PERSONAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1030, 20 January 1911, Page 4

PERSONAL ITEMS.

To-day the Prime Minister- and all the Ministers (with the exception of the Hon. Ct. I'owjas, who is on his way to .New Zealand from Australia) will be in Wellington. Cabinet will meet to-day. Ilifi Hon. T. Mackenzie returned yesterday irom a visit to the Turnkina Vallev, where ho went to inspect some of the spots that are to be reserved for scenic purposes. Mr. W. A. Gibb, manager of the Svdney branch of the National Fire and Marine Insurance Company of New Zealand, arrived in Wellington by the Uliraaroa on Wednesday, en route to Ofcago, where he intends to snend a holidav. He is accompanied by &rs. Gibb. Sir. T. L. Wood, of the Bank of NewZealand, Blenheim, leaves on a trip to Colombo, via Sydney, by the Marama today. Mr. Herbert W. Shields, of Dunclutha, Dalmuir, Scotland, who is visiting New Zealand in the interests of his health, left Wellington for Rotorua yesterday morning. Messrs. Edward and Basil Jones, ..of Sydney, leave Wellington this morning for Taupo, where they are to fish for a few days • Mr. L. E.'Cotterill, sheep"farmer, near Tokoniaru Bay, died on Wednesday night from the effects of a tick by a . draught horse on Monday.—Press Association. . Among the rccent visitors to Wellington were Afr. Norman Bayles, Melbourne; Mr. Hermann Keichardt, Sydney; Mr. Harry Ramsay, Lilydale, Victoria; Mr. C. G. Pottage, Natal; Mr. J. H. Porrest, Sydney; Mr. L. Maens, • Holland; Mr. A.. Lssner, Bondi, Sydney; Mi'ss v WatkinWynne, Waverley, Sydney; Mrs. A. W., L'dgar aud Miss-Grace Kdgar, West Au&»' tralia; Mr, S.' Williams, Brisbane; Mr. J. Garlick, Sydney. Mr. A/ van der Burgh was presented at a dinner at the Grand Hotel last evening with a gold medal, suitably inscribed, i'or a record production of. industrial and ordinary business in a competition Among the field forces of thd Colonial Mutual Life Society. At .the-Grand ..Hotel, last evening, Mr. A. Grahame Melville, Chief Superintendent of the Industrial and Ordinary departments of the Colonial Mutual Life Society, New Zealand branch, was entertained 'at a farewell dinner by the Board of Directors and field and office staffs. Mr. J. B. Harcourt, chairmoji of the New Zealand Board of Directors, presided. In proposing the health of the guest of the evening, the president-secre-tary of tho Mr. P. D. Leslie, paid a high tribute to the courage, enthusiasm,- and loyalty which had characterised Mr. Melville's work in New Zealand, and which had contributed so valuably to the record achievements of the New Zealand branch during the past twelve month's. Theso successes with' which Mr. Melville had been so closely associated, and had so largely influenced, had earned for him the much-deserved promotion to the high position of submanager for the society for Australasia. On behalf of the Board of Directors, and the field and office staffs, Mr." Melville was then presented with a silver liqueur stand, and. a case of silver fish and fruit Inuves and forks, suitably inscribed. The recipient, in reply, referred to the harmonious relations and hearty co-opera-tion that had distinguished every member of the society's service. Mr. A. Grahame Melville leaves to-day by the steamer.Marama for Sydney, whence he will proceed to the society's head office,' Melbourne. Mr.. Hugh Walker, of New Zealand, states a Press Association cable message from London, has received a commission as second • lieutenant in. the Warwickshire ltegiment. Baron and Baroness de Bethune, of Belgium, who are now in the north, are to visit Wellington within the next week or so. Mr. F. J. Dight, .well known in conmercial .circles, returned with Mrs'. Dight by the Ulimaroa, after visiting England and >Ir.. Digfit is not afraid' of 'ilngland"-losing its position in the commercial world, at 'any rate so far as the textile trade is cbnierned. The English manufacturer, is able to teach' tho'world/ and is' thor-', oughly alert as to the requirements' of the colonial trade. • >

THE GOVERNOR AS YACHTSMAN, 1 — GETTING THE VIKING KEADT, The Auckland yawl yacht Viking, whicSLhas been' chartered from Mr. H. Bloomfield by his Excellency ' the Governor, - lord Islington, was floated into the Au'ck- . land ■ Graving Dock this week for over-; haul. She was launched 18' years ago,, and as she was intended for cruising out-! side she was specially strongly built, and to-day (says the .Auckland "Star") she is as good as ever she was. Not a seam, has opened, and right through her fittinga* there is not a warp or a crack, so faithfully did Mr, Bailey do his work. Thecopper," which has been on her sinco ehe was built, is being stripped off, and iu. addition the interior of the cabins will be entirely reupholstered and redecorated. As well as a roomy main cabin the Viking has a; ladies' cabin, and plenty ofroom for'ard. With her yawl rig she is exceptionally eaiy to handle for a craft j of her size—she rates about 22 tons— and his. Excellency could not have chosen a better boat to explore, the waters of the, Hauraki Gulf and the -coast which 1 1 stretches for a hundred and fifty milea, north with a harbour every twenty miles or so. Mr. Chas. Bailey, jun., has been, entrusted with tho work of overhauling i the Viking, and' made a start this morn- j ing. The yacht.is to be ready By March!j 1, by which time his. Excellency 1 will be in, residence in Auckland.