PERSONAL MATTERS.

Evening Post, Volume LXIX, Issue 51, 2 March 1905, Page 5

PERSONAL MATTERS.

Tho Nativo Ministor left for tho North this morning. Tho Under-Secretory for Public Works (•Mr. 11. J. 11. Blow) is on a visit of inspection to 'the Nelson district. Mr. R. A. Judd, of Manners-street, is sufficiently recovered from his recent ill - ness to bo able to get about again. Mr. W. J. Bimlslpy, Secretary of tho Timaru Harbour Board, is at present in Wellington. He is nlnmt to mako a holiday visit to Australia. Mr. W. A. Parkinson, proprietor of tho Hawoin Star, accompanied by Mrs. Parkinson, is leaving by tho Moornki to day on a trip to Australia. Mr. S. Clarko Johnson, of the New Zciilnnd Loan and Mercantile- Company, Limited, leaxes Wellington today en route for London via Melbourne. Captain J. ¥i. Hume, t»f Iho Now Zealand Pi-iinanent Artillery, at present stationed in Wellington, is about to bo promoted to Hie mnk of Major. Mr. G. S. Mahon, manager and engineer of tho Wellington Electric Light nnd Power Company, Limited, will leave by tho Sonoma next week on a business visit to America. Mi. Harry Musgrovo arrived by tho Mooraki from Sydney yesterduy, on route to Diinediu, to make arrangements for a season of Mr. George Musgrove's new English company, \vhuh opens in tho southern city on 18th inst. During a recent visit to the King of Belgium to the Royal Conservatoire of Music at Brussels, tlio 'cellist son of Mr. '1 row ell, of this city, had tho honour (with two others) of being presented as distinguished students to His Majesty. When M. Jacobs presented the throe boys to the King ns Rildstein of Russia, Tceland of Holland, and Trowell of New Zealand, His Majesty enquired which of the tlireo was tho Knglishmuti, and afterwards spent some time in pleasant chut with tho trio. One of the arrivals in Wellington by the steamer Atheuic was Mr. Jiwnos Morton, Chairman of the Natal Land Board, a body appointed under an Act passed by tho Natal Legislature last session. Being on a visit to this colony with his wife and family, ho intends to make use of tho ocension by studying the conditions of our system of closor settlement of land, and particularly our dairying methods. A Post reporter interviewed Mr. Morton, who slated that a start had jiibl been inado towards closer settlement in Natal by the purchase from privato landowners of certain suitable land, which wns now being cub up for closer settlement, arrangements having been made, and water workw completed, wheroby ."•ettlers may select farms oither ontiroly irrigable, or wholly above the water course, or partly of each of these hinds, under a 99 years' leaso, in lots varying from a few acres upwards. Ono of his objects is to soo wliat portions of our closer sottlement can he made applicnblo to Natal, especially that pertaining to dairying, pig rearing, fruit, etc. Mr. Morton funks that for tho present tho chief hopo of tho tenant under closer settlement in Natal is dairying, and ho adds: "I need hurdly point out that a man with a working fumily will have a better clinnco of success, because in Natal tho dairy farmer especially finds tho labour n difficult question."