PERSONAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 49, 22 November 1918, Page 4

PERSONAL ITEMS

The Minister of Defence • (Sir James Allen) yesterday paid a visit of inspection to Featherston Camp. ' .

Tho death occurred yesterday morning at the Wellington College Hospital of Mr. Walter Dawson, personal clerk to the Secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department:,' and an officer who by reason of his ability, tact, and personality was held in the highest esteem by every member of tho head office staff. Mr. Dawson was struck down by influenza on Sunday week. The deceased, who was a son of Mr. H. I. Dawson, formerly postmaster at Onahunga, was 37 years of age. He leaves a widow (who is suffering from influenza in the Thorndon School Hospital) and ono child. Mr. W. P.. Morris, Secretary of the P-\st and Telegraph Office, continues to in,ike satisfactory progress towards recovery fron an attack of influenza. Mr. F V." Waters (Assistant-Secretary) is reported to be very seriously ill. Lieutenant-Colonel .Sleeman, Director of Military Training, is recovering from influenza and pneiimo-coraplica'rions, and it is hoped will be up within another week. The Rev. P. Stacy Wsddy, M.A. (Oxon.), one of the noted inter-Stato cricketing,family in Now South Wales, and formerly 'headmaster of King's School, Parramatta, N.S.W., has been appointed canon to the Anglican Cathedral at Jerusalem, Palestine. Followers of Rugby football will hear with deep regi;et the news of the death from influenza complications of Mr. D. D. Weir, chairman of the Management Committee of tho Wellington Rugby Union, which took place at St. John's temporary hospital last night. Tho late Mr. Weil- possessed a strikingly energetic personality, and he was a very prominent'figure in the Rugby world. He was about 4G years of age, a nd came to Wellington from Oamnru some years ago. He represented the Wellington Club as a forward, but war, connected latterly with tho administrative side of the game. As a delegato of the Ilt.wke's Hay Union ho had been a member of tho New Zealand Rugby Union. During the war period, Mr. Weir fi.ed the position of chairman of the Management Committee of the Wellington Union. Perhaps the most pronounced achievement with which the late Mr. Weir was concerned was .that in connection with the Athletic Park Retention Fund. Owing to financial embarrassments, a possibility arose of the Park being lost to Rugby. Desoto the fact that many of Wellington's foremost players were absent at the front, the Rugby Union decided to take steps to save the popular football groiuid., A great campaign was started to raise a sum of ,£3OOO for tho purpose, and Mr. Weir, Dr. P. F. M'Evedy, and the members of the local union, associated with otlier Rugby devotees, worked with such success that a sum of ..£2OOO was collected. The fact of the 1918 football season having been satisfactory from the standpoint of tho "gate" was largely attributable to the arduous efforts of tho late Mr. Weir, who was loyally supported by the members of the. Management Committee. Tho late Mr. Weir was in the employ of tho Railway Department, and was on the office staff at tho Petone Railway Workshops. Ho was a single man, and enlisted for active service during the war, but was rejected for medical reasons. Ho resided at the Albert Hotel. The funeral of tho deceased will take place to-day, leaving the mortuary chapel of Mr. E. Morris, jun., at 3 p.m.

Amongst tho deaths recorded last evening was that of Mr. B. Jj- Hart, of Messrs. B. L. Hart and Co., wire-wovo mattress and bedding manufacturers, of Tory Street. The' deceased was taken ill soino nine days ago, and has been in a precarious stato for. the ipast threo days. For a long time Mr. and Mrs. Hart resided at the Albert Hotel, but a few months ago took a flat in Roxburgh Street. The firm has done a great deal of work for the Defence authorities during the war period. ■ Tho deceased leaves a widow (who is .also a sufferer from influenza) and one child, Tho interment will take place to-day.

Mr. S. Robinson (secretary of tho Wellington Hospital Board), who has been laid up with influenza, was about for a while veslcrday.

, Mr. R. W. M'Villy, of tho Railway Department, who is reported to bo suffering from influenza, wus ono of the only two railway officers in Dunedin who weathered the epidemic of 1890, and.remained on duty right through tho period.

Mr. John Archibald Currie, who died yesterday from influenzn, was attached to the staff of the Money-Order and Savings Bank branch of tho Wellington Chief Post Office. He had boen in tho employ of the Post and Telegraph Department for nearly seventeen years. For some years prior to his trnnsfer to Wellington he was a member of the staff of the Chief Post Office, Westport. His parents reside at Westport. The only other brother has just returned from tho war.

Mr. Thomas Brown, whose death from influenza is reported, had been an officer of the Post and Telegraph Department for tho past sixteen years. He v;ik attached to the staff of the accountant's branch, General Post Office, for somo years, and was afterwards postmaster at Tokaanu. At the time of his death Mr. Drown was postmaster at Ashhurst. A. widow and iwo children are left to mourn their loss.

Tho death occurred yesterday morning of influenza of Mr. John Kane,' of tho staff of the Rova! Oalc Hotel, a man well known by the' travelling public of Now Zealand.

Mr. It. D. Hanlon, chemist, • Molesworth Street, who has been laid aside by a. severe attack of influenza, returned to business yesterday.

