PERSONALIA

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9694, 23 June 1917, Page 3

PERSONALIA

The death is reported of Mrs Rachel Cullen, wife of Sir John Cullen, cxCommissioner of Police for New Zealanad.

The Uon. Sir James Allen (ActingPremier and Minister for Defence) leaves for Auckland by the midday express today, returning to Wellington on' Tuesday next.

The present session of the Arbitration Court in Wellington being concluded, the assessors, Messrs IV. Scott, and J. A. McCullough. left for the South last evening. Mr Justice Stringer remains for the Appeal Court, which will sit on Monday. Since the publication of the “Gazette” of those drawn in the seventh ballot evidence has been < produced that Francis Doherty, of street, Wellington, was already a member of the Expeditionary Force, ho having left New Zealand with the 2Jnd Kcinlorcements.

Mr G. J. Goldsman, who is one of the teachers at the Masterton Technical School, has been granted Wave, of absence by the board of managers during the currency of the war. The managers resolved on Thursday night tb write Mr Goldsman, thanking him - for the keen interest he had taken in the school work since his appointment, and wishing him a safe return from the scat of war. Mr J. G. Bee, M.A., has been appointed to, the vacancy.

A son of Jem Mace, the one-timo famous prize-fighter, is at present working as an evangelist 4n New Zealand. Mr Mace has drawn "large audiences at northern centres, and his vivid -and interesting addresses and Scripture expositions have been listened to with much evident appreciation by people, of all denominations. It has been arranged, that Mr Mace will conduct a series of meetings in Wellington in the Town Hall concert chamber, beginning on Sunday, July Ist. Full particulars will be found in the church notices column. Captain P. C. Piraui, who, on tho outbreak of hostilities, went to England and joined the Imperial Army,,-writing to a friend in Christchurch, says:—"l have been in tho front lino fog over, two years; have been knocked out twice, and have just got back after the last lot. Just at present I am living in a cellar in the ruins of an old historic: town, which has hagdly a .wall left standing, yet tho Huns keep pouring shells in. The ground is covered with snow, but the Bosche keeps us warm with shot and shell every few minutes.’ • Private J. D. Donaldson, son of Mr J. C. Donaldson, of Dannevirke, was amongst those Who have been admitted to a military hospital as a result of tho Anzao advance in tho west. 1 Prior to his enlistment. Private Donaldson was a plumber in the employment of Messr« Stewart Bros., but he will bo best remembered as a 'popular vocalist. Ho was a prominent member of the Heliotrope Troubadours., and freely gave hl« services on tho concert platform. Private Donaldson left New Zealand with the 15th Reinforcements.'' Ho ‘is reported to have been gassed.

Private Noel Wilson Jennings, Aucla land Infantry, who was killed in action on Juno 7th, was a member of tne reporting staff of the "New Zealand Heiaid" from July, 1914, to November, 1915, when ho enlisted, having previously been rejected on account of an °;d injury to the knee. Ho was born at Mo-tuel-a twenty-five years ago, and educated at Nelson College . Latpr ho joined the staff of the Press, and after gaining some journalistic csperience toolc a position on the, Strutford "Post," returning to the ‘‘Press ’ about a year later, eventually leaving to take up a post on the ‘Herald. While in Auckland he made many friends, and his loss is greatly- regretted / by local journalists. II is mother, Mrs George Jennings, lives-in Christchurch. "It gives me pleasure to place on record," stated Mr Harold Beauchamp (chairman of directors), at yesterday’s meeting of the proprietors of the Bank of New Zealand, ■'that some of onr men at the front have distinguished them, selves. One officer—Captain 1 It. N. Morpeth—(fias received the Military Cross; another, Sergeant-Major Beauchamp—hae won the D.C.M.; and three others—Sergeants L. P. Hasty and H. F. Wilson, and Private N. L. Ingpen—have been awarded the Military Medal." Mr Beauchamp added tiuat in. all 348 ■ of the Bank were- now on "active service, and their pay sheet; in rfeßP&t of halfpay, war bonuses, etc., amounted to over *26,503 for the past financial year. Ho regretted to-say that 22 of their officers had lost their lives, and 58 had been wounded.

Mr Robert Sinclair, 'who had been ei .resident of Wellington;' for 1 * over forty, years, died at a private hospital ■on Thursday. The deceased was born at Walls, Shetland Islands, sixty-two years ago, and came out to New Zealand by the ship Rodnev in 1873, Shortly after his arrival he found employment with Mr McCurdie, ironmonger, Lambton, quay, and later on he was time-keeper and pay-clerk for the late Mr Joseph Saunders during the carrying out of several important contracts, a, including the Tborndon {Kaiwarra Bight) and Kaiwarra reclamations. Afterwards he carried on business as a grocer at the corner of Brougham . and , Majoribanks streets, retiring some years ago in favour of his sons- Since then he had lived at Hataitai. He had been in illhealth for about two years before bis death, and had recently undergone a second operation. Mr Sinclair has left a widow, two sons (Mf’Ssts Robert and Prank Sinclair;, and a daughter (Mrs B. Reynolds). Mr A. W. Betbunc, Inspector of Machinery. Surveyor of Ships and Chief Examiner of Engineers at Christchurch, recently retired from the service (says the "Public Service Journal’’) after spending 80 years with his department. He joined the service on June Ith, 1885, and served as 3rd, 2nd, and'chief engineer of Government steamers until 1896, when he left for Great. Britain to superintend the construction of the cable steamer Tutanekai. He was chief engineer of this ship until 1900, when be was appointed to the position which be has held up to date. There is nothing of the austere high official in Mr Bethune. lie is always of a pleasant manner, a, quietly genial Scotsman,ready to listen and sympathetic, but yet with a high sense of the duty ho owes to his employers. Our recollection of him as a member of the association and a patriotic fund helper will always remain a pleasant one. Mr Bethune is leaving Christchurch for the warmer climate of the north. We understand that for a time he will reside at Rotorua. We wish him good health and happiness and a long period in which to enjoy them. A Press Association message from Invercargill states that Lieut.-Col. 11. A. De Latour, who was engaged in work of ,he Medical Board, under the Military Service Act, died suddenly at the Grand Hotel yesterday morning, aged 68. The supposed cause of death was heart dieease. Dr De Latour (who formerly held the post of principal medical officer of Ihe Otago Volunteer District, with the rank of brigade surgeon lieutenant-colo-nel) was a son of the late Edward Ce Latour, for many yeirs a Judge at, Calcutta. He was born in Koacolly. Bengal, in 1819. educated at Cheltenham College, studied medicine at King's College, "London, and in 1873 was admitted with distinction to the rank of associate at the College. In 1875, Dr De Latour settled in Oamaru, where he practised his profession. During a visit to England in 1897, fie passed the proficiency examination at the War Office. London, a distinction held by very few in New Zealand. Dr De Latour was a rice-president of the Volunteer Ambulance School of Instruction, London, and the only holder of" that Tumour outside the United' Kingdom'.* He had been practising bis profession in Kilbirnie, Wellington, for a number of years, and was regarded as a skilful medical man.