PERSONAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 97, 24 March 1941, Page 6

PERSONAL.

Mr G. A. Hayden, secretary of the National Patriotic Fund Board, left Wellington to-day to visit the Air Force training centres at Levin and Ohakea and the military camp at Palmerston North.

The death at Liverpool of M. Peter Vlasto, the eminent Greek scholar and writer, is a loss both to Greece and Britain. M. Vlasto held a very high place in modern Greek literature. He died from influenza and pneumonia brought on by his duties as an air raid warden.

Mr Alexander McKenzie, a wellknown settler of the Kangitikei district and member of a family of pioneers, who recently took up his residence in Auckland, died in the hospital there on Saturday as the result of injuries sustained when he was knocked down- by a light truck at an intersection. Deceased, who was 83 years of age, was born at "Poyntzfield" (now Flock House), Lower Rangitikei, being a son of the late Mr and Mrs T. U. McKenzie, who were members of the first band of settlers in that district, having come to the Dominion in 1840. Mr A. McKenzie engaged in farming for many years and was agent for a time for a firm of agricultural machinery manufacturers. He had a considerable knowledge of New Zealand history and wrote extensively on Maori lore and the flora of the Dominion, as well as Polynesian legend. He was formerly a member of the Marion Borough Council and had much to do with the beautification of the town. He was predeceased by his wife some years ago and is survived by three sons and one daughter. Mesdamcs E. 'P. Binns and A. Deroles, of Palmerson North, are sisters of the late Mr McKenzie, one of whose bro- , tilers, Mr William McKenzie, died at Rotorua three weeks ago.