PERSONAL MATTERS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 109, 10 May 1909, Page 7

PERSONAL MATTERS.

The Hon. R. M'Nab was a passenger for Lyttelton by the Pateena on Saturday. Sir George Clifford and Mr. J. W. Abbott returned from Napier on Saturday night. Mr. C. J. Reakes, Chief Government Veterinarian, left for Auckland to-day on departmental business. The Hon. J. Carroll is at present on a visit to Gisborne. He will return to Wellington at the end of the week. The appointment of the Hon. Thomas 'Mackenzie as Minister for .Agriculture as from the Ist inst., is officially announced. Surgeon-Major J. <R. Purdy has been appointed Acting-Director-General of Medical Services of the New Zealand Defence Forces. The (Minister for Railways fHon. J. A. Millar) will leave for the South this evening on a tour of inspection of the Canterbury and 'West Coast railways. On Sunday last Mr. C. H. Chatwin, on behalf of the congregation at the Roseneath Churchroom, presented Mr. Gerald Bell with a token of esteem for services rendered as organist during tho past yeai\ Mr. H. Nelson, last year's president of the Wellington Boxing Association, and this yeai a vice-president, has been elected president of the New Zealand Boxing Council, on Che nomination of the Wellington Association. The Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) will leave for the South to-mor-row evening. On Wednesday he will attend a ''social" in honour of Mr. T. H. Davey, M.P., and is expected to return to Wellington on Friday. On Friday, reports a New Plymouth paper, the death took place of Mrs. Dive, wife of >Mr. Bradshaw Dive, M.P. for Egmont. The deceased lady had been ill for several months. Heart trouble was the cause of death. Mr. Charles S. Stuart, who has been director of the Cambridge Band for the past nine years, has received the appointment of conductor to the Invercargill Town Band, says the Cambridge correspondent to the New Zealand Herald. 'Mr. T. Humphries, ex-Surveyor-General, is this afternoon being presented iy the Prime Minister, on behalf of Che officers of the (Land and Survey Department of New Zealand, with a mark of esteem on his retirement after fifty-one years' service. Captain Peter Ewing, an old .Wellington boy, at present in command of the 6.5. Ninian, a large cargo 'steamer, was admitted to the Glasgow Royal Infirmary recently suffering from a bad attack of .pleurisy. He mad« a wonderful recovery, and it is understood that he has rejoined his ship. A picturesque figure is lost to the British Army by the death of General Robert Napier Raikes, which occurred on 22nd. March, at Eastbourne (reports the 'London Telegraph). The general was 95, and it was his proudest boast to be the "Father" of the Army to which he had given distinguished service. Despite his great age, he stood erect, the pattern of a fine old soldier, and took an interest ed part in the affairs of the town in which he spent his last years. General ißaikds was born, two yoare before Waterloo was fought, at Drayton, pi which parish his father was incumbeiit. He was one of six brothers, all of whom entered the service of the old "John Company." After a period of training at Addifioombe, he obtained a commission as ensign in the Bengal Army when 16 years of age. His serious service began in the i&walior Campaign of 1843, when the outbreak of the Mahratta Slate for a time threatened "Biitish supremacy. Eight years later he was in Burmah, having rejoined his old regiment, the 67th Bengal Native Infantry, with which he participated in the capture of Rangoon. The outbreak of the Mutiny found him, now a brevet-major, in command of a detachment of the Ist Gwalior Cavalry at Mynpoorie. Obliged to leave there, he managed to convey the treasure to safety, Ibut when marching to Agra his men, a few miles distant from that town, lefused to go further. His personal Eopulurity with the Sepoys was shown y their conduct. Though mutinous, they lined the road and saluted as he rode on to lAgra alone. Not a man attempted to hinder him. With the (Mutiny, General Raikes' war record closed. He remained in India to^ complete forty years' service, returning to England a colonel in 1869. Afterwards he became major-general in 1877, lieutenant.general 1879, and general ten years later. Ho was a grandson of Robert Raike§, the founder of the Sundayschools, whom he well remembered.