PERSONAL

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVII, Issue 131, 3 May 1927, Page 7

PERSONAL

Mr and Mrs W. Devine and Mr Jack Devine are passengers by the Tainui which leaves Wellington to-morrow for England, via Panama Canal. Mr and Mrs N. Blackmore, of Palmerston North, leave Auckland by the Aorangi on Tuesday next on a trip to Canada. Mr D. H. Cameron has retired from the Hansard staff on superannuation. He was appointed to the staff in 1896, and promoted chief reporter three years ago. Mr G. Ross has joined the staff of the Palmerston North Magistrate’s Court as a cadet. He is on transfer from the Shannon office of the Public Works Department. Visitors welcomed at yesterday's meeting of the Rotary Club were Messrs H. McVa.v (Dannevirke), J. L. Bennett and T. Nixon, of Palmerston North. * At a meeting last week of the Waitemata County Council, Mr G. A. Jackson, who ha 6 held the position of engineer for the pa6t 20 years, lodged his resignation. Mr Jackson was granted six months’ leave of absence on full pay. Mr A. Gibbs, chief telegraph engineer of the New Zealand Government, will leave for England by the Tainui from Wellington to-morrow. Mr Gibbs will study telegraph and telephone developments at Home and in October will represent New Zealand at the International Radio Conference at Washington. The funeral of Brigadier James Glover, of the Salvation Army, who died on Friday night, took place yesterday afternoon in Wellington. Conducted by Commissioner Hay, a service was held at the Citadel, Vivian Street, and was attended by about 450 officers at present in Wellington for the Congress. There was also a large attendance of citizens. The service at the graveside was conducted by Commissioner Hay, who was assisted by several officers. Amongst those present was the Minister of Education (Hon. R. A. Wright). The death occurred suddenly at Masterton on Saturday afternoon from a heart seizure of Mr J. W. Blackman, who had been engineer and manager of the Masterton gas department for 21 years. He was born in England sixty-four years ago, and at the age of eighteen he came to the colonies. After thirteen yeans in Australia, Mr Blackman settled in New Zealand and was engaged in the management of several gas undertakings before finally taking charge of the Masterton gas department. He was a recognised authority on gas engineering; and while engaged in Masterton he filled the position of consulting engineer to several gas companies, while he designed and supervised the erection, among others, of gasworks at Dargaville, Greytown and Levin. After two score years of faithful service in prisons and prison work in various parts of the country, during which time he has been engaged in many progressive works and improvements, Mr Stewart H. Spiers, for the past 13 years gaolkeeper at Napier, is retiring on superannuation (states the Napier Telegraph). Mr Spiers first joined the public service in 1887 when lie was in the Defence Department for two years, seeing service in some of the histono campaigns against Te Kooti, the notorious native rebel. After leaving Napier Mr Spiers intends to visit Christchurch, after which he will undertake a three months’.trip to Sydney, where he will visit relatives and also conduct a personal examination into the prison systems of New South Wales. After returning to New Zealand, Mr Spiers will settle in Palmerston North.