old and respected Dunodin family, and will not be altogether unknown in his new> parish. He will take up his work here in October.

' Mr. P. A. Phillips, J.P., who has beon living for some years in Sydney, celebrated his 77th birthday a few days ago. He is an old colonist ' (says the "Sydney Morning Herald"), having arrived in.Sydney on his way to Now Zealand in 1847. It was ho who obtained Auckland's incorporation; he was its first Mayor, and during his 30 years' public life in Now Zealand ho was Mayor three times; and 26 years town clerk, hold tho office of M.P., Resident. Magistrate, and many others. Unfortunately, weak health and failing eyesight compelled him to abandon publio duties. Mr. Phillips has been a frequent contributor to tho Press on municipal progress, local government, and other subjects.

On Saturday evening Captain Hugo, Government Inspector of Fire Boards' for ■ New Zealand, entertained at dinner, in the Empire Hotel, a few personal friends, including the heads of tho municipal departments, and representative pressmen ,with wliom ha had come so frequently in contact during the lengthy period he occupied the position of Superintendent of the Wellington Fire Brigade. Tho health of the host was proposed in felicitous terms' by Mr. J. R. Palmer (Town Clerk), supplemented by congratulatory remarks from Messrs. F. K. Reeves (representing the Press), Captain Hcnnah, and Mr. Ben Fuller. In replying, Captain Hugo struck a reminiscent vein, and told some highly interesting stories of his sea-faring days when the world win wider than it is to-day. Messrs. \V. H. Morton and ,H. Plimmer contributed to tho harmony-of the evening.