PERSONAL.

Evening Star, Issue 11453, 22 January 1901, Page 1

PERSONAL.

Congratulations to Mr Peter Hercus, of Dunedin, who in the examination at Sydney by the Accountants' Institute topped the winners with a very creditable score against fifty-nine opponents. Particulars appear in our report of Mr W. Brown's speech. We may add that Mr Hercus and Mr C. R. Smith (another successful Dunedin representative) were coached for bookkeeping and auditing by Mr J. W. Innes, and at the technical classes they were both under Mr J. G. L. Hewitt for commercial law. The Government have ratified the appointment of Mr Thompson as engineer to the Grey Harbor Board. Mrs Louisson, who arrived in Nelson in 1856, d»ed there on Thursday after an illness of two years' duration. A well - known figure among the older members of shipping circles in Wellington died on Friday nignt in the person of Mr Thomas W. Pilcher, the doyen of Customhouse agents in the colony. The deceased, who was born in London in 1835, arrived in Wellington in 1851, and at one time acted as shipping reporter on the 'Wellington Independent.' The deceased gentleman was secretary of the first Philharmonic Society formed in Wellington, and of the Mechanics' Institute at its foundation. He was also an ardent supporter cf the volunteer movement, being a member of the old Wellington Rifles, and afterwards one of the first members of what is now the D Battery New Zealand Artillery, of which he becime lieutenant. Mr Pilcher leaves a widow and family of six—two of his eons (Mr E. G. Pilcher, secretary of the Greymouth Coal Company, and Mr Herbert Pilcher, of Cape Town) being well known, as also are two others in inaurance circles in Wellington. Letters of naturalisation have been issued to A lolf Poulsen, Dunedin ; Frederick Horn, Caversham; John Mitchell, Palmerston; and August Ladewig, Waipani. Mr F. C. B. Vosper, M.L.C., the wellknown L*bor advocate, editor of the Perth (W. A.)' Sunday Times,' and one of the candidates for the Federal Parliament, died at Perth on the 6th inst.