PERSONAL MATTERS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 135, 7 June 1912, Page 7

PERSONAL MATTERS

VICE-REGAL. His Excellency the Governor, who has been confined to Government -House ■with. a severe cold, has almost completely recovered. Owing to his indisposition, the proposed visit to Taranakl and Marton had to be abandoned. On Tuesday next His Excellency will preside at the annual meeting of the Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society, to be hold in the Town Hall. His Excellency and Lady Islington will attend the Wellington Club ball (at the Club) on Wed. neuday evening next. On Thursday His Excellency will leave for Maxlborough on a visit to Mr. and Mi*. Vavasour, of "Ugbrooke" station. Oa 25th June Lord Islington will -it tend the winter show at Palmerstou North, returning to Wellington in time for the opening of Parliament on 27th June. Lord and Lady Masfierene, who have been staying at Government House, left for Auckland by yesterday's Main Trnnk express to catch the Zealandia, which leaves the northern port for Vancouver to-day. Sir Joseph and Lady Ward arrived in Wellington from the South this morning. The Hon. A. M. Myers is due in Wellington from the North to-morrow afternoon. Mr. T. Parata, M.P. for the Southern Maori District, is making a, tour of his constituency. Mr. H. E. Leighton is gazetted a member of tha Petone and Lower Hutt Assessment Court. Dr. Ifrengley, of the Health Department, was among the passengers from the South by the Maori this morning. Messrs, H. R. Bunny, A. Donald, W. Gilpin, and W. TWy have been appointed members of the Wairarapa Licensing Committee. Mr. A. Roberts, of the electrical branch of the Post and Telegraph Department, has been promoted to the position of Buperintejident of the Christchurch telephone branch. The Prime Minister (Hon. T. Maekenai?) and the Hon. J. A. Hanan returned to Wellington from the South this morning. The Hon. G. W. Rutssell was unable, owing to pressure of work, to leave for Chri«tehurch test evening. Mr. A. W. M'Nicol, of the local staff of the Union Bank of Australia, leaves for Australia this evening, having been appointed sub-inspector for Western Australia. At a gathering of his friends last night he was presented with a farewell mark of esteem. Mr. G. Wellings;, late locomotive foreman on the Wellington section of railways, and Mr. W. Patterson, late enginedriver on the- Wellington-Lower Hutt section, have awtired from the service on superannuation. Last night they were entertained by the locomotive staff and presented' with tokens of* esteem. Mr. Francis Le Noury, who has been a> resident of Wellington for nearly thirty-eight yeare, died at his residence in Herbert-street on Wednesday, aged sixty-five yeare. The deceased was a native of Guernsey, Channel Islands. For some time after his arrival in Wellington he engaged in contracting' but for the greater part of his residence in the city he was in the bookselling business. He was twice married, and has left a widow but no family. Deceased, who was an old member of the Methodist Church and of Loyal Britannia Lodge of Oddfellows, had suffered from a painful internal trouble for some months before hie death. ' The old- Thames veteran, Mr. J. W. ("Long-driye") Walker, is still in London trying to induce British investors to put further capital into Waihi mining enterprises. In a, letter received by last mail Mr. Walker states : " I often find myself thinking and comparing the difference (or similarity!; between my job and the feat of getting through the proverbial needle's eye and invading Paradise." Mr. Walker, who is close on eighty-five years of age, is still hale and hearty. He recently met another old Thames speculator— Mr. Walter Gully, of the Dick Kenyon and Bright Smile combination in the 'seventies. Mi". Gully is described as "stout, florid, and seventy -five "" — ten* years tho junior of th? optimistic and. big-hearted "Longdrive. Referring to the Hon. J. A. Millar's illness, the Prime Minister ' (the Hon. T. Mackenzie) said in Dunedin ■ yesterday : "I deeply deplore the sad news that I have just heard concerning the Hon. J. A. Millar. It is a terrible calamity to overtake any man. We have always been close friends, and I was looking forward with confidence to seeing him in Parliament reinvigorated, and ready for a strenuous session's work. I can only hope that what is reported as to the need for his taking complete rest from political turmoil for some time is overdrawn, and that under the careful treatment of his medical advisers, and reßt, aided by the advice of Dr. Wohlmann, wheu he gets to Rotorua, a favourable change may soon take place/ In an interview," Sir Joseph Ward said he had heard with deep regret of the illness of his old friend and former colleague, the Hon. J. A. Millar, and his sincorest hope was that the affection of the eya which hid so suddenly manifested itself would, under direction of skilled Tiands, prove to be temporary only. There was very little doubt that the strenuous work associated with Ministerial life in this country made an inroad upon the strongest constitution. On the eyeaight in particular the demands were exceedingly heavy. It was only those who went through the experience who could realise to what extent tho incessant strain acted upon the physical and mental energies of those occupying the position of Minister of the Crown. It was with intense satisfaction and gratifcnde that he had beard that the impairment of Mr. Millar's sight was not so serious as was at first supposed.