PERSONAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1628, 20 December 1912, Page 4

PERSONAL ITEMS.

All the Ministers of the Crown are in Wellington to-day, with the exception of the Hon. F. M. B. Fisher, who is in Auckland.

Letters have been received by members of the clergy from his Grace Archbishop E-edwood, written at Washington, U.S.A., on November 14. His Urace hoped to leave New York for Liverpool a week after that date. It is considered probable that he may be in Rome by the end of the present morth.

On December 10 Lord and Lady Islington, accompanied by Miss Stapleton Cottori, and Captain il'Dougall and Captain Symons, left Melbourne, where they had besn the guests of the Governor-General r.nd Lady Denman nt Government House, by R.M.S. Ojterley, en route for India and England.

News has be;n received of the death in Dunedin yesterday morning of Mr. John M. Bitchie, general manager for the colonies of the National Mortgage and Agency Company of New Zealand, director of the tJnion S.S. Company, and «' prominent man in business circles, who is well known throughout Australasia. Mr. Eitcbie wa? born in Scotland, and ratne to New Zoaltmd some 40 years ago. With Mr. S. G. Russell he established the firm of Russell, Ritchie and Co., of Port Chalmers. Subsequently Mr. Russell went, to England and opened up a London house for the firm, Mr. Ritchie remaining In charge of the New Zealand business. About four years later the firm took over , the business -of the National flfort-. ga»o and Agency Company of New Zealand, and the various land syndicates the firm was acting for became merged in the business of ttie New Zealand anil Australian Land-Company, for whic,h.Mr.(Ritpliie hns o.cted os attorney since- 18G9. Mr. Ritchie was at one time a member of the' Otngo Hartour Board, but apart from that had little time to spare for public life, The flags of tho shipping in port yesterday vet* flown at half-mas! out for. the deceased. Mr. P. W. Flanagan, Valuer-General, leaves on a holiday visit to Sydney today. Mr.'"Prank Tait. of the firm of J. and M Tait, who has been conducting the concert tour of Madame Kirkbv Lunn, leaves for Sydney by the Watrimoo toNapier High School "Old Boys" rcsklsnt in Wellington m«t lest evening to bid farewell to Mr. A. S. M. Pelsen, late neoamastw, who is leaving for Australia today to t-nTce up fluty as Principal of Bnllarst. College. The eveniiiß's entertainment took tho form of a. smolt? rnnccrt «,t which alwnt 35 old boys and friends verb present: Mr. F. D. Thmnfan pwsiol) and dnrinjr the conr.« of the evening DiVnl«i Mr. PoUon w-ith a pair of prism JHc"Waml n silver spirit Imp for Mri Poison. A programme of musical and other itenw added to the .fntertmnment. Mr. Andrew Black, the 'vocalist, is stayin? at the Grand Hotel with Mrs. Black. He will leave on a visit to Rotorua tomorrow. , • Mr. Thomas.Cole, We Xtayor. ot Dnnfdin, wlio is returning from a trip to the Old Country, arrived from Sydney b> the Uliinaroo on Wednesday, and continued south last evening.

Mr F/. .T. Kiilkfrt, who recently accented a position on the permanent staff of the Now Zealand Defence Forces, lias resigned liis appointment, and has been ve-instated on the.reserve of officers, .with the rank of lieutenant.

Monsipior Phelan, who has been appointed Bishop of Sale (Victoria) m succession to the lute Bishop Corbett, was born at Kilkenny, where members of the family still reside. His ecclesiastical studies were started at Mount Mclleray Semin'arv. County Waterford, in ISSO. Monsteiior Plielan proMwled from Mount Melisrav to St. Patrick's College, Carlton, in JRB2 and whilst rwidinjj there went through a distinguished course in theoloßy, Scripture, ennon law, and church history. Mr. Percy .Tames, late of the.Dresden. Piano Company, Dmicrtin, who hue taken over the management of a continuous picture theatre in Dunedin, is a visitor to Wei lington. '