BIRTHDAY HONOURS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2787, 3 June 1916, Page 5

BIRTHDAY HONOURS

BRIGADIER-GENERAL A. W. ROBIN KNIGHTED AIR SPEAKER LANG, A KNIGHT BACHELOR COMMISSIONER CULIEN HONOURED His Ilxoellency the Governor lias been idvisad that 'His Majesty. the King has been graciously pleased to confer the following honours, on the occasion of His •Majesty's Birthday:— ' Brigadier-General A. W. Robin,, C.8., C.M.G., Commandant of the New Zealand ■ Military, Forces, to be a Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George '(K.C.M.G.). The Honourable F. W. Lang, M.P., •' Speaker; of the House "of Representatives, to be a Knight Bachelor. ; J. Cullen, Esq., Commissioner of Police, to be a Companion of the Imperial Ser>ioe Order (1.5.0.).- . . . PERSONALITIES Slit ALFRED ROBIN. Sir Altr-wl Robin, Commandant of. the New Zealand Forces, was formerly in private business in Dunedin, and'in those days took- a keen interest in volunteering as Colonel of tho Otago,.Hussars. He' commanded, the First New Zealand Contingent in South Africa, and was subsequently admitted .'.to', the Companionship ,of tho Bath (C.8.). After the war he commanded the Otago Military. District till the military administration, of this . country was reorganised under a Council .of Defence, on. the plan of tho Army , Council at Hoane. Colonel ltobin was appointed Chief of the General Staff, with the status of. First.Military, Member of the Council,of Defence. .'Later,'on'the're-. Organisation: "of the Defence Forces on the Kitchener plan, Colonel Eobin, was sent to England as New Zealand - ti?e on the Imperial fleneral' Staff, and' on returning: to the i/ominion ' after an absence of about a year, took over'the duties of Quartermaster-General of' the . New Zealand Forces.'.'. On- the departure' of Sir Alexander Godley in 1 command of- . the Main Expeditionary Force: in. 1914, ■ Colonel Robin assumed the command of the Dominion's Home Forces, and shortly , after was given '.the rank -of .'Brigadier-' ~ General. Following-is a note' on his war seryioe, South African.. War, :: Relief of Kimberley. Operations in the ..Orange Free State, -February .to. May, .1800, including: actions at . Dreifontein, llouinnk (Thoba Mountain),--. Vet River (May 5 arid 6), and Zand River. Operations in- the Transvaal in May and June, : •1900, including actions near Johannesburg, .Pretoria, -and.Diamond Hill (June 11 and 12). Operations in the Transvaal past of Pretoria, July; to . October,.-. 1900, including action at Reit Vlei. Operations in the Transvaal west of Pretoria, July to ■ October,. 1900, including action at-Zili- . kats Nek. Operations in Gape- Colony sonth of Orange River, November, 1900, including actions, at Colesberg (January 1 to February. 7). Operations in the ■ Transvaal,. December, : 1900, to February, 1901. Operations in the' Orange'' River Colony, March, >901.. Operations in Cape ■ Colony, February and .March, 1901.' In command Ist N.Z. Contingent, November, 1599, to May, 1900; -aftea-wards in command Ist N.Z. Regiment, May,, 1900, to April,:l9ol. Dispatchos. "London Sazctte," May i, 190.0,-February 8, 1901,--and April 16, ,I'JOl. Queen's medal with S . clasps. C.B.

' . SIR FREDERICK LANG. Sir Frederick Lang • was. born at. Bliiciflieath, Ldnaon, in 1852, and was the youngest son of tho late Oliver Lang, of. Vanbrugli Park, Blackheath. .He was educated at the local echool in his native place, and at the' ago of J9. years .left England for New Zealand. - Landing at. . Auckland''ho 660n found''his',way'to the Waikato,- and took' up faming, near.,tire' Waipsr property' !a*t" Tuhikara'mcu. In -1893 Mr, Lang ■ was elected' to ,a seat in' the House of Ecpre6entatives for Waipa. defeating Mr. Gerald Feacocke by 305. , Three years later; his' electorate having, in the meantime disap- : peared in the periodical redistribution of seats; he was returned for Waikato by an overwhelming', majority.' He was again elected for. Waikato'in 1899: and 1902, but in 1905. when he had sat continuously for 12 years, Mr. H. J. Greenslade defeated him by about 80 votes. Mr.' Lang, however, missed only one session, of Parliament, tor Manakau seat falling -vacant in November, 1906, through the death of Mr. M. M. Kirkbride. he . contested it, and 'was returned by a large majority.' Mr. Lang was for more than, ten years' a member of tho Waipa County Council, of . which he was chairman for six years, and was for some time on the'Waikato Hos-. pital and Charitable Aid Board. In political life he'was an active and consistent member of tho Opposition to tho Seddon and Ward Governments. Himself a farmer, and the representative of a farming district,. he • took special. interest in all measures .relating tcTagriculturo, and was a strong the 'freehold policy:. He held a secure place in the counsels. of his party,, and was highly respected by people ■ of every opinion, both in the House and in, his own district. On the victory of ■ the Reform Partyat the General Election of '1911, he was elected Speaker of the-House, being re-elected by the Parliament' of .1914. COMMISSIONER CULLEN, LSib. Commissioner John Cullen, 1.5.0., was .born in Ireland in 1851; joined the Royal Irish Constabulary; in 1809. remaining there until leaving for New- Zealand in IS7C, when lie became a sergeant in the Colonial Armed Constabulary; sergeant of police in 1878; inspectoi,'lß99. He succeeded 'Commissioner Dinnie about five yuai* ago, and had not long assumed his duties when lio was called upon to super- . viso the police arrangements in. connection with tho Wailii strike, and both in that and in the -big..maritime strike, and also in connection with the arrest of the Maori prophet Rua, . showed conspicuous judgment, firmness, and discretion. ADDITIONAL HONOURS ' MILITARY ORDERS By Telegraph—PrcEg Association-Copyright (Rec. Juno 3, 0.15 a.niT) ' London," June 2. COMPANIONS OF ST. MICHAEL , AND - ST. GEORGE 1 (C.M.G:). —Lieutcn-aut-Colonels Walter'-Alderman, Alexander Charters, Porcival Fenwick. and tho Rev. John Luxford. DISTINGUISHED SERVICE ORDER (D.S.O.).—Lieutenant.-Colonel.'.Robert Grigor, Majors William Austin,- Henry Avery, Herbert Hurst,, George' King, Ralph Wyninn, Captain Guy Powles. MILITARY CROSSES—Captains-George 'Holland, Jaiues Richmond, Lieutenant William Stainton. DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT MEDAL—Army Medical Service: Sergt.-Major F. Moor, Pte. Vardno; Divisional Train: Sergt. F. Jenkins. Infantry: Sergt. J. Francis, Auckland; Corporal H. Rhind,. Canterbury; Sergts. A. Henderson, J. Little, Otago. ROYAL RED CEOSS.-First Class, Misses A. Toose'and AT. Camoron; second class, Miss V. M'Lean.

A substantial reduction in rent was made in a case before the Sydney Fair Rents Court recently. The applicant wan the tenant of a shop and dwelfcng, and ttio premises consisted of six rooms with a frontage of fifteen feet and. a depth of seventy feet, and were built thirty years' ago. The rent was £1 per week. The Government valuer assessed the value of tha land at .£IGO, and the cost of the building at .£SOO. From this he deducted .£l5O for depreciation. The Court determined' fjie fair rent at 255 l per week. MOTOR COMMERCIAL VEHICLES,.