PERSONAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 522, 1 June 1909, Page 6

PERSONAL ITEMS.

i Tho Ministers of the Crown are all in Wellington, with tho citjoption of tho Hon. A. 'i>. Ngata, who is on his way hither. Tho Hon. J. Carroll arrived from Napier by tho express iast night. Mr. J. I'eacock, of Ponsonby, Auckland, it at present oil a visit to Wellington. Mr. J. C. Williamson loft Melbourne foi London a few days ago. On Friday lost Mr. A. P, Drydcn t assistant Postmaster at Auckland, received a presents tiou in view of his approaching marriage .Mr. E, J. Felton, general manager of Wit Queensland Insurance Co., is at. present payitig & visit to the Now.ZSalftnd hiMiches of liis company. Ho will be in Wcllineton about tho end of the' week. , < Mr. John Dutllio, ■ accompanied by his Mrs; Miller, will leave Auckland on a trip to the Soutlr Sea Islands by the Tofua on Juno 22. lift will bo absent for tho best part of a month. ; ■ .. Sergeant. Rutledge, of tho Mount Cook Polioo Station, loaves this morning on a holiday trip to Auckland and Sydney. Sergeant Murphy will have charge of the section during his absence. At a meeting of the Canterbury College Board of Governors, held' yesterday, Professor R.. J. Scott was re-elected as tho board's representative on tho Senate of New Zealand University.—Press Association. Dr., Mason, who retires from the position of Chief Health 'Officer to ttiko up a position in' England, concluded his duties in .the former character yesterday. He will loave to England on Juno 15. v ■ Mr. F. S. Frankish, well-known in cricketing circles in Canterbury, and at one titne one of tho finest cricketers in Now Zealand, died at Wanganui on Sunday night. >. He 1 had been ailing for some years.—Press Asso. ciution. ' . ■ • A Wanganui Press Association : tolegraa states that Mr. S. Saynor Griffiths', manager of the local branch of Messrs. Turnbull aiid Co., died suddenly yesterday, afternoon from a seiture of apoplexy. 'i Deceased, who was 61 years of ago, was for many years' associated with tho public life of tho town, and wis very well known on tho Coast.' ' A Press Association message from Hokitika states that Mr. Q; J. Roberts, Chief Commissioner of Crown Lands,/ who recently tendered his resignation, retired yesterday on' throo months' of absence. Mi. Roberts lias boon a Very old public officer in Wostland, where ho lias aono splendid work, and cstab- : lished an enviablo public record. He has declined any _ valedictory presentations from' tho staff or citizens. ; . The honorary freedom of tho Pattenmakers' Company was presented at tho Guildhall on April 20 to tho Earl of Raafurly, in appreciation, of his services . as Governor, of New Zealand from'lß97 to 1904. Lord Ranfurly, in returnina thanks, said ho would always be proud t to have his name connected with the. Dominion which was foremost m her loyal attachment to the Empire, pn example to all,of patriotic.eelf-sacrifioe, a colony which had just ,dano so much to arouse throughout tho Empire that Bpirit of national. responsibility without which we should soon do left behind in tho struggle for supremacy upon the sea. ! . At a gathering of tho field and office staffs of the District Survey Office yesterday- afternoon Mr.F. A. Thompson, district surveyor, was presented with a liandsomo marble clock suitably together with a fountain pen, aS' a matk of esteem oil tho occasion of bis departure for Hokitika, whither he hiS been promoted to the position of chief driuglitsmtin. In making the presentation. Mr. James Mackonzie; Commissioner or Crown Lands, referred, to the thorough manner in.whieh Mr, Thompson'had always attended to his work, thereby setting a good example to tho younger men. Mr. Thompson leaves for his new sphere by the Mapourikft , iA substantial, honour has been conferred upon a Wellington native by' the appointment of tho Rev.'Bro. Paul, .director of the • Saored Heart College," Auckland, to' bo' provincial of' the Marist Brothers' Order in Australasia. Bro. Paul, who is in the prime of'life, was born at Lower Hutt, and en Joining the Marist Brothers went. • to Australia. From there ho was transferred to ' Sonth Africa about the time of. tho war, and became provincial bf tho Brothers in that coun'try. He came to Wellington nearly six year* ago, and was for three years in charge of the Marist Brothers' School in this city, succeeding Brother Mark in that position. His prosent appointment is regarded, by Romaa Catholics who'' knew, him as a high, yet fitting, reward of his; abilities.

