PERSONALIA.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6383, 4 December 1907, Page 6

PERSONALIA.

A Prose Association message states thai Lady Plunket and tho Hou. Kathleen Plunkot reached Auckland by tho Rarawa, from New Plymouth, yesterday. Captain Gathorno Hardy*; A.D.C. to his Excellency, also arrived by the same steamer. His- Excellency the Governor will probablv not arrive at Auckland till next Tuesday, haying fonucl it necessary to visit Dunedin on private business.

Mr IT. B. Lusk, solicitor, Napier, iff on a visit to Wellington.

Mr C. Tilloa-rd Natusch,. architect, leaves this morning on a visit to Na~ pier and Auckland. *liis Excellency tho Governor will opou tho new high level bridge at Cambridge on the 21« t inst. ■ Tho Hon. J. McGowan, Minister of Justice, left for Napier yesterday on departmental business. Count F. von Hockborg, of Germany, arrived in Auckland on monday, and intends' touring this country. ( . Mr C. Klingner, of Sydney, is in Wellington, preparatory to commencing an extended tour of New Zealand, Tho Hon. C. Louisson, M.L.C., i retires from tho Legislative Council by effluxion of time ou the S2nd of this month. Captain Mcßoth, of the Union Com* pany’e service, and his wife and sou, will leave in tho Mamnri for Loudon on Thursday. Mr Barnes-Graham, of Gisborne, i# proceeding to London by the Arawa in March, intending to undortpko a tour of Great Britain and the Continent. , Brigadier Albiston and Major Dutton, of tho hcadquartcr-stoft of the Salvation Army, aro at Waipawa, on business connected with the organisation. Dr Chappie has intimated his intention of being a candidate for the vacancy on tho University Senate, caused by the resignation of Professor Mao lauriu. Mr A. Elliott, Collector of Customs at Wanganui, has been promoted to a similar position at Christchurch. Mr Dickie, at present chief clerk in the Auckland Customs office, will succeed Mr Elliott.

The Hon. Dr I’indlny will be present on tho evening o£ Thursday, 12th inet., at the distribution of prizes at tho Wanganui Girls’ High School. On the following evening ho will attend a similar function at tho, Palmerston North High School.

At tho mooting of tho Wellington Hospital Trustees yesterday, on tho suggestion of tho Hon. C. M. Luke, a vote of condolence was passed with Mr XI. Lee, a late member of the Board, on

tho death of a relative, Mr Hugh Gully

The Premier, Bight Hon. Sir Joseph Ward, is to leave Auckland to-day for Wellington. Sir- Joseph will pay another visit to the northern city about tho middle of noyt month, when he will stay in that district about a month. Tho Enilway Department has decided upon tho appointment of two locomotive inspectors—one for each island. Mr A. McKenzie, of Christchurch, has been np. pointed for the South Island and Mr G. Bowles, of Auckland, for tho North Inland,

Among tlio passcnpors by tho lonic, which ■ftrill arrive this morning, nro Mr A. Scott, shipping manager for Balgoty and Co., Christchurch; Mr J. T. Evans, managing director for Commons, Skolton and Co., Gisborne, and family: and the Rev. C. Isaacson, of Bulls.

Melbourne phpora of last week contain the announcement of tho death, at flm ago of 83 years, of Mr Solomon • ShapjKsrc, of Villiere street, liletemwiok, and formerly of Now Zealand. Mr Shappcre carried, on business as a tobacconist at Timaru for many years. , ■

The death is announced of Lady Beaumont, wife of Admiral Sir Lewis Beaumont, late Commander-In-Chief of tho Australian squadron. The deceased lady was a daughter of Mr C. C. Perkins, of Boston, U.S.A., and married the Ad;, iniral in 1889. ' i

Messrs P. 1: Ledger (Nelson), H. Sladden, and J. E. Pulton ■ will retire from the council of tho Now'’Zealand Institute of Surveyors at the annual general meeting, to bo hold in Christchurch on January S2nd. They are all eligible for re-oloetion. ,

Last evening ex-pupils of the-Union street School, Dunedin (says a Prose Association message), entertained Mr Alexander Stewart, who ■ recently retired! after forty-four years’ continuous service as headmaster, hnd presented him with a cheque for aver JUSO. The engagement is announced of Mr Cyril Ward, eldest son of tho Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward, to Miss Davidson, only, daughter of Mr. J. It, Davidson, of i Brisbane, niece of Mr Aloysios MacDonald of Wellington, and first cousin of Mrs Babington, wife of General Babington, the late Commandant of the Now Zealand Forces. . Mr J. M. Pike, df tho staff of the Wellington Harbour: Board, was yesterday married to Mies Agnes Milne, daughter of the late Captain Johnston, of Dunedin. The Rev. H. D. Redstone performed the oeromony. Mr Pike had previously received a handsome wedding present from his confreres of the Harbour Board staff at a function held in his honour. .

The following railway transfers are announcedMr E. Maxwell, locomotive foreman, from Napier to Palmerston North; Mr G. Welling, Wanganui to Auckland; Mr A. Hislop, Cross Creek to Wanganui; Mr T. Underwood, New Plymouth to Cross Creole. Messrs 11. Shaw and H. Davis, engine-drivers, have been promoted to take charge of the engine-sheds at New Plymouth and Napier respectively. Tho coming of age of Lord Chiton, of Rathmore, eldest eon of the Earl and Countoss of Damloy, was celebrated on October 11th at Cobham Hall, Kent Lord Clifton was bom twenty-one years ago in East Melbourne, and. is a fins specimen of an. Anglo-Australian, standing 6ft 74in in height, ilia father was bettor known as tbs Hon. Ivo Bligh, captain of one of tho English elevens, and his mother, before marriage, was Miss Morphy, of Melbourne.. Lady Darnley hopes later to revisit Melbourne with Lord Clifton. Mr Andrew R. Bloxam, who has been Registrar of tho Supreme Court at Christchurch for many years, will shortly retire from the Government service. Mr Bloxam, who was bom in England sixty-eight years ago, arrived in Lyttelton in 1863, and two years later was appointed clerk of the Warden's Court at Kanieri, Westland. From 1872-8 ho was in England, and on his return he ’was appointed Clerk of the Magistrate’s Court at Greymouth. In 1879 he became Deputy-Registrar and DeputySheriff for Canterbury, and he afterwards succeeded to tho higher position, which ho now- fills. As a cricketer Mr Bloxam represented Canterbury in the first match against Otago. He is a prominent member of the Chnrch of England. ,

Madame Melba" gave a concert at the Town Hall. Melbourne, last Saturday week. There was an overflowing audience! and the singer had a most enthusiastic greeting. The "Argus in its criticism of the concert says Madame Melba was never in better voice. Thi* was the unanimous opinion. Many persons were present who hod heard her at times of her greatest triumphs in opera in London, there were hundreds who remembered how she sang when she was lost in Melbourne, and all agreed that her art is incomparable. The voice is a gift, so is the control of it; and behind the voice and its control is a mind

of a rare order. Molha is of all;things intellectual. She would be a groat in-., terpreter, had she merely. an ordinary voice; she would be a great singer; too, because even with a loss beautiful

voice she would show the triumph of training. Her technique is not technique in the sense in which C-e word is need customarily, for it is never observable.

She sings with all the iresluicss of a girl, yet with:, all the restraint of a perfectly-balanced temperament. V