PERSONAL

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 110, 9 April 1934, Page 6

PERSONAL

The Governor-General (Lord Bledisloe) spent a busy week-end at Auckland. On Saturday morning he paid an official visit to H.M.S. Laburnum, addressing the ship’s company, which is shortly returning to England. Early in the afternoon he opened the Blue Cross Hospital for strayed animals at Penrose, and then went to Middlemore golf course and presented the Kirk-Windeyer Cup to the winning New Zealand team. Lord Bledisloe said he was pleased to welcome Mr Apperly, the New South Wales captain, because, like himself, he came from Gloucestershire. Yesterday afternoon His Excellency attended the ceremony of secration of the colours of the Old Contemptibles’ Association, and afterwards inspected the survivors of Mons. The death is reported from Berlin of General Yon Einem, a German wartime general. Mr C. Frevberg, District Public Trustee at Palmerston North, is at present on leave. Mr O. G. O. Dermer, of Cheltenham (chairman of the ManawatuOroua Power Board), who has been attending the Royal Show at Sydney, returns to New Zealand to-morrow.

Superintendent J ames Mcllveney, who will commence retiring leaye from the police force on Tuesday, will take up his residence in Auckland. He Iras been in the force for over 40 years.

Sir Edmund and Lady Vestev, of England, have arrived in Auckland and will spend a in New Zealand. Lady Vestey is a New Zealander by birth, but has not been in the Dominion since she was an infant. The death at Auckland of Dr. William McAra, who was a medical practitioner at Gore for 31 years, is reported in a Press Association message. Deceased served at the war and was a popular figure in medical circles. He is survived by his widow. Dr Russell Fraser has left for Australia and England to do postgraduate work at the Middlesex Hospital, London. Dr Fraser represented the University of Otago in athletics in 1929, 1930, and 1931, and last year was one of a party which made first ascents of Mounts Livingstone and Moffat. He is a son of Mr Malcolm Fraser, permanent head of the Department of Internal Affairs.

The death is reported in a Press Association message from Christchurch of Mr Robert Steele Pearson, aged 56, the headmaster of the New Brighton District High School and formerly of the Normal School and the Timaru “West School. He was formerly a member of the Teachers’ Appeal Board and a prominent member of the Educational Institute. He died suddenly following an operation.

A retired Scottish educationist, Dr P. Comrie, of Edinburgh, and Mrs Comrie, have arrived on a holiday visit to New Zealand, where they -have relatives. Dr Comrie, who, in addition to carrying the degrees of M.A., B.Sc., and LL.D., is a Fellow of the Educational Institute of Scotland and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, was rector of the Leith Academy until his retirement last July. Dr and Mrs Comrie are at present on a world tour, and intend to visit the main centres of the Dominion, whgre Dr Comrie will take the opportunity to get into touch with leaders in education. He mentioned that the present school age in Scotland is from five to 14, but it was hoped shortly to increase the leaving age to 15.

Mr James Smith, the retiring superintending engineer of the Union Steam Ship Company, was the guest of honour at a complimentary social given by the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Institute of Marine and Power Engineers on Saturday evening. Mr Smith was born on the Clyde and served his time a.t Glasgow. He went to sea in 1882, one of his first ships being a paddle steamer. From 1920 to the present time he has been with the Union Company. “His record of service is second to none in the history of the mercantile marine of the British Empire,” said the president (Mr P. Mackenzie), “and I am pleased to think Mr Smith is still to be m harness and is going Home to compete with younger intelligences m engineering.” Mr Smith was presented with a pair of field glasses.