PERSONAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 229, 26 August 1940, Page 6

PERSONAL.

Captain W. H. Sawyers, of Durie Hili, Wanganui, yesterday celebrated bis 88th birthday. Captain Sawyers was a well-known mariner on the New Zealand coast for many years. The of Commerce (Mr H. L. Hopkins)"has resigned because of ili-healtli, states a Washington message. The position Iras been offered to Mr Jesse Jones (Controller of the Import and Export Bank).

The Mayor, of Los Angeles (Mr Boron) and the president of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce (Mr Van Norman) are to arrive on a. holiday visit to New Zealand by the PanAmerican clipper on August 29. Constable A. J. Goodwin, who has been stationed at Palmerston North for 13 years, is under transfer to Foxton. He will succeed there Constable 11. T. Bradley, .who is .being transferred to Wellington as a sectional sergeant. Dr. Edgar Ford, examiner for the Trinity College of Music, London, accompanied by Mrs Ford, is revisiting Palmerston North. He is at present on holiday and will conduct examinations here for a few days next week.

Leading-Aircraftsman John Penney, son of Mr and Mrs James Penney, of Tangimoana, recently qualified as a pilot. He has been training in the South Island and left his business in Feilding to join the Boyal New Zealand Air Force just after the outbreak of war.

The death has occurred of Mr Joshua Fletcher at the home of his daughter, Mrs J. McGovern, Matahuru, Huntl.y. Born 81 years ago in Lincolnshire, Mr Fletcher arrived in New Zealand at the age of 23. His first position was as a clerk and cadet at the Longbcach Station, Mid-Canterbury. He later engaged in farming on his own account in Taranaki. Subsequently lie carried out farming in the Cambridge, Paliiatna, Woodville and Dannevirke dis tricts, where he was noted as a keen, breeder and advocate of Jersey cattle ■■ A notable record lias been attained by Sir Alfred Ransom, M.P., who rece'ntly completed 50 years of service as an office-hearer of Knox Presbyterian Church, Dannevirke. A tribute to his long and valued services was paid at. a recent meeting of the congregation, when a resolution was carried warmly congratulating Sir Alfred. Church officers and members of the congregation spoke in praise of Sir Alfred’s work and a further resolution was carried that Messrs A. Calder, A. Thomas and 0. Omundsen be a committee to draw up a suitable minute expressing appreciation of these services for insertion in the records of the Kirk Session.

Mr G. H. Stiles, of Palmerston North, a member of the board of directors of the Shannon Co-operative Dairy Coy., Ltd., for the last 24 years, who has retired from the board because of ill-health, was unable to attend the annual meeting of shareholders of the company on Saturday, and forwarded an apology for his absence. The chairman of directors (Mr W. E. Barber) said that the board had decided to recognise the services of Mr Stiles to the company and had purchased a tea and coffee service which ivould be presented to him. On the motion of Mr L. H. Best, it was decided that a letter be sent to Mr Stiles thanking him for his long and valued services to the company and his work for the shareholders. The death occurred of Mr Frederick Johnston at his residence, “Glen Ara,” Turakina, early on Saturday morning, in his 65th year. The late Mr Johnston was a son of Mr W. J. Johnston, of Linton, Christchurch, where he resided for some time and then left for South Africa, where he joined the New Zealand Forces at the outbreak of the Boer AVar. At the conclusion of the war he returned to New Zealand and resided at Tokorangi (Wairarapa) and, in 1919, married Miss Stewart, the eldest daughter of Mr Alexander Stewart, of Aird, Tokorangi, and Mrs A. Stewart, now of Palmerston North, who were well-known settlers of the Wairarapa. After residing in Wellington for about eight years, where Mr Johnston carried on his trade as a carpenter, they left for Turakina and followed farming pursuits, which occupation he followed till the time of his death. During his twenty-three years’ resident in Turakina the late Mr Johnston took a keen, interest in all local affairs, acting on the Town Hall and School Committees, a.nd also as secretary of the Rangitikei branch of the National Party. A director of the Wangaehu Dairy Company for several years he was eventually elected chairman.