PERSONAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 154, 25 March 1922, Page 8

PERSONAL ITEMS.

The Prime Minister has arranged to leave for the- north to-day. He is to go into the North Auckland district before he returns to Wellington.

The members of the Ministry yesterday presented a travelling rug to the Attorney-General (Sir Francis Bell), who is about to leave on a visit to Britain and Europe. The presentation was made at a meeting, or Cabinet by the Prime . Minister, who assured Sir Francis Bell that he would carry -with him the warm regard and heart} good wishes of his colleagues in the Ministry. The nig was made by tho Petone Woollen Company and is similar to the specially-manufactured ru<y that was presented to the Prince ofTWales when he visited Petone. The Hon. E. P. Lee. Minister of Justice, left by the Wamui yesterday for Blenheim on business connected with his Departments. . Mr. Lee will travel overland to Christchurch, and from there will go direct, with the Controller-General of Prisons (Mr. C. E Matthews) to Invercargill to inspect the Borstal Institution, to which are committed young men undergoing reformative treatment under the prison system. The Minister of Lands (Mr. Guthrie) will go to Feilding on Monday, and will proceed to Auckland by Tuesday s express. He will accompany the Prime Minister to for the turning of the first sod of the H’kurangi drainage works on March 31, and will subsequently visit the Hauraki ’.Plains, and Rangitaiki Plains, and the Waihi swamp. He will bo away from Wellington for about a fortnight. Mr. Justice Hosking returned from Nelson on Thursday evening, and the Chief Justice. Sir Robert Stout, will return from Dunedin to-morrow morning. Mr. Justice Sim, Mr. Justice Adams, and Mr. Justice Stringer are expected to arrive to-day. Mr. H. W. Gould, the recently-ap-pointed assistant town clerk of the Eastbourne Borough Council, attended the meeting of the council for the first time last night, and was welcomed by the Acting-Mayor (Councillor W. H. Shortt) and members of the council. Mr. J-. D. Gray, headmaster of the Bulls District School, is retiring on superannu a tion. Mr. W. Adams, headmaster of the Mangaweka School, and formerly in charge of the Foxton School, has retired on superannuation. Mr. C. E. Dempsy, of Palmerston North, and Mr. J. L. Arcus, of Wellington, accountants, have been appointed for Government audit work at Samoa, and will leave, about the middle of May. They expect to be absent from the Dominion about two months. Mr. W. M. Hannay, formerly manager of the Manawatu Railway Company, is iii a serious stat,? of health. The death occurred at his residence, Kent Terraco, on Wednesday, of Mr. John Gemmell 'Turner, a well-known teacher of music. Mr. Turner was born in Paisley in 1866, and educated there and at Greenock. The late Mr. Turner played over 30 instruments, and acquired his knowledge without assistance. He arrived at Dunedin in 1893, and later decided to settle in M oilington. Ho had resided here continuously ever since. Mr. Turner was appointed examiner in Wellington for banjo, mandolin, and guitar, by the London College of Banjoists, and by the mandoline aud guitar sections of the International Union of Musicians, Ltd. His services and those of his orchestra were always willingly given for any charitable object. He leaves a wile and two daughters, the latter both accomplished musicians. The membership of the Art Advisory Committee, of the Board of Science and Art, lias now been completed by the election of Mr. J. F. Munnings, the well-known Wellington architect.

Mrs. A. E. Carver, of Upland Road, Kelburn, left on a visit to Christchurch by tho Wahine last evening. Tho appointment is announced of Mr. John Baird Thompson as Undersecretary for Lands, in succession to Mr. T. N. Brodrick, 0.8. E., 1.5.0., who is retiring on superannuation. Mr. Thompson was born at Ballymena, County Antrim, Ireland, on December 20, 1868. He served his articles as a civil engineer and surveyor with Messrs. Boylan and Lundon, and Mr. H. S. Vogan, of Auckland, joining the Lands and Survey Department in 1891. In 1893 he passed the. licensed ■‘surveyors’ examination, and was then employed first as assistant surveyor and shortly afterwards as district surveyor in the Auckland land district. The subdivision of land for settlement estates was carried out under his supervision, including Matamata, Selwyn, Te Aukau, Vickerstaffio, and others. He thus gained an intimate knowledge of all phases of land settlement. In 1909 he was appointed drainage engineer for the Hauraki Plains (Piako Swamp), and one year later took over charge of the Raiigitaiki Plains drainage. In 1913 he was appointed chief drainage engineer in charge of the whole of the drainage operations of the Lands and Survey Department throughout New Zealand. In 1920 he. was sent by the Government on a twelve months’ tour of the United States, Canada, and Mexico, for the purpose of investigating and reporting upon the drainage. methods followed in those countries, and to purchase machinery for further drainage development in New Zealand. Mr. Thompson is a licensed surveyor arid a member of the New Zealand Society of Civil Engineers. The death occurred at the Wellington Hospital late on Thursday night of Mr. Norman James Leslie, of Seatoun, a resident of Wellington for over 30 years, and a , brother of Mr. T. W. Leslie, custodian of the Town Hall. As a young fnan the late Mr. Leslie took a' very keen interest in rifle shooting, and as sergeant in the old Wellington Guards, he led one of the best company teams of rifle shots that the province has known, and himself won the Government Gold Star as the best shot in the North Island. Some three years ago Mr. Leslie met with a rather serious accident in falling heavily from a moving tramcar he was attempting to board. He became very ill some weeks ago, and went into the hospital on March 7. The deceased, who was 58 years of alga, leaves thrae daughters (Mrs. Dender, of Wellington, and Misses Leslie (2), and two eons, Messrs. R. and M. Leslie. His eldest son, Mr. Norman Leslie, was killed at Gallipoli. Mr. Robert Hogg, for many years editor of “Truth.” has been granted six months’ leave of absence by the proprietary of the paper, on full pay, and', accompanied by Mrs. Hogg, is about to pay a visit to the Old Country. During his visit he will make a special study of the social and industrial conditions prevailing in th® Old Country. Mr. M. J. Kennedy, who was for many years manager of. the gasworks at Palmerston North, and now general manager of the Wellington Gas Company, was met on Tuesday night by a number of citizens of Palmerston North, and presented with a silver entree dish, and also an address, from the Borough Council, in appreciation of liis services. Mr. J. A. Nash, M.P. (Mayor), who presided, spoke in eulogistic terms of Mr. Kennedy’s work in Palmerston North, his connection with the gasworks extending over 22 years. Complimentary speeches were made by Messrs. J. H. Strong, J. M. Johnston, and H. J. Canton. Mr. A. A. Lucas, one of the , proprietors of the Nelson “Mail.” is,in Wellington, after a holiday trip which, took him ;to the- fan* north of the Auckland district. . He never saw the sun from tho time he went north till he returned to Wellington. He was present at the Methodist Church centenary celebrations, and speaks in glowing terms of the wonderful, interest taken in the services. Mr. C. H. Clinkard was yesterday morning admitted as a solicitor of tlie Supreme Court by Mr. Justice Hosking, on the motion of Mr. H. H. Cornish. Mr. Clinkard is about to commence practice in Wanganui.