BIRTHDAYS MISSED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21116, 25 February 1932, Page 13

BIRTHDAYS MISSED.

VAGARY OF THE CALENDAR. EFFECT OF LEAP YEAR. THREE AUCKLAND RESIDENTS, This year at least three Auckland residents will have the privilege, denied them since 1928, of celebrating their birthdays. Through having been born on February 29 in a Leap Year, the Hon. E. W. Alison, M.L.C., Mr. R. T. Warnock and Mr. Walter I'avitt have each had fewer than one-quarter the number of birthdays they might reasonably have expected. For most of their lives they have experienced birthdays only once every four years, but for ono period, of eight years, between 1896 and 1904, they had no birthday. Leap year rules stale that every year whose number is divisible by four without a remainder is a leap year, excepting the full centuries, which, to bo leap year, must, be divisible by 400 without a remainder. If not so divisible, they are common years, and so 1900 was not a leap year. In their younger years, all three thought they were badly treated. Their playmates had a birthday every year, and although adjacent days might be set aside to take the place of tho missing birthday, tho celebrations lost a proportion of their charm. • The boys' great consolation was that the rare birthdays were made into exceptional treats. Mr. Alison, who will be 80 years of age on has had a most interesting and varied career. On leaving school ho became a compositor, and later had experienco in tho Thames gold rush. Subsequently he followed various commercial pursuits, the most notable being the building up of tho Devonport Ferry Company, of which he was until recently managing director. Air. Alison has been a leading spirit in the coal industry for a number of years, and was chairman of the Coal Control Committee during the war. In local and State politics, he has always taken a prominent part. Ho sat in tho House of Representatives as member for Waitemata from 1902 to 1908, and in 1918 ho was appointed by the National Government to the Legislative Council. He was reappointed by the Reform Government in 1925. Air. Warnock, who was born in Belfast in 1844, started in 1862 the firm of Warnock Brothers on the site where the Blind Institute now stands. He took a prominent interest in local body politics, serving on tho Newton Highway Board for some years, and later becoming first Afayor of tho newly-formed Grey Lynn Borough Council. In 1887 Air. Warnock retired from local politics, but eight years later took office as councillor for the Richmond Ward. In 1899 he was elected Alayor, remaining in office until 1903. Air. Pavitt was bom at Papanui, Christchurch, in 1868, and after a period in local insurance offices, went to Atelbourne in 1888. He continued his connection with tlie insurance business, and in 1904 came to Auckland as manager of the Royal Insurance Company's office. This position he held until his retirement in 1930.