PERSONAL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19977, 20 December 1926, Page 12

PERSONAL

Ministerial. The Hon. O. J. Hawken (Minister of Agriculture) and his private secretary, Mr L. E. Johnson, were passengers by the first express for the north on Saturday morning. The Minister has returned to Wellington. Su James Allen, who left for Wellington, was a passenger by the through express on Saturday morning. . Mr L. D. Adand left Dunedin for Christchurch by the second express on Saturday. Mr E. T. Norris, registrar of the New Zealand University, left Dunedin by the second express on Saturday on his way to Wellington. * . Mr D. Jones, M.P. for Ellersmere and chairman of the Meat Control Board, was a passenger from Gore to Christchurch by the through express on Saturday. Mr S. Dunn, who intends to take up his residence permanently in Auckland, left Dunedin for the north by the second express on Saturday. A number of friends bade him farewell at the railway station. Our special correspondent states that the appointment of Miss M. C.' Yorke as matron at St. Helens Hospital, Invercargill, is announced. A Press Association cablegram from Copenhagen announces the death of L. M. Enccson, the telephone engineer. Mr Isaac Green, a former member of the Dunedin City Council, who now resides in Christchurch, is at present visiting this C 1 Messrs G. W. MTntosh and J. H. C. Bond both of whom wore formerly wellknown in Dunedin, left for Lake Hawea on Saturday morning. They were accompanied bv Mr C. P. M. Butterworth. ‘Mr K. C. Alkins, who for the past three years»has been associate to Mr Justice Sim, has resigned his position, and will leave for Auckland to-day to take up a position th Mr J. E. Madden has arrived in the Dominion to take over the position of general manager for New Zealand of the Dun p Rubber Company (Australasia), Ltd. Mr Madden was formerly with the exjport department of the Dunlop Rubber Company in London, and has had extensive experience in overseas markets. A Christchurch Press Association message states that Mr S. Schofield shunter at Christchurch, will bo a candidate for the presidency of the A.S.R.S. at the election in February. Mr Schofield was recently re-elected to the Excutive Council as representative of the traffic men of tta South Island, and was a member of the Shunting Inquiry Board last