PERSONAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18543, 2 May 1922, Page 6

PERSONAL.

Mr W. G. Blackie will succeed Mr Raymond ns inspector of schools in tho Wellington education district. Dr T. 11. A. Valintine. Director-General of Health, has been indisposed since his return from Auckland, and is under the care of Dr Wy lie

Mr George F. Vincent, a student of the Leipzig Conservutorium, has been appointed by the Trinity College of Music as the examiner for the college in New Zealand for practical work this year. Mr S. Kemshed. M.A., of the staff of the Timani Boys’ High School, has received advice from London that he has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Economic Society. Private advice received by cable at Hokii tika convoyed the news of the death in soulh Africa on April 24 of Mr Stanley Northcroft, eldest son of Mr Leo Northeroft, of South Africa, and formerly proprietor of the West Coast Times. The deceased, who was born in Hokitika, was 42 years ■of age, and went to South Africa with his parents some 20 years ago. ‘Mr Andrew Mountstephen Labatt, whose death occurred at Auckland a few days ago, was one of the most prominent cricketers in Canterbury in the late eighties and early nineties, when he played in many interprovincial matches. About 1894 he went to Auckland, where ho also’ took a - prominent part in cricket, representing tho province, attaining in 1898/ the position of captain of the Auckland LYiited Club. The late Mr Labatt was a son of the Rev. Andrew Tyrrell Labatt, M.A., of Swindon, Wiltshire, and was born in London 49 years ago. He was ' educated at Hurstpierpoint and Ardmgley Colleges, and later at St. Edward s School, Oxford. Before leaving for New Zealand in 1887, he had attained a proimnont place’ in football and cricket at St Edward’s. During the Great War he had four years’ military service, and was on board the transport Tahiti when the influenza epidemic carried off so many soldiers. He leaves a widow, four sons, and a daughter,’ all of whom now reside in Queensland. Mr F. H. Labatt. of Christ--ofrtP*l j l3 a b 1 ’ o^ol- of tho deceased. Iho death occurred at Timaru on SaturS? *J°h n Lillio Gillies, manager of the VV estport Coal Company and deputychairman of the Timaru High Schools’ iv >al Y’-.,S t , afre 57 years. The late Mr Gillies, who held the rank of captain m the ,Timaru City Rifle Volunteers, was born at Milton, and is a son of the late Mr o. L. Gillies, first secretary of the C tago Harbour Board. ,He was educated at the Otago Boys’ High School, and entered the service of the Westport ,Coal Company in Dunedin in 1881, being promoted to the management of the company s Timaru branch in 1897, a position he hold up to the time of his death. He joined the Dunedin Highland Rifles in 1889, was elected lieutenant in 1890, and obtained his captaincy a year later. On leaving Dunedin he was placed on the reserve list as captain, but was induced to join the Timaru Rifles as lieutenant, and on the retirement of Captain Jackson of the City Kifles (old C Battery of Artillery), ho accepted the command of that corps, his commission being ante-dated by permission.

Mr J. M. Nioolson, the popular rector of the Balclutha District High School for the past six and a-half years, was tendered a farewell at the school on Friday afternoon, on the eve of his departure to take up the lieadmastership of the Mornington School, Dunedin. There was a large gathering, including about 500 children. The chairman of the School Committee (Mr G. W. Wood), in expressing regret at the departure of Mr Nicolson, said the latter and Mrs N icolson had been citizens of exceptional standing and were held in high esteem by all. The examination results in the school under Mr Nicolson’s rectorship had been excellent, and each year was better than the previous one, and bis successor would have a “hard row to hoe” to keep up the splendid standard set by Mr Nicolson. Mr Heward, on behalf of the -children and staff, presented Mr Nicolson with a wellfilled wallet, and said it only slightly expressed the high esteem in which they held him. The departing rector was also the recipient of a handsome gold-mounted fountain pen from the School Committee. Mr Malcolm, M.P., referred to the splendid work done and the splendid results achieved by Mr Nioolson. Mr Simson (Mayor) expressed the regret of tho citizens at his departure; and Inspector Bain said the opinion of the inspectors was expressed in their annual reports. There was no doubt Mr Nicolson possessed exceptional ability as a teacher. Inspector Bain also bespoke the support of the staff for the now rector day) for Mornington, where Mr Nioolson referred to the school ns a great one—it was groat before iie came and it would lie great after. His lerm ,iu Balclutha had been the happiest of his teaching career. Mr and Mrs Nicolson left yesterday (Monday) for Mornington, where r Nicolson will will begin his duties on Thursday. Mrs Amelia Spurgeon (an aunt of the late Rev. C. H. Spurgeon, the well-known 1 Baptist preacher) died recently in the 103rd year of her age. She lived for many years at Anerley, but for the past year was practically an invalid. Born in the same year as Queen Victoria. Mrs Spurgeon spent much of her earlier life in the country districts of Sussex, and was in receipt of u small from the Agricultural Benevolent Institution. On her hundredth birthday she received the following message from the King, despatched by his Majesty’s Private Secretary“ The King is much gratified to learn that you are: to-day celebrating your hundredth birthi day, and I am commanded to send you an expression of his Majesty’s congratulations and good wishes.” Mrs Spurgeon came of a family notable for its longevity, and a brother and two sisters lived to' be over £0 years of ago. She had no children of her own, but brought up a niece, who looked after her in her later years. Till witnm a short time of becoming a centenarian she was able to read the newspapers daily, and then, though her sight and hearing began to fail her brain remained clear and active, and she retained a keen interest in outside affairs.

At the meeting of the First Church Session last evening feeling reference was made to the the church had sustained i through the death of the Rev, Dr Watt. The following motion was passed by standing vote:—‘‘That the ’ session desires (o place on record its sense of the loss the church has sustained through the death of the Rev. Dr Watt and its grateful pride in having been able for so long to claim as one oi its number a Christian gentleman so saintly, so kindly, and so universally beloved. The older generation can recall his long and faithful and greatly valued ministry in Green Island; while many generations of students for the Christian ministry wih pay their spontaneous and unanimous tribute Jto one who while adorning his office with the highest graces of mature scholarship and humane culture, was vet their sympathetic companion in a simple and unaffected friendship. From 1904 h«

was a member of this session, and all who were elders in the years while he still participated in its deliberations look back with the most, affectionate recollection of his wisdom in counsel, his gentleness of character, and his true Christian spirit. His great influence was such as he would himself have been the last to imagine, for in the presence of his saintly and tolerant Christian character nothing seemed admissible that was unkindly, ungracious, or ungenerous, It is the session’s earnest prayer that. God's own presence may be with his family to comfort and strengthen them in their bereavement.”