PERSONALIA

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7847, 8 July 1911, Page 5

PERSONALIA

His Excellency tl.e Governor, lord Islington will be present at the Savage Cl Ufa’s torero this evenin'', when he will fae installed as Chief Savage-

The Hon. Geo. I’owlds, Minister of Education, has gone north to open tho new High .School at Huiailtun. Detective Cassells, who has been statjom.ni in Wellington lor w»np yoirs, is under ortlwrfi for transfer io -Snpier. Mr J A McCullough, tho worker.** topresellUtivo on the Arbitration Court, loft Wellington fur tho south hist night.

The Hon. J. A. .Millar, Minister of Hallways, who has been laid up ior about u fortnight, is now able to got about.

Mr S. Bolton, chairman of the Pahiatua County Council, has announced himsoif as an Opxiositiou candidate for tho i’uhialua seat.

Ministers out of town to-day are Sir James Carroll, at Christehuruh, the lion. <l. Fowhls, on route for Hamilton, and tho Hon. K. McKenzie at Colhngwowl.

Mr H Hallv, Conciliation Commissioner, will on Monday nioriung leave for Napier to preside over a silting ot tho Conciliation Council in connection with tho drivers’ dispute- He mil be back in Wellington on I nday next. Mr Harold Armstrong, who for six months bus bevu tho assistant of tiiu Weiiingtem and lattu 1 secretary for three months at Hustings “left fay yesterday's steamer lor Sydney, to take a position m tho i.M.C-A. of that city.

Mr W F. Massey, leader of the Opposition, left Wellington for the south last night, and will give an address in Christchurch. probably on Tuesday. H° tends to speak in Auckland on the bon. and at several smaller places in. the north before the opening oi tho session.

The Him. T. Mackenzie, Minister of Agriculture, will address a public, meeting at Carterton on Tuesday eveninglie lias accepted an invitation to nil end the opening of the (Jingo winter show on August Ist, mid to take part in the biennial conference of the Agricultural and Pastoral Associations.

Sir James Carroll is to ho tendered a banquet in Wellington in honour of Ins kiiiuutiiocKl iuwi "tin? .sterling wuy lawmen b-e. has Uono ju-uice to tiic oi during brr Joseph \\ urd s absence. It is tiiulerstocu the banquet vrilt take place at the lowd Hall duiing the present month. Tho death is announced from Oamaru of tho widow of tho Into Air John Wills, who was engaged in farming in various parts of Canterbury fur nearly fifty years. Airs was tho second sister of tho Into Sir John Mackenzie and was in her seventy-liith year. Professor Mackenzie, of Victoria College, lett tor Oamaru last night to attend his sister s funeral, which takes place there on Monday afternoon.

Mr George Buekeridge, who arrived in Now Zealand in 1855, died on Thursday at Kawhia, aged eighty years. Shortly after his arrival, he became managing foreman of tho ‘"Nelson Examiner/' and thence held positions on tho “Nelson limes," “Napier Telegraph,” and “Nelson Colonist." Tho deceased was associated with Mr Charles Elliott in the publication of the first New Zealand Stud Book. He loaves a widow and two sous, Mr 11. IV. Buekeridge, surveyor, of Aotea, and Mr G. A. Buekeridge- Ono of his daughters, Mrs Iloldsworth, is a resident of this city. Tho body was brought to Wellington for interment. Tho Manawatu A. and P. Association's finance committee met it Palmerston yesterday to make I final selection for the secretaryihip of tho association, rendered vacant through the resignation of Mr J. C. Sane. Tho committee had reduced tho Applicants to three— Hr L. W. Harley, of Christchurch; Mr H. F. Gibson, of Oamaru, and Mr F. W. Penny, of Paeroa. Yoeterday tho committeo personally interviewed tho three ■camlidatos. It was decided to appoint Mr Penny. The new secretory is in the prime- of life, and has had experience both in commercial and agricultural life. Ho was for some years in the office of tho New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co. in Auckland, and latterly has been, in business as an accountant in Paeroa.

At a meeting of the Professorial Board of Otago University, tlio following resolutions were carried unanimously :—"That the members of tho Professorial Board have heard with great satisfaction that his Majesty the Xing has knighted his Honor Mr Justice Williams, who was for many years identified with Otago University as Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor, and who has always shown a warm interest in the fortunes of the University; that tho members of tho Professorial Board express their great satisfaction that Dr John George Fincilay, Attorney-General, a distinguished graduate of Otago University, in which he was for some time lecturer in political economy, an able lawyer and public servant, and an eloquent orator, has been knighted by his Majesty the King; that the members of the Professorial Board, have heard with great satisfaction that Harvard University, tho greatest seat of learning in America, has awarded the Ames prize to John William Salmond, Solicitor-General, a distinguished graduate of Otago University, in recognition of the merits of his treatise on the law of ‘torts.''’'

After a long illness there died at his residence, Courtenay place, yesterday, Mr Henry Birch, who for many years ■was engineer to tho Wellington Gas Company and for some time past consulting engineer. Born in London, tho deceased gentleman came out to Australia with his parents when he was a child, and, coming to New Zealand, joined tho Gas Company's service as a fitter in 1875. In 1879 ho was placed in -charge of tho company's outside work, appointed foreman of works in 1880, and works manager or engineer in 1897. Mr Birch remained in that position till tho beginning of 1910, when he retired and was appointed consulting engineer. Deceased leaves a widow, and a grown-up family, one son (Mr Arthur Birch, the well-known cricketer), and three daughters (Mrs W. Tiller, of Nelson, and Mrs J. Brennan, of Wanganui, and Miss Amy Birch). A prominent member of the Wesleyan Church, Taranaki street, Mr Birch was for many years a teacher in the Sunday school. Considerable interest in friendly society wdrfc was taken by Mr Birch for practically the whole time ho resided in Wellington. In 1878 ho joined tho District. Executive of the Ancient Order of Foresters, and in 1890 •was elected district secretary. Becoming district treasurer in 1892, Mr Birch hold that position up to tho time of his death. In 1907 he was the Wellington district's delegate to the high court of the c. dor, held at Leeds. While on this trip Mr Birch arranged for tho construction of tho Gas Company's gas-holder, now erected at Miramar. The deceased was a very able man and was esteemed by a largo circle of friends. Mp Birch—who for some time had suffered from a serious internal complaint—was sixty-ono years af ago.