Tho death of a well-known Oaniaru citizen in the jierson of Mr. James Macdonald is reported. He was a. well-known ride shot, and at one time was president of tho Oamaru Caledonian Society. Ono of his sons, Archibald, was killed in | South Africa in a railway accident when a member of the Boer War Expedition. Another son made, the. supreme sacrifico' in the present war. There are two sons left. David, now in Trentham Camp, and William, who is an engineer in Sydney.

Mr. William Little, of Argyle East, AYaipawa, Hawke's Bay, died at his brother's residence, Papenui Kn-ul, Christ church, - on Sunday al'ter an attack of influenza. He was visiling Christchurch as cue of the judges at the recent metropolitan show. . The deceased leaves a widow and family or three sons and 'three daughters.

Mr. Samuel Patterson, of Ay res Ifotel, AYcstport, who died at Christchurch on Saturday evening, was president of the Wesfport Jockey Club. Tie was a keen sportsman, and went to Chrisfcliuroh to attend the Cup meeting. While there he contracted influenza, from the effects of which ho died.

Jlr. G. V. Pearce, If .P., and his two daughters, who have been down for a week with influenza, at; the Boyal Oalc Hotel, arc now all making satisfactory progress.

Of late years thero was no better known cricketer in Wellington than Mr. Win. [i. L. Gibbes, and sincere regret will bo felt at his death from inlluenzn, which occurred yesterday. Born in Sydney, the late Mr. liibbes came to Wellington when finite a young ii'an, and opened liis New Zealand cricketing career' by 'jlaying in the Wednesday competition. "Later he joined the Phoenix Club, and at once made his mark. While playing for the club Mr. Gibbes won the J. If. Cock Cup, awarded to the best all-round nlnyer in the club. On tho institution of the district scheme, Mr. Gibbes joined tho East. Club, for which combination ho did excellent work. He captained the club in his last playing season. . On one occasion the late Mr. Gibbes was associated with a clnbinate. in a stand for 220 runs. The _ deceased represented Wellington province several times, some of his ljp-t scores lining—Bl against Auckland, G1 against Hawke's Hay, and 76, 75, and 59 not out ivrainst Canterbury. Mr. Gibbes leaves a widow and one son. Private R. J. Trcngrove, late of Motahovn. Gisborne, who died of pneumonia at Featherston Camp on November 15, leaves a widow and ono child. Second-Lieutenant A. It. King, of tho commercial staff of Tiie Dominion, is reported to have been wounded on November i. Second-Lieutenant King, who went away with the Second Reinforcement, is reported to be a "not severe case." Dr. C. F. Pattie, who has been incapacitated for duty by tho prevailing epidemic, is making satisfactory process, and expects to be back in' harness shortly. A Press Association telegram states that Mr. Thomas Green, known as tho father of Gore, the town's first Mayor and a successful business man, died last night after a long illness, aged soventynine. Mr. E. Eldridge, representative of the Dominion Compressed Yeast Co., Ltd., Christcliurch, and who lately opened a temporary depot in this citv, has been down with an attack of influenza since Friday last, and in consequence the depot has been closed. Mr. Eldridgo'is progressing favourably. A prominent resident of Plimmerton, Mr. Donald Robertson, died there on Wednesday afternoon from influenza. Deceased was a native of Wellington, 41 years of age, and a 6on of the late Mr. John Robertson, a builder, who was well known in South Wairarapa. Mr. Donald Robertson attended the Featherston Stale School, and afterwards went' to Wellington College, where he had a bvil/liant career, winning several scholarships and becoming dux of the school. After acting as a pupil teacher for a short time he entered the field of journalism. About fifteen years ago he began business as a storekeeper at Plimmerton, and carried on in that line until four years ago, when he joined the staff of the Railway Stores Department, and remained in the service until his death. He was exceedingly popular, and was in the forefront of all local movements. He was twice married. By his first wife, a daughter of Mr. Isaacs, Aro Street, ,he has left three' children. Six months ago he was married to Miss Gwen Thompson, of Timaru. Mr. E. G. Robertson, of Featherston, and Mrs. W. F. Williams, of Paraparaumu, are brother and sister respectively of the deceased.

The Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal has been awarded to Ca.ptain John Godfrey Cook, Unattached List (b), ho having a total service of over twenty years.

Tho funeral of the late Mr. Henry AY. Oban, licensee of the Shamrock Hotel, took place yesterday. The executive of the Wellington Licensed Victuallers' Association, of which the deceased was a member, was represented by Messrs. P. J. Griffin, J. M'Parland, and R. Dwyer.

Mr. Evan Parry, Chief Government Electric Engineer, has resigned his position to take up an important appoint, ment in tho Old Country. It is tHught that Mr. Parry will be succeeded by Mr. Lawrence Birks, who is in charge of tho hydro-electrical installation at Lake Coleridge. Mr. Birks has liad a great deil of experience in connection ivith the electrical undertakings of tht> L'ublic Works Department. A statement on tho matter will be made to Parliament by the Minister of Public Works tSir AYilliam. Eraser).