PERSONAL MATTERS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 36, 13 February 1911, Page 7

PERSONAL MATTERS.

_ The Hon. G. Fowlds returned to Wellington from Auckland on Saturday evening. The Hon. C. M. Luke, M.L.C., left "for Rotorua to-day, on a short visit to. hie de-ughter, Mre. Birks. Mr. M'Kibbin, the present Mayor of iWoodville, will tnke up his residence at the Lower Hutt in April. Captain W. H. Doig, of the Sixth Battalion Seaforth Highlanders, arrived fromi England on Saturday by the Ton-gznh-Q, on a health visit to these parts. Mr. A. Guise is carrying out the ifiuties of private secretary to His Excellency the Governor, and Mr. A. C. I?ay is acting as assistant private secretary. "\lr. S. Fitzherbert, of Lower Hutt, returned to Wellington from a visit; to (England by the Tongariro. Dr. Moore and Mr. W. Quick weTe passengers from 'Hobart by the same steamer. Mr. C. S. Nixon, Collector of Gustoma at Wellington, leaves Tor Sydney by the Moeraki next Friday. . Mr. Nixon has been granted three months' leave of absence owing to ill-health. The Re-v. J. Dawson, secretary of the ■New Zealand Alliance, returned from south by the Maori yesterday morning. He proceeded to-day to Wanganui, and is expected to return on Tuesday evening. Mr. E. E. Statham, solicitor, has definitely decided to contest Dunedia Central at the general election in the Opposition interest (telegraphs our Dxmedm correspondent). Mr. Arnold, sitting member, will be his opponent. Mr. Norman M. Keane, of the Mullingar mine, South Rhodesia, South Africa, left for Auckland by to-day's Main. Trunk express. Mr. Keane travelled from Capetown by the TongarirOj which arrived here on Saturday. Lieut. -Colonel Chavtor returned on Saturday from a visit of inspection to the Taranaki, Wanganui, and Masterton districts. To-morrow he will leave to inspect the East Coast Infantry Battalion in camp at Napier, and subsequently .visit the camp at Woodville. Mr. H. Horton, of the New Zealand 'Herald, and Mr. L. P. Blundell, of the Evening Post, will leave Wellington tgnight for Queens-town, for the purpose of attending a meeting of the directors of the New Zealand Press Association, to be held there this week. Captain J. H. Highrnan, well known SB. local shipping circles some years back, is on a visit to the Dominion, having arrived from London by the Tongariro on Saturday. Captain Highman vras an officer on the New Zealand Shipping Company's old Kaikoura about 1884. He subsequently brought the Union Steam Ship Company's steamer Brunner out from England, and later was an officer on. the Arawatta, leaving her to take up the position ai secretary to the {Marine Officers' Union at the time of the maritime strike in 1890. Latterly Captain Highman has been in command of a Peruvian cruiser on the coast of Pern. , A party consisting of Mr. and Mr*. G. Winder, Mr. and Mrs. F. Townsend, Mr. and Mrs. W. Smith, Mr. and Mtb. J. P. Luke, of Wellington, and Mrs. Peter Miller, of Dunedin, has just concluded a three weeks' trip to Central Otago. The party had a most enjoyable time, travelling from Dunedin to Lake ~ Wakatipu via Waimea Plains, where harvesting was in full swing, the appearance of the country being indicative of considerable prosperity. Kingstown was visited, then Queenstown and across Lake Wakatipu^ the ..glories of the sunsete with the lofty mountains standing out in bold relief being sights never to be forgotten. Members of the party were charmed and impressed with th« magnitude of the range of mountains, the Remaa\kables. Kingsfowni was full of visitors, but there were plenty of places for all to go, one delightful trip being by road to Arrowtown via Shotover Gorge. At Arrowtown the male members met and defeated a team of local bowlers by 25 to 2. There k talk of a return match being played next year. The paa'ty had a special charabanc, which enabled the most of the views of the country to be seen. Pembroke was visited, after Lake Wanaka had been explored, and then the party made for Clyde and on to Dunedin, where the members separated. Mr. and Mrs. Luke went on to Invercargill, where they were impressed by the evidences of good crops ,and prosperity on every hand.