PERSONAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 122, 21 February 1928, Page 8

PERSONAL ITEMS

The Minister of Health (Hon. J. A. Young) returned to Wellington from Hamilton yesterday.

The Mayor (Mr. G. A. Troup) will be one of tlie spokesmen at the reception to be accorded to the bowlers from Victoria at the Wellington Club’s green this afternoon.

Dr. J. H. Beaumont left last night for Hamilton to attend the Medical Conference.

Drs. Talbot, Dawson, Hill, and Anderson left Wellington yesterday' for Hamilton to attend the annual conference of the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association, which will open there to-morrow. Lieutenant-Colonel F. Symon, Director of Artillery, arrived in Wellington from the south on Sunday. He left by the Limited express for Ngaruawahia last night to inspect the Ist Field Battery.

Visiting Wellington at the present time is Air. J. Weir, of the firm of, R. and H. Green aud S. Weir, of . Fenchurch Street, London. The late Mt. William Bennett, who died as a result of an explosion of gelignite, was a well known Nelson resident, having been in business as a plumber until a few years ago. He had been a promient footbaler and member of the Rival Club, and had had a long period of active membership in the Fire Brigade, holding the position of foreman at the time of his death. —Special. The funeral of the late Mr. D. H. Mackenzie, son of the Mayor of Petone (Mr. D. Mackenzie), took place on Saturday afternoon at the Taita Cemetery. Tha Rev. T. C. Loan, of Petone, conducted a service at the house and at the graveside. The funeral was one of the largest ever seen at Petone, including representatives of the Borough Councils of Petone, Lower Hutt, and Eastbourne, the directors and staff of the firm of Levin and Co., of whom the deceased was an employee, and also a large number of friends and members of various sports bodies and clubs'. . Mr. H. Mainland and Mr. Fawcett (Auckland) went south by the ferry steamer last night to attend the conference of the New Zealand Builders’ Federation in Christchurch to-day. An early settler of the Auckland province, Major Benjamin Harris, died recently at his residence, Epsom at the age of 92 years. Born in Lisburn, Ireland, in 1836, Major Harris came to New Zealand with his parents in 1947. His boyhood was spent at East Tamaki, anil when about 22 years of age he took up farming at Pukekohe. When the New Zealand with his parents in 1847. he served as a trooper in the Otahuhu Volunteer Cavalry. In 1863 he led the 65th Regiment through the Native tracks into the Maori settlement at Tuakau. During the progress of the Waikato War he was several times under fire, and subsequently received the New Zealand war medal. He was granted the long service medal also Major Harris served on the Auckland Provincial Council from 1871 to 1876. In 1879 he was elected to Parliament as member for Franklin, holding the seat until 1896. In 1897 lie was appointed to the Legislative Council, resigning his appointment in 1923. Major Harris leaves a widow, one son, Mr. W. Harris, a settler on the East Coast, and three daughters, Mrs. W. Glasson, of Epsom, Mrs. J. T. Bosworth, of Palmerston North, aud Mrs. F, Short, of Opotiki.