PERSONAL ITEMS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1745, 16 August 1905, Page 49

PERSONAL ITEMS

Thene is a possibility that at the coming general elections Mr P. J. O’Regan, of Wellington, null be a candidate for the Bui lei* seat. Mr CTRegcin represented that constituency in Parliament some years ago.

sjMr Henry Stannard, one of the earliest pioneers of Westport, died on the sth. lie was engaged on railway works in Victoria before coming to New! Zealand in 1867.

The Education Board has appointed Mr F. A. Mason, of Kakoriki, to be a&sistant at the Petone School. Mr fib F. Eager, of Dannevirke, has been appointed assistant at Johnsonville.

The position of editor of the “ Grey River Argus,” vacated by the retirement of Mr Florence McCarthy, is to be assumed in the course of a few weeks by Mr J. S. Kelly, of the Christchurch “Press” literary staff. Mn Kelly is at present on a visit to Wellington.

At closing time last Wednesday, Mir Batham, on behalf of the staff of the Land Transfer and Deeds Department and the Land Transfer Survey branch, presented Mr C. E. Stevens who is leaving the service, with a handsome oak-case containing a complete set of table-silver. In making the presentation, Mr Batham referred to the conspicuous ability with which the recipient had carried out his duties, and his popularity as an officer of the department.

The presentation to be made by citizens of Wellington to Mr J. G. W. A'itken, M.H.R., in recognition of hia services to the city as Mayor, will take the form of a gold watch and albert, to cost about £l5O. The order for the watch has been forwarded to England. Mr Albert Hunt, who died at Patea a few days ago, was the youngest son of Mr Thomas Hunt, of Wakefield, Nelson, and a member of the well-known firm of Messrs G. and A. Hunt, sheepfarmers and breeders, of Wantwood, Wakefield. Their flock is one of the finest in the colony. Mr D. J. Nathan was granted a further three months’ leave of absence by the Wellington Harbour Board at a special meeting on Saturday. In applying for extended leave, Mr P. Nathan stated that Mr D. J. Nathan had been detained in London through having to undergo a serious operation. He had now recovered. Mr Nathan was granted six months’ leave of absence in November last, and this expired on May 25th. The position was that hut for the extension granted on Saturday he would have ceased to be a member of the Board.

K There died at Karori on Saturday 'morning one of the oldest and bestknewn residents of that suburb—Mrs Mary Page. Deceased, who arrived ini the colony by the Rose of Shannon, had lived at Karori for the past fortynine years. She Avas eighty-two years of ag© at the time of her death, and was pre-deceased by her husband about four years ago. She is survived by two daughters and a large number of grandchildren. It is worth noting chat during her long residence at Karori deceased had only been to Wellington once, and that was thirty-five long years ago. She manifested a great attachment for her rural home, and cared naught for the city or its ways. Rev. Rainsford Bavin, formerly of Wesley Church Taranaki street, who died at Newcastle, New South Wales, on August 2nd, leaves a widow, a daughter of the late Rev. Thomas Buddie, one of the earliest and ablest of New Zealand missionaries. Mrs Bavin ably seconded her husband’s efforts in his AA'ork. Their eldest daughter, Mrs Lack, Avas for many years a misisonary, in China, and another daughter, tho Avife of the Rev. Ambrose Fletcher, spent many years as a missionary in New Guinea. The other daughters are Mrs Warren (Melboune), Mrs Parker (wife of Mr W. A. Parker, barrister, of Sydney), and an unmarried daughter. There are four sons, one of whom, the Rev. Ovril Bavin, is a Methodist minister in Fiji, and another, Mir T. R. Bavin, is a barrister in Sydney. Owing to the resignation of Mr J. Pedersen from the dairying division of the Department of Agriculture, Mr F. Thomson, late manager at Rangiwahia, and now at Dannevirke, has been appointed to' the service as an instructor in butter-making. It is expected that Mr Thomson will commence his work at an early date. He will be stationed 1 at one of the grading ports for a few months, in order to become conversant Avith the system of grading, after which he will be put on the roads to assist Mr Shirley in the Avork of instruction at butter factories,. Mr Thomson is one of the most careful, cleanly, and tidy butter factory managers in the colony. Mr James SaAyers, who was formerly Avith the department for a number of years, is resigning his position as manager of the Edendale cheese factory to rejoin the department. He is one of the best-known cheese-makers in the colony. The public, and particularly cheese factory managers, Aviil welcome his reappointment to the service. Mr S.-Avcrs’s appointment is to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Mr D. Dickie.