PERSONAL ITEMS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 15 August 1924, Page 4

PERSONAL ITEMS.

The death of Mr. J. L. Bennett, caretaker of the Kapiti Island bird sanctuary, is announced in a telegram from Wellington. He was a native -df Oamaru and was 55 years of age. The board of governors have appointed Mr. John H. Murdoch to fill the vacancy in the principalship of Scots College, Wellington. The death of My. Edward Wakefield, a former member of the House of Rei presentatives, is announced in a London cable. The deceased entered the New Zealand Parliament in 1876 and for a short time in 1884 was Colonial Treasurer in the Atkinson Ministry. At the meeting of Waimate West County Council yesterday a vote of condolence was passed with Cr. Mourie in the death of his mother, a very old and respected colonist, who died last week

Included among those receiving the degree of Doctor of Science by the Toronto University was Sir Ernest Rutherford, of New Zealand, the world’s most famous physicist and regarded as the greatest authority on the atom and atomic striicture.—Cable message.

Hawera friends will be interested to learn that Miss G. Burton, who with her sister has been undergoing train-* ing at Wellington for an official position in the Salvation Army, has been appointed lieutenant atPukekohe. Miss F. Burton has been appointed officer in the training garrison at Wellington for next session.

During his statement to the Waimate West County Council yesterday of the position of the proposed South Taranaki Power Board, Mr. R. D. Welsh made fitting reference to the death of M r . L. Birks, formerly the Government Chief Electrical Engineer. Mr. Welsh said his death was a distinct loss to the profession and to the Dominion in general.

Recognition of the good work done in Past years by the late Mr. John Stevenson on various local bodies was made by the members of the Waimate West County Council at their meeting yesterday, when a vote of sympathy was passed with Cr. J. F. Stevenson in his great loss.

Cr. F. Mourie, wTio was recently appointed to the Waimate West County Council in place of Cr. Bridge (resigned) was welcomed by the clhairman ,at yesterday’s meeting. Cr. Mourie briefly replied, assuring the members that he would always do his best to further the interests of the council

The work of Mr. T. Paterson in his management of the work at the Experimental Farm at Manaia was very favourably. commented <Jn /b\f mercjbers of the committee at yesterday’s meeting. The chairman said that Mr. Paterson had worked very economically and had effected useful savings. Mr. Long complimented him on the amount of work done on the place, and said the condition generally was excellent.

Another of the pioneer settlers of Southern Taranaki oassed away at New PI ymouth in the person of Mr George Muir, who was for many years one of the best-known and highly-respected farmers in the Okaiawa district. Mr. Muir fanned on the Skeet Road, near the Te Ngutu-o-te-Manu Reserve, for many years, when, after a spell at Marea, lie retired to New Plymouth. He was one of the original settlers in the Te Ngutu district, ami lived there until about ten or eleven years ago. Mr P. Henry, of Matapu, is a nephew, and he went to New Plymouth to-day to attend the funeral. To his widow and family, of whom there are four sons and three daughters, will go out sympathy from a wide circle of friends.