PERSONAL ITEMS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 20 August 1925, Page 4

PERSONAL ITEMS.

Colonel J. J. Esson, financial adviser to the Government, has been appointed to go to America, England and Europe with Alessrs Poison and Cox to enquire regarding agricultural banks. Private advice has been received that Mrs T. Perry, of Alangatoki, who left, last March on a visit to England and the Continent of Europe, is returning to New Zealand by the Athenic, which sailed from Souihampton on the 14th inst.

The AVaverley correspondent of the AA’anganui, ’Chronicle reports that a sad incident occurred in AVaverley last night - whe n Air. R, FI. (Dick) Smith, a well-known resident, dropped dead in the street. He leaves £i widow and two children, who are away on holiday just now. Air Peter Hawkcn, son of Air 0. G. Haw;ken; met with a painful accident while out mustering sheep on his father’s farm at Wanganui a lew days ago, One of the dogs had caught a wild pig and hold him fast. Air Hawken went to kill the pig with- a knife, when he slipped, and the knife went through his leg, cutting it badly. He received medical attention at Wanganui, and came on to Eltham last night by the mail train. At a meeting of directors of the Alangatoki Co-operative Dairy Company, Ltd., held yesterday subsequent to the annual meeting of shareholders, Air. I\‘. 11. Free, who has been a member of the directorate for the past 12 years, was appointed chairman in place of Air. Jacob Alarx, retired. Air. Alarx’s resignation, which was tendered yesterday, will take effect in a month’s time, and the directors will then appoint a shareholder to fill the, extraordinary vacancy. Though nothing definite has been announced, the directors’ choice will probably be Mr. F. Iloskin, who has been a director since 1919, and who was next in succession to the three successful candidates at the election which took place at the general meeting.

The death of Mr William Blair, which occurred at the residence of his son, Mr \V. Blair, Miranda Street, Stratiord, removed an old pioneer. The late Mr Blair was born in Cards e Scotland, B'J years ago, and came to I\ew Zealand in tlie early ’sixties oil the ship Bombay. The voyage was an adventurous one, nine months being occupied in the journey. After .engaging in gold mining for some time, he engaged in bridge construction work at Wanganui and in the Manawatu, atferwardjj being appointed an overseer in the Public Works Department, and was transferred to Taranaki, when lie was overseer on the construction work of the • lng’ewood-Hawera- section of the Taranaki railway. At the time of the Parihalca scare, Mr Blair was engaged in the railway work, and it was decided to fortify the Stratford station o-oods shed. In 1880 Mr Bair took up the Blair Athol Farm on Mountain Road. This wa s run by his family while he kept .on with his Government work., He retired into private life. 20 vearfe ago, and remained in the distinct. Mr Blair, whose wife predeceased him some years ago, left a daughter and two sons.