PERSONAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19033, 1 December 1923, Page 10

PERSONAL.

Ministerial. Sir R, Heaton Rhodes (Commissioner of State Forests) arrived from the south yesterday (says a Palmerston North Press Association message), and inspected the sand dunes on the Manawatu and Rangitikei beaches. The department is carrving out reclamation tree planting work on the dunes on the coast near Oroua Downs. The Minister was accompanied by Mr Macintosh Ellis (Director of the State Forest Service) and Mr Darby (officer in charge of the Wellington region of the department, and Mr Linklater, M.P. The Hon. R. F. Bollard (Minister of Internal Affairs), on visiting the district, was warmly welcomed everywhere on his promotion to the Ministry (says a Hamilton Press Association telegram). He opened the horticultural show at Raglan on Thursday, and in his address he referred to the excellent prospects of the country owing to the improving situation all round. Mr R. S. Galbraith, Commissioner of Crown Lands for Otago, who has been visiting Alexandra on official business, returned to Dunedin last night. The Rev. J. Napier Milne (of Christchurch) and Mrs Milne arrived in Dunedin by the express last evening. Messrs Harry Maclean Driver and Jasper Clark were yesterday elected unopposed as representatives of portion of the Bruce County on the Otago Electric Power Board. Captain P. J. Foster, marine superintendent for the Union Steam Ship Company, who arrived in Dunedin on Thursday evening from Lyttelton, will return north by to-day’s express. Mr James Henderson was yesterday elected unopposed to the Mosgiel Borough Council, thus filling the vacancy caused by the election of Mr J. P. Walls as Mayor. Mr John Beattie was nominated yesterday for a seat on the St. Hilda Borough Council by Messrs R. Telfer and John King. There are two vacancies, and three nominations have been received up to the present. Mr G. T. Dawson, who has been attached to the local staff of the South British Insurance Company (Jjtd.) for the past three years, has been notified of his transfer to the company’s Wellington branch, and will leave in the course of a few days. An enjoyable function was hold at the North-East Valley School on Wednesday evening, when the members of the school staff entertained Mr and Mrs J. B. Grant on the evo of their departure for Wellington, where Mr Grant has been appointed to the head mastership at Hataitai School. The school committee was also entertained by the staff. Mr Jones, on behalf of the staff- and committee, presented Mr and Mrs Grant with a handsome leather suit case. Mr Grant had previously been the recipient of a leather bowling case from the Standard VI pupils. Speeches were also made by Mr Flamank ex-head master, Mr Elliot (chairman of the committee), Mr Manson, Miss Andrew, and Mrs Elliot, all of whom spoke highly of Mr Grant’s sterling qualities. The Rev. Walter Friend, who, with Mrs Friend, is taking a trip round the world, is at present in Dunedin. Mr Friend was for a number of years minister of one of the loading churches in South Africa, and since returning to England has occupied important pulpits. There is no church in London to which he is not a welcome visitor. as he is a preacher of outstanding ability and charming personality. Mr and Mrs Friend are travelling at their own expense, but they have been officially appointed as a deputation from the Colonial Missionary Society to the various churches and unions overseas. Mr Friend will conduct the service at Moray Place Congregational Church to-morrow morning. The announcement of the death of Captain Gilbert Mair (reports our Auckland correspondent) has occasioned much regret among the Arawa Natives. The deceased for over 50 years proved himself a close and reliable friend of the Arawas—a friend in need and in deed. This was fully reciprocated, and was shown in a practical way a little while ago when the Arawa tribe voted the deceased £IOO a year for life. They have further shown their esteem and their appreciation of his man/ efforts on their behalf by taking full charge of his obseouies. The burial will take place in the churchyard attached to St. Faith’s Church in the Ohinemutu Pah on Sunday. A great gathering of friends of the deceased will be present, both pakeha and Maori, to pay their last respects to tlie memory of the deceased. Captain Mair represented the Now Zealand Government at all Native gatherings of welcome, including that to the late Duke of Edinburgh, the present King, the Prince of Wales and many other celebrities. Advice has been received that Lord Leverhulme, the head of the firm of Lever Bros, the well-known soap manufacturers, is expected to arrive in Auckland from Vancouver by the Niagara on December 29. Lord Leverhulme, who is accompanied by two English directors of the firm, will proceed direct to Wellington for the purpose of inspecting the company’s works at Petone and Kaiwarra (the Now Zealand Candle Company). Several other directors of ihe company, who are coming out from Home, via Suez, will join the main party at Wellington. Lord Leverhulme will not visit the South Island, as he intends leaving for Sydney on January 4. Mr D. A. Aiken, general manager in New Zealand of the Union Steam Ship Company, returned to Sydney on November 21 on the R.M.S. Ormond, after a visit to Great Britain. While in Scotland Mr Aiken inspected the new motor passenger liner Aorangi, which is being constructed to run in conjunction with the R.M.S. Niagara in the Canadian-Australasian mail service. Owing to a boilermakers’ strike the construction of the vessel had been temporarily held up, but when Mr Aiken left work was again in full swing, and the builders hoped to have the vessel ready for launching early next year.