PERSONAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1009, 27 December 1910, Page 4

PERSONAL ITEMS.

l The Hon. D. Buddo, Minister for InJ temal Affairs, is at present on a visit 5 to Rangiora. He Will probably return to ! Wellington to-morrow. Mr. Justice CJooper, who' is 'spending the - Christmas; holidays in' Wellington, will - leave for Auckland on Thursday, January . 5, and will remain in the northern city' about three weeks. V ; At a gathering of musical people at l Wanganui ou Saturday afternoon a presentation ' of a purse of sovereigns was - made to Mr, A. Wade, conductor of the , Wanganui Garrison Band, in recognition - of his efforts in bringing the band to its , present, high position, and of his services i. to music generally in Wanganui, r Residents of Eketahuna will regret to I hear of the deatli of Mv. Charles Higgins, which occurred at Cambridge Terrace on Friday evening. Many years 1 ago Mr. Higgins was a contributor to tho sporting columns of various journals. He was a versatile writer and a capable authority on turf matters. From Greytown ' ho proceeded to, the Forty Mile Bush, i and took up a section near Newman, • which he converted into a "dairy farnii i For years ho took an active part on tho ; various local bodies—Count}' Council, i School Committee, Licensing Bench, and ; also, having organised the Eketahuna I Mounted Rifles, he became their .captain. , A few years ago he Sold out his farm, i ■ made a trip to the Old Country, and on t his return took up his residence in the i fiity. 'l'ho funeral, which took place yes- • terday, was attended by a considerable ■ number of friends, the Rev. J. Kennedy • Elliott conducting the service at the : grave. Mr. George M'lvride, an old settler in ■ the Hutt Valley, died at his residence at l Lower Hutt on Saturday morning, after. . an illness extending over several months. ■ Deceased, who was a blacksmith aiid farrier by trade, was born in Perthshire, , Scotland, in 1838, and came to New Zea- , land in,tho ship Andrew Jackson in 18G4. [ Ho settled at Hutt, where, years ago his • forgo was a favourite stopping-place for . the settlers of the Valley. Mr. M'llvrido . took a lively interest in local affairs, , and had served on the local School Com- '. mittee and Licensing Committee. • Ho was married, twice, and leaves a widow and ! ten children. A presentation was made last week to Mr. G. N. Evans, of the tramway cashier's staff, on the eve of his ap- | pro'aching marriage. Tho presentation, ! which was made by Mr. J. H. Cnllaghan, '. cashier, consisted of a set of carvers. Our Wanganui correspondent states : that Mr. R. M. Mcnzies, who, for the i past twenty-one years, has been in charge ■ of the Matarawa School, and who has . also rendered valuable service as. a lay reader of the church there, is retiring ; on superannuation On,the school brcaki ing up on Thursday, occasion was taken ; to present Mr. Menzics 'with a purse of ■ sovereigns, and a handsomely-illuminated • i address, on behalf of settlers of the dis- • trict and past and present pupils of tho school. Messrs.' Beoby and, Wade, Minister, for ■ Education and Labour, and Leader, of I the Opposition in the New South Wales ; State Parliament, respectively, left Sydney in the Marama on Saturday for Wei- • lington direct, states a Press Association ' mossage. Their object is to investigate industrial matters in the Dominion. I

The Rev. J. G. S. Bnrtlett, who lms boon appointed vicar of the Anglican Church at Wadestown, in succession to the Rev. T. G. Kay, has resigned the cure of St, Luke's, Oaranvu. On severing his connection with the literary staff of The Dominion, to take up the managing-editorship of the Gisborne "Times," Sir. Joseph Mackay, who has been connected ivith the paper since its inception, was the recipient of a handsome presentation from his late associa'tes. In making the presentation, the editor, Mr. C. Earle, referred to.Mr. MaCkay's sterling qualities as a journalist, his capacity for,work, and those, solid, reliable and manly qualities which had made him trusted, and popular with all with whom ho came in contact. Mr. M. ,C. Keojie (assistant-editor), Mr. Field 'cable sub-editor), arid Mr. H. Plimmer (cliief-of-staff) also added a few appreciative words of regret at Mr. Mackay's departure, and congratulations on the advanced, position ho was taking up. Mr. Mackay made a suitable response. A Press Association cablegram received from Brisbane la9t night states that Dr. W. Maxwell, the Queensland Government sugar expert, is proceeding to New Zealand for a five weeks' stay. Dr. Maxwell, the message adds, is to look into certain matters for the Dominion Government, and is to consult with Sir Joseph Ward. Apropos of the ajjovodt is-'in-teresting to note that Dr. Maxwell |is one of the most highly-paid civil servants in Australia, and draws an annual salary of .£3OOO. , The Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward,, accompanied by Lady Ward and several members of his family, arrived in Auckland from Kotorua on Saturday evening. It is tho intention of the Prime Minister to remain in Auckland until to-morrow, and to make his visit purely a holiday.— Press Association. Tho current number of the Navy League Journal contains an appreciation of tho work of tho secretary of the Wellington branch (Mr. C. W. Palmer), together with Mr. Palmer's portrait.