PERSONAL ITEMS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 5 July 1924, Page 4

PERSONAL ITEMS.

Mr G. R. Velvm, head salesman for Smalley and Go., Elthanij has been appointed manager for the new branch of the Farmers’ Trading Co. at Eltham. Mi R. Millams, who wag formerlv a well-known guide at the Franz Josef Glacier, was injured in a trap accident at \\ ataroa, and is now an inmate-of the Westland hospital. TVe learn that Mr. Petty of Matapu, who was injured by a foiling stone rroni a blast on the railway works, is making satisfactory progress* at the Ha wera hospital.

A well-known resident of the Manawatu district in the person of Mr Abner George Hickford passed away in the „ a a'mreton North Hospital at the age ox *3 years. His wife predeceased him 18 years ago, and lie is survirtd bv one sou and three daughters, namely Mr R. Hickford (Westport), Mrs * S. 1 aul (\\estport), and Mesdames Pedlev and Burgess (Rongotea). . " The Rev. J. Dawson, general secretary of the New Zealand Alliance, is an inmate of a private hospital in Wellington, where he underwent a serious operation. The latest reports are that be is doing well. Air Dawson recentlv returned from Fiji. ” Professor John Adams, Emeritus professor at London University, has been invited by the Government to visit the university colleges here (savs a Press Association message from Wellington). His reputation as an educational expert and specialist foi world ,^ e arrive this month, and will later visit Australia.

Mr R. V. MeGlone, whose death is reported from Palmerston North, was born m the county. of Londonderry, Ireland, in 1872, and came to New; Zealand with his parents about 40 years ago. He resided for a time* at Kumara, on the West Coast, where liis .father, the R, J. .MeGlone, was.for several years Mayor! Later he came north and, after residing at Eketahuna and Longburn, took up his residence in. Palmerston North. Re was an enthusiastic supporter of the Labour movement, and had only returned from a conference of the New Zealand Labour Party, held in Dunedin, a few clays prior to the seizure which eventually caused his death. He is survived by his widow and 11 children, the youngest of whom is seven years of age. ■

The death has. occurred at Blencolonist in the person of Mrs Blackstoek. A native of Glasgow, she was married there to the late Air David Blackstoek, a Dumfriesshire farmer, and they ■ made their way to Queensland with a young family some 48 years ago. Mr Blackstoek had a varied career in several parts of Australia, and was /at one time manager And editor of the Darling Downs Gazette, published nt Toowoomba. Ultimately they took up their residence in Brisbane, where they lived for manv years. On the death of Mr Blackstoek some 15 years ago, Mrs Blackstoek joined her daughter, Mrs Youn°- in Sydney, and when Mr and Mrs Youim came to New Zealand 11 years ago she accompanied them. Mrs Blackstock’s son Mr Samuel Blackstoek, is a pastoralist in Queensland, while another son is in business in Brisbane, arnica thud son is in the Union Bank’s service Mrs John Young, of Blenheim, is the only daughter.

The death occurred, at Wanganui at an early hour yesterday morning of Mr Thos. H. Jones at his residence, Upper Aramoho. Mr Jones was 72 years of age, and one of the pioneer settlers of the district. He was born in 1852 at No. 1 Line, where his parents settled some year previously. As a bov he attended .several private schools held about Wanganui, and became an accomplished native linguist, and as an interpreter was associated with the setileof much of the native lands in’ the North Island. He was engaged as native interpreter bj- the late Mr John Marchant on the original survey of the Taupo and Rotorua districts.' As an interpreter he acted for a South Island syndicate when a great land deal concerning some hundreds of thousands of acies was about to be effected in the centre of this island. The incident took place in the Taupo district, where the greatest gathering of natives in the memory of Europeans was ever held, tribes from, all parts of the island having been assembled for months. At this meeting the boundaries of the Taranaki,. AVanganu i, Manawatu, Rangitikei. Waikato, and Tjawke’s Bay native lands were to lie fixed, to be followed by a sale. A few days before the intended sale, however, a proolamntion was issued by the Government prohibiting the sale of Maori lands to private individuals or corporations, and following this, probably for the first time in the history of the Maoris, the various tribes united in a great war dance, which the late Mr Jones regarded as the most remarkable and thrilling scene he had ever witnessed, manv thousands taking part. Later in life he was engaged in the building industry and farming, until he finally settled down to pass the evening of hi s life in quiet retirement, held in the greatest esteem by all who knew "him. He Is survived by his widow and large family.