. A largo and influential meeting, representative of all olasses of citizens, was hold last night in St. Patrick's Hall, to arrange details in connection with the fnrewoll to the Rev. Father Keogh, rector of St. ■ Patrick's College, who loaves for Hastings 6n Juno 24, Dr. Call ill presided, and it was decided that Sn "At Homo" bo held on or about June 21 in tho Concert Chamber of tho Town Hall. At the "At Homo," Father Kcogh will bo presented with an address and a purso of sovereigns. Tho arrangement of' details in oonnoction with tho function was loft irt tiio hands 6f a committee consisting of tho chairman (Dr. CaJiill),' Very Rov. Dean Regnnalt. Voiy. Rev. Father O'Shea, Rev. Father GogRan, Hon. R. Av Loughnan, M.1j.0,, Colonel Collins, Captain O'Sullivan, Dr. Pollen, Messrs. Martin; Kennedy; G. Winder, E. p. Bunny, J. Finlay, L. Dwan, H. S. Wordell, F. Ryan, E. J. Fitzgibbon, and P* ■ J, O'Regan. Mr. Fa.v was appointed secretary. 11l additidn ; t>6 this citizens' 'presentation, Father Kcogh will he entertained at the Ola Boys smoke conoert-to-night, and on June 23 wjll rccoivo n presentation from - present pupils of thfe College.' ■ . !

'Yesterday aftoruopii a large gathering of tho officers of tho Post and Telegraph, Department met for tho . purpose of saving an .official good-byo to Mr. Johu Black, : . Controller of,. Stores, ' who n* tires at the ' end, of Juno ott superannuation. Mr. J. K. Logan, Supcrintendeiit of Electric Lines, speaking for him* self and tho officers of tno Department, Gxpressed rogrot that tho timo had; arrived for Mr. Black to sovor his' connection with a servico with which ho had been identified for 45 j s'eal's:./In that sorvioo lie (Mr. Black) had played many parts, beginning as oilo of the construction party erecting the, telegraph lines between Duiiedin and (Jhristehurclr'a-s far back as 1864, continuing as foreman of construction parties to Nelson in tho South Island and other lines in'the North Island. Tiioso were tlie, daj'p of no . bridges over tho rivers—no. stretchers to sleep, on. He thou bocainft' .postmaster at Haw orn, Unfortunately, he retirodfrom the, jlawora, although only for a short time, thus lessoning tho amount.of bis retiring .pension. During the last 30: Jears. his position in tho Department haß been storekeeper alid Controller' of stores. Ho was also for a long timo one of the principal experts ill tho submarine cable work in tho Straits and elsewhere, and ho trained some of tho senior hands attached to the tetyice now. In all tho different positions he occupied he filled them : in a capable mhiinor;' with credit to himself und'to tho Department. In conclusion, Mr. Logan referred to his tong pe> sonal intimacy with Mr. Blac)t> commencing when they were camp mates in ' the early days of. lino construction, and the good feeling they naturally established had .continued to. tho present time. In his retirement Mr. Muck could take with him the knowledge that tho I'ostniastcr-Goncral and the higher officers of tho Department have appreciated his unwearied services. He'had had comparativcly few holidays, and only sjeknesa had kept liitn from duty, As n niarl: of esteem Mr. Black was then presented with a field glass for himself and a haml3omc tea kettlo for Mr 6. Black from tho slores branchj and a purse of sovereigns from the Department generally. Mr. Black -suitably responded for himself and Mrs. Black. Mr.G.,B. Doll, Inspector of Post Oflices. apologised for tho absence of Mr. W. R. Morris and' Mr. F, V. Waters', but, spenkihg on their behalf,' lio oould hcottily raiifirm all thut lmd been said, and hoped Mr. Black would,' live long to enjoy a retirement which be had earned so well. Tho company gave hearty ehcers for Mr. Black, and concluded with singing "For ho is n jolly good fellow." •