PERSONAL

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 240, 7 September 1928, Page 7

PERSONAL

Sir Joseph 'Ward is returning to New Zealand by the Aorangi, which left Suva yesterday for Auckland.

Mrs Douglas Wood and her daughter, of Karori, Wellington, are the guests of Mrs J. G. Gojlins, of Palmerston North. The position of headmaster of the new school at Milson has been accepted bv Mr M. It. McEwan, at present occupying .a similar post at Taonui School.

Mr P. C. Watii, of Wellington, and Mr S. L. P. Free, of Masterton, Wellington’s representatives at the Rotary conference to be held in Japan nest month, left Sydney for the Orient by the Aki Maru on Saturday last. At the annual meeting of the Palmerston North Lawn Tennis Club last evening, mention was made of the illness of Mr H. N. Watson, and a motion was passed recording the hope of members that Mr Watson, for many years one of the club’s keenest supporters, would make .a speedy recovery. A Press Association telegram from Blenheim states that private advice received in Blenheim reports the death at Capetown of Mrs G. F. Watts, wife of a well-known Lansdowne sheepfarmer. Mr Watts presented Blenheim with a chiming clock for the War Memorial. Mr and Mrs Watts were on a round trip and were about to. tour South Africa.

Lieut.-Colonel R. C. Wickens, iD.S.O., V.D., of the New Zealand Artillery, has relinquished the appointment of Commander, 3rd Field Brigade, N.Z.A., and Artillery Group, Southern Command. ,and is transferred to the Reserve of Officers. He lias been succeeded in the command of the brigade by Major J. G. Jeffery, M.C., who is granted the temporay rank of lieut.-colonel. To-morrow morning Sir James Allen will visit Boys’ Flock House at Parewanui whore he will present the cup and medal, given by himself, to the winner of the shooting competition of the 12th draft. He will also present, in the absence of the president of the Manawatu Football Association. Mr J. C. Young, who has been called out of town on business, the soccer senior league cup which the Flock House team won this year for the first time. Sir James will be accompanied by Hon. J. Craigie, M.L.C., Hon. R. Scott, M.L.C., and Mrs Scott, Hon. E. H. Clark, M.L.C.. and Mrs Clark, Hon. A. F. Hawke, M.L.C., and Mrs Hawke and Hon. Edward Newman, M.L.C. The party will visit Girls’ Flock House at Awapuni in the afternoon.

A resident of Auckland, Dr. J. Giles, attained the 96th anniversary of his birth on Tuesday. He was born at Fromc, Somerset, England, and lias had a most varied career, including the following: Medical practitioner, army, surgeon, pioneer settler, farmer, gold-digger, magistrate, mining warden, newspaper editor, departmental under-secretary, and a member of 13 royal commissions. He enlisted for the war in the Crimea, but was detailed for service at the base camp at Scutari, where he formed a close friendship with Florence Nightingale. Dr. Giles came to New Zealand in 1858 and settled at Mauku. Later he was in the rush to Gabriel’s Gully, and afterwards was editor of the New Zealander, at Auckland. Subsequently, Dr. Giles was appointed a magistrate and presided at the court in Auckland for _ some years prior to his retirement in 1893.