PERSONAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 54, 27 November 1928, Page 13

PERSONAL ITEMS

VICE-REGAL. His Excellency the Governor-General (Sir Charles Fergusson) left for Dunedin last night to attend the annual communication of the Grand Lodge of Freemasons. He will return to Wellington on Friday morning. The Hon. F. J. Rolleston left for the South last night by the Wahine. The Mayor (Mr. G. A. Troup) will preside at the opening of the Wellington Horticultural Society's show in the Town Hall at 3 p.m. to-morrow. The Commissioner of Police, Mr. W. B. Mcllveney, left for Christchurch last night. Lieut.-Colonel F. Symon, director of artillery, arrived from the south by the Wahine on Sunday. Mr. R. E. Chester, of the Royal Academy of Music staff of examiners, will leave Auckland for Sydney by the Aorangi on December 31; There he will connect with the Orama for Naples.

A well-known farmer of the Pahiatua and Takapai. districts, Mr. G. H. Crowe, has died at Takauini, aged 79,' states an Auckland Press Association message. Mr. Crowe was born at Hobart, and came to New Zealand with his parents when one year old. He lived in Wellington for 50 years, before taking up farming. He retired 12 years ago, and came to live with a son at Takanini. There are six children, six step-children, and a number of grandchildren and several great-grandchild-ren.

Mr. George L. Harrison, formerly deputy-governor, has been elected governor of the New York Federal Reserve Bank, succeeding Mr. Benjamin Strong, who recently died, aged 56, and who had been governor since 1914 (states an Australian Press Association message).

Major-General W. Lassiter, of the United States, has arrived in Auckland. Mr. B. Gotlieb, a member of the United States Consulate-General in Wellington, is visiting Auckland. Mr. James Storrie, of Christchurch, who was taken ill at Wellington when on his way to the Presbyterian General Assembly, was accorded a motion of sympathy by the assembly at Auckland on Saturday. At a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Southern Cross Assuranca Co., Ltd., Mr. F. R. Burnham, general secretary for New Zealand, was the recipient of . a silver tea and coffee service, the gift of Mr. T. J. Confoy, governing director, who is at present on a visit to the Dominion. Sir Joseph Ward, New Zealand chairman of directors, in making the presentation on behalf of Mr. Confoy, referred to the enterprise shat had been recently displayed by Mr. Burnham in furthering the company’s interests. Mr. Confoy’s gift exemplifies his appreciation of instances of personal initiative shown by officers of the company.

At the meeting of the Technical College Board of Governors last night the (chairman (Mr. W. H. Bennett) expressed the hope that members of the board would enjoy the Christmas and New Year holidays. He also wished Mr. L. R. Partridge and his family a pleasant trip when they left for the Old Country, and hoped that he would return restored to health and strength. Mr. Partdige said he was on this occasion making the trip for pleasure, although he might take the opportunity to visit some schools while in England.

Mr. H. J. Robinson, who recently retired from the headmastership of the Picton Primary School, has the remarkable record of all hjs appointments in his 41 years teaching being confined within a radius of 20 miles in the Marlborough district. His parents left Hertfordshire in 1554 and came to New Zealand in the Sir More McNab. They landed at Nelson, and later went to Wairoa. Blenheim then went under the name of Beavertown, being at the junction of the rivers which provided the only means of transport in those days. Mr. Robinson was born in Marlborough, and when entering on his teaching career married the daughter of Mr. Edward Tregear, then head of the Labour Department, and who became the author of many well-known books, including “The Maori Race,” and the Maori Polynesian dictionary—the only one of its kind and a valuable record which to-day is recognised as a textbook on the subject. Defence cadets were started at Blenheim School 50 years ago. Mr. Robinson joined them in 1884, four years later becoming an officer, then a volunteer, and afterwards a territorial officer. He reached the rank of lieutenant-colonel, and commanded the Twelfth Regiment from 1917-20. He has only just been transferred to the retired list, and has been complimented upon his long period of service by His Excellency the GovernorGeneral and the Commandant of the Forces, General Young. He has been awarded the Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officer’s decoration in recognition of his long service, during 40 years of which he was an officer. In his younger days he was captain of the Marlborough School representative football team and later represented Marlborough, playing against Wellington in 1895, when Wellington scraped home by 17 points to 15.