PERSONAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2243, 1 September 1914, Page 4

PERSONAL ITEMS

The Hon. TV. H. Hemes, Minister for Railways, is Buffering from a severe attack of inflammation of the kidneys, and there has been very little change in his condition during the past few days. His medical adviser does not consider that the illness will be a prolonged one.

Word has been received that Mr. T. A. Johnston, formerly of the Land and Survey Department, Wellington, and son of Mr. I. Johnston, of "Winton," Karori Road, has passed the final examination for the M.I.C.E. degree, withdistinction,.

No word has been received for some weeks past of the whereabouts of Mr. Prank Mcadowcroft, New Zealand manager for Cadbury Broß., Ltd., who ; left on a trip to England : i and ' the'" Continent about four months ago. The last advice was- received from Bergen, Norway, on July 7, on which date he was contemplating' leaving Norway for Switzerland, where he, his wife, and family were to spend Bome little time.. Acoording to sruch meagre information he may nave been in Switzerland or even in Germany at the outbreak of hostilities.

Captain T. • Lawless, who is leaving New Zealand with the Expeditionary Force, was entertained by the members of the Civil Service Olixb laßt ; week and presented with a sword, suitably engraved.

Commissioner Richards, of the Salvation Army, who has been attending the International Congress in London, and who returned via Vancouver and Auckland l by the Niagara, arrived in Wellington last evening.

Mr. J. H. Gray, of the Campbell Street School, Palmerston North, who is going to Europe with the Expedition, ary Force, was on Saturday presented with a wristlet watoh and sovereign' belt by his fellow teachers and tag children.

Advice was received in Wellington terday to; the effeot that Archbishop' Redwood, Dean Regnault, Dean Holley,' and the Rev. Dr. Kennedy are'all safe in London. It was feared for some time that they might be in Belgium, but it now transpires that the Chapter of the Marist Order, which was to have been held in Belgium, was conducted in London, owing to the disturbed state of the Continental country.

Mr. W. Brooke-Taylor is acting tem-v pbrarily as secretary of the Wellington Opera House Company, vice Mr. W. M'Leau, deceased.

The passengers arriving in Sydney on August '24 by the Ventura from San Francisco included Mr. J. J. Brittain, the new Consul-General for New Zealand, vice Mr. W. J. Priokett, who has retired from the-service. Like, many other American Consuls, Mr. • Brittain ie a journalist, and was formerly editor of the "Echo,", published in' Eastern Ohio. He was also a member of the Ohio House of.Representatives for four years, previous to enteritis the Consular Bervioe in 1898, and' was then successively Consul-General at Nantes in France, Strassburg in Germany, Prague in. Bohemia, and Coburg, also in Germany, where he was last stationed. 'In New Zealand Mr. Brittain will be stationed at Auckland. The following degrees and distinctions were Tecently gained by New Zealanders at the University of Edinburgh:— Doctor of Medicine: Alfred _ Sydney Smith. Baohelor of ana Bachelor of Surgery: Louw Levy, Peter MacOallum, Robert Mitchell Mackay, Eric Francis Wallace Mackenzie. David John Max, Royden MTntosh Muir. Horace Powell White, Bertram ' Ernest Wright;: V Bachelor -of Soiehoef Thomas Arthur Johnston, William Archibald Fraser. Thesis Gold Medallists: Alfred Sydney Smith. Gunning Prize in Forr ensio Medicine: Sydney, Alfred Smith* Beaney Prize in Anatomy:: Peter Mac* Otvllum. Bucliaman Scholarship ifl Gynecology: Peter MacC'allum. Boys and their parents are never at a loss for an excuse for non-attendance at school. One of the most original excuses ever made appeared recently in the "Yellow Dragon, the magazine of the Queen's College, Hong-Kong. It ran as follows:—"Dear Sir,—l beg to report that my nephew, Fung Yuen-Li, of ClaBS 4 B, has been kidnapped foi ransom by- robbers, at my village, on the Gtn inßt. His whereabouts is not yet known. I hope you will kindly grant him leave of absence from school. —Yours obediently, Fung Yat-Sun." Leave of absence was granted. Young Fung was kept by the brigands • for forty days, and then, ransomed for 1200 dollars. '< ' ' ■