PERSONAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 304, 17 September 1921, Page 6

PERSONAL ITEMS

Mr. W. G. Riddell, -S.M., Wellington, arrived in Auckland by tho Maheno from Sydney, accompanied by his wife and daughter;, "after spending a few weeka’ vacation in Australia. Mr. Riddell will spend a few days in Auckland before coming on to Wellington. .

Among the passengers by the Remuera, which is due in New Zealand at the end of the month, is Sir Thomas Wriglit Parkinson, the well-known London surgeon. He is the third son - of the.late Mr. T. H. Parkinson, of Kaituna, and received his early education in Christ--church. He went'io Edinburg. University in 1886, and graduated M. 8., C.M., in 1890, M.D., and D.P.H. in 1898, with honours in anatomy, zoology, medicine, and surgery. Since 1900 he has been practising in London. He was physician to the late Marquis of Milford Haven. A Press Association cable message from London states that lhe following have passed the examinations of tne Institute of Actuaries: —Messrs/ Grcaly (Brisbane), part 1, section A ; A. Polden (Sydney), part 1, section B; R. IV. Lavery (Wellington), part 1, section B;. C. Gostelow (Wellington), part 3, section A. Mr. Gostelow js assistanfcactuary of tho National Provident Fund Depart; inent, and Mr. Lavery also belongs, to the same Department. Previous to coming to Wellington, five months ago. .Mr.' Gostelow had been associated /with the Sydney City Mutual Life Society, as assistant-actuary. Mr. Polden is connected with the Mutual Life and .Citizens’ Assurance . Co., Ltd.. . Sydney, of the staff of which Mr.. Gostelow . was formerly a member.

Mr. Leigh Hunt has been confined to his house for some days past,, but is. now well on the .road to recovery.. Mr. F. Death, of the' Internal Affairs Department, who has been -custodian, of the Customs Buildings, Wellington, for a number of years, retired on superannuation on Thursday. Before leaving ho was. met by the officers employed' in the building, and presented with a case of pipes and a, silver teapot as a token of their esteem and good wishes for his future health and ' prosperity in his well-earned retirement. Councillor W. H. Bennett, who has been granted three months’ leave of absence by the Wellington City Council, is leaving for Perth (W.A.) shortly, to realise on certain • suburban lands bought in that city some fifteen years ago by New Zealanders. Mrs.-Bennett will :jjso make the trip.

Mrs. Janies Grant, wife of an cx-Mayor of Woodville, died at Wopdvillo On Tuesday after a short illness. The funeral took place on Thursday,'and ivas largely attended. Messrs. J. Pv. Anderson (president) and W. Hunter (secretary) represented the Shorthorn .Association, and Major Ashworth the Manawatu Caledonian Society. j

■ Mr. F. Coyle, who has been for the past two years and a half custodian of the. new' Government . departmental buildings in Christchurch, and who has "been promoted to the position -of .'.in--specter of messengers, Wellington, .was the recipient of a presentation from the stjfff" of the Department of Internal Affairs. Mr. L. E. Bellamy, inspector of weights and measures, on; behalf of the staff, presented Mr. 'Coyle with - a svitciise. and expressed the good wishes of all for Mr. Coyle’s success.

One of the educational pioneers . of South Canterbury, Mr. T. A. Walker, died at Timaru this week. Mr. Walker came to New Zealand 45 years ago from Brighton (Sussex) as a teacher, and his first appointment was as master of the Washdyke school. Later he was appointed master of the Gleniti school, where he remained for eight years till the Waimataitai ( school was opened in. ISB3, when he was chosen as its .first headmaster. One of his pupils at this ■ school was the present Secretary for Education. (Mr. Alex. Boll). On leaving Waimataitai Mr. Walker went to the West Coast, where he continued teaching for some years till he was appointed Inspector of Special Schools —a position which he filled until five years ago tvheii he retired on superannuation! and settled in Wellington. With his wife he went to. Timaru on Saturday last, intending to live there for the remainder of his days. He ,was then, apparently in good health, and was looking forward with .pleasurable anticipations to spending the evenings of his life among the staunch friends he had made in earlier days. But he was taken suddenly ill on Tuesday, and died within a. few hours, from an affection of the heart. ; Mr. C. K. Wilson has been appointed to represent the Auckland Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union at the conference of. the Good Roads Association called in Wellington for September 28.

The Rev. F. R. Jeffreys, superintendent of the Auckland Presbyterian Social Service Association, has returned by the Tofua, much benefited in health after his trip round the Islands. Mr. Jeffreys is also probation officer in Auckland. Captain Yeo, of the Naval Staff. Wellington, who left, for the Pacific Islands in H.M.S. Chatham. ' has returned to Auckland by the Tofua.

Mr. Charles Berkeley ImV. arrived in Wellington to make advance arrange; ments for the "Welcome Stranger” Company-

-Miss Mabel Esqiiilant (contralto) and Mr. Henry Pargetfer have been selected to complete the Choral Union’s list of principals in”"’connection with the performance'of "The Golden Legend.”