BIRTHDAY HONORS

Dunstan Times, Issue 3378, 13 June 1927, Page 5

BIRTHDAY HONORS

SIR LOUIS BARNETT,

The .splendid service of ,Dr Barnett to Dunedin Hospital and to the city and dominion needs no laboring, and the title bestowed on him will be generally acclaimed worthily won. Amongst many civic services was Ins gift of £B,OOO to Otago University for the endowment of the Ralph Barnett chair of surgery, in memory of a son who was killed in the Great V\ar; and a gift of Cl,ooo to the medical library. . Louis Edward Barnett was born in Wellington in 1805. His early education was obtained at a primary school in Wellington, and subsequently at Wellington College, which he entered as the holder ol a scholarship. At Wellington College he, gained in his last year a junior university scholarship, .and came to Dunedin and attended classes in the Medical School ; proceeding afterwards to Edinburgh University. There he graduated 51.1 L, C.M., witn first class honors, in 1888. and after taking his degree he went to London. After some months’ work there ho was appointed to the position at house surgeon at the TM.iddle.sex Hospital, whore he remained for two years. He obtained the qualification of F.ILC.S. of England in 1890. On returning to New Zealand he settled in Dunedin, where he has practised almost continuously ever since. He was appointed lecturer' in surgery in tiic University of Otago in .1895. In 19U8 ho was raised to the status of professor, and held that position up to J924, when he resigned, being succeeded by Mr Gordon Bell, and was granted Hie rank of emeritus prolessor, ilu was elected nresident of the section of surgery at the intercolonial Medical Congress in 19U2, and became president of the conference of the New Zealand Medical Association in 190/. Ho scrvocl the New Zealand "Expeditionary Eoreo from 1915 to 1917. with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, for the latter year being consultant surgeon to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. In 1918 he received the honor ol U.M.G. The position of distinction he hold m the profession was recognised by the fact that he was elected president ol the Australasian Medical Congress, and was inducted into that office at the opening of the sittings of the congress in this' city in February last. He 11 the author of various articles, which have appeared in professional journals on hvdatid disease and radium treatment” of cancer. In 1892 he married Mabel Violet, daughter ol the late lion. James Fulton, M.L.C,

ai[? A, T. NGATA. '1 lie Hon. Sir Apirana Turupa Ngata was born on July 81, 1574, at Ivawakaiva. To Aroma, near die East Capo, l ie attended the' Native village school at Waioinatatini until 1881, and in 188-. went to Te Ante College until IShO, in which year ho matriculated. The following rear he went to Canterbury College, whore, alter two years’ study, ho took his 15.A. degree, and was also runner-np lor the senior scholarship pi political science, lie became articlud to the late Sir Thcophilns Cooper, and in May, 181 M, look Ins M.A., degree iv i t !i lionors in jiolitieal science, and thenceforth studied law, obtaining the decree of ldi.il. in 18UG. Jn 1897 lie was admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of New Zealand. On tlie formation of the To Ante Student s’ Association (the young Maori partv) be was appointed travelling secretary. width necessitated bis giving up his practice, and taking up the duties ot initialing re fur ms in the sanitation and undertaking communal sheen farmin'’ aiming the Maoris of the East (’oast. In (Stilo lie was elected M . P. lor the East .Maori electorate, which seat ire still holds, and from Ihbh to (<!|o j... s;! t as Minister without a portfolio in (lie Ward Cabinet. Sir A. T. Ngata lias sat on numerous Koval CommlWous, among them being the I'JU-5

Commission .under the Native Lands Act, 1904, the Commission of Inquiry into tho To Ante and Wanganui Trusts in 1906, and the 1907 Native Land Tenure Commission. He was also secretary to tho Maori Congress Commission in 1907,

MR G. J. LITTLE. Mr U. J. Little, C.8.E., served with tho Coldstream Guards during the Avar, aiid Avas A.D.C. to General Sir Charles Fergusson Avhilc tho latter Avas Governor of German occupied territory. Ho came out to New Zealand Avith His Excellency, Avhose private secretary ho now 1S Mr F. J. Jones, M.V.0., 1.5.0., the present chairman of the Hail way Board, was born in 1874, and at the ago of fifteen joined the railway service at Dunedin, and for the ensuing five years Avas located successively at Oamaru, Wellintgon, and Auckland, becoming a draughtsman at tho last-named place in 1894. lie Avas appointed assistant engineer at Dunedin in 1899, and later was transferred to Wellington, In 1901 Mr Jones Avas promoted to the position of district engineer at Greymouth, end later filled a similar position at Wellington. Wanganui, Auckland, and Dunedin, lie became supervising engineer at Wellington in 1920, assistant chief engineer in 1922, and chief engineer in 1924. Consequent upon the report of tho Fay-Haven Commission, Mr Jones became chairman of the Raihvay Board in December, 1924. Mr Jones carried through all his professional studies Avhile in the department’s service. Ho is iioav a member of the Institute of Civil Engineers, London, and a member and past president of the Ncav Zealand Society of Civil Engineers, and lie also holds the rank of colonel and director of railways Avitli the Defence Department. The heavy responsibility for tho cffectiA'c carrying out of the rail transport arrangements in connection Avith tlie Royal visit fell on Mr Jones, and during the course of the tour His Royal Highness took occasion to compliment the staff employed and the department on the excellence of tho Avork. The hoard’s chairman was invested Avith the M.V.O- (Member of the Victorian Order, Fourth Class).