PERSONAL

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 120, 17 April 1930, Page 6

PERSONAL

Dr. and Mrs Ivan Wilson have -eft on a fortnight’s liolidav. Hon. J. G. Cobbe, Minister of Defence, returned to Wellington 3’esterday from the south. He will leave tonight for Feilding. Mr Rowe, assistant engineer to the Wanganui County Council, has been appointed engineer to the Patea County Council out of 51 applicants.

Mr F. Whiiton, who for the past forty yea.ie. has been manager of the Masterton branch of a drapery business, is retiring from the firm on April 26, after 52 years’ bontinuoui service. Mr W. A. fcraig, of Auckland, president of the Baptist Young Men’s Bible Class Union of New Zealand, arrived at Palmerston North this morning, and is the guest of Rev. and Mrs C. S. Matthews.

Mr C. W. White, president of the Manawatu Rugby Referees’ Association, left for Christcliurfch to-day +o attend the annual conference of New Zealand Rugby referees which opens to-morrow. ’

• Rev. Archibald E. Hunt, of Takapau, Hawke’s Bay, has accepted a unanimous call to the charge of St. Columba Presbyterian Church, Johnsonville, and expects to commence his ministry there early in May.,

Mr J. Sands, the Palmerston North delegate to the Wellington Sunday School Union Convention to bo held at Blenheim from Good Friday to Easter Monday, left to-day by the Napier mail eii route to Wellington and Blenheim.

Tho relinquishment of the command of the. Otago Mounted Rifles Regiment by Major F. Waite is announced in a Gazette issued to-day. He has been transferred to the reserve of officers. Lieutenant-Colonel A. Holland has been appointed to command the regiment.

Lord and Ladv Latymer, of England, who have been in camp in the Lake Wanaka district for the past month, are due to arrive back in Wellington to-morrow, and will leave for London on April 26. They have enjoyed good oport, and have secured seven good heads.

A Gazette. issued this morning contains the announcement that Captain A. De T. Ncvill has been transferred to the New Zealand Permanent Air Force from the Royal New Zealand Artillery with the rank of ,flight-lieutenant, and has been appointed staff officer to the Director of Air Services.

The death has occurred in England of Mr C. W. Abel, of New Guinea, and formerly of Auckland, as the result of injuries received in a motor accident. Mr Abel, who was a younger brother of Mr R. S. Abel, of Auckland, had been attached to the Ivwato Mission in Papua for the last 40 years. The death occurred this week at his home, Epsom, Auckland, of Mr Samuel Hodge, aged 80 years. Ho was born at lvawau Island and saw. service in the latter part of the Maori Wars. He was- prominent in public life at Papatoetoe, and was for 10 years chairman of the Papatoetoe Road Board. Mr Hodge was for many years a member of the Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Association, and in 1924-25 was chairman of the association.

Best wishes for a successful and happy stay in Canada, where he will shortly take up the post of New Zealand Tirade Commissioner, were extended to the Secretary of the Department of Industries and Commerce, Mr J. W. Collins, when lie was farewelled by members of his staff yesterday afternoon. The opportunity was also taken to welcome Mr G. W. Clinlcard, who has returned to New Zealand to take up his new appointment as permanent' head of the combined Departments of Publicity, Tourist Resorts and Industries and Commerce after 12 months in Samoa as Deputy Administrator and Secretary to tho Administration there.

All sections of the community were represented at the funeral of tne late Air Malcolm Ross, which took place yesterday at Wellington. Following a short service conducted by Canon Percival James at St.- Paul's Pro-Cathe-dral the remains of the deceased were cremated at Karori. The chief mourners were Mrs Forrest Ross, the widow; Mr Kenneth Ross, brother; Mr Norman Grant, Mrs Ross’s brother; and Mr Ronald M. Grant, her cousin. The pall bearers were well-known journalists, Mr R. C. G. Weston and Mr K. L.- Usmaf (chairman and vice-chairman respectively of the Parliamentary Press Gallery), Mr C. E. Wheeler, Mi- J. R. Smith, Nil- T. Lindsay Buick (representing the Press Association), and Mr J. A. Young. *

A pioneer of the Thames goldfield, Mr Alexander Bruce, has died at the Thames Hospital, aged 87. Ho was born in Auckland on August 22, 1843. Mr Bruce volunteered for service in the "Maori War and it was while he was at the Drury camp that he heard of the gold discoveries at Thames. He joined the rush in September, within a few weeks of the official proclamation of the field. It was not long before he became one of the owners of a goldproducing claim on what is now known as the Alburnia spur and he was for some time in partnership with the late Mr W. S. Styak in the Occidental mine. From then- onward, throughout the productive days of the goldfield, he filled many positions in the mining world and later became well-known on the Auckland and Thames Stock Exchanges.