PERSONAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1633, 27 December 1912, Page 4

PERSONAL ITEMS.

Professor T. H. Laby, of the Chair of Physios at Victoria College, and Professor H. B. Kirk, of the .Chair of Biology, will leave Wellington for .Sydney on January 3- nest to attend the meeting of tho Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science.

Mr. W. H. D. Bell, M.P, for Wellington Suburbs, is spending:" a fortnight's holiday in Rotorua.' • ■

Mr. Justice. Liikin, of Queensland, is a visitor to Wellington. Ho will spend some weeks of thp long vacation in Ne.w Zealand. '-."''.,

On Christmas morning the Mayor (Mr. D. M'Laren) and Mrs. M'Laren, visited the Homes of Compassion at Island Bay anil" Buckle Street, and at each institution his Worship delivered a few felicitous remarks appropriate to the day.

Captain Callnghan, for many years in charge of, the Government steamer at Fiji, has now retired on pension, and has taken up his residence in Auckland.

Mr. Hamilton Hodges is at present ona visit to Auckland.

The Hon. J. A. Millar, M.P. for Dunedin West is spending the holidays-in the Taupo district. His health has. greatly improved lately, and he expects to be able to resume his seat in the. House of next session.

Mr. Clement L. Wragge, the well-known meteorologist, returned to.Auckland from a trip to Australia on Sunday last.

Mr. and Mrs. Eustace King; of Kelburne, returned from Titahi Bay this week, and are to leave: by tho Maunganui this evening for Sydney.

Mr. W. L. Beurle, a member of the Smallpox Hospitals Committee of the London Metropolitan Asylums: Board for over twenty, years, is .visiting' tho cities of the Commonwealth,': nd hopes, before returning, to give evidence before the committee sitting in Melbourne to inquire into the question of vaccination. During his visits to. the smallpox wards in London, Mr. Beurle has seen upwards bf 7000 cases.. He has neyeT been vaccinated, and has never contracted smallpox. He is a strong anti-vaccinationist.

Mr. Sidney Edward .Groville Smith, a well-known journalist,! died at Hamilton on Tuesday morning, of heart disease. At various times he was connected with the "North Otago Times," the "Waikato Times," the "Mavlborongh Times," and 'the-"New Zealand Times," besides a number of Australian journals. Of late years he held a controlling interest in the "Te Aroha Mail," of which he was editor at the time of his death. He was 57 years of age. *

Miss Mary Proctor, who is.-touring Australasia under the auspices of the British Astronomical Association; returned to'Wel.lirigton from Wanganui last evening, and will leave for Sydney to-day' by the s.s. Maungauui, where she will attend the meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advancement 'of Science.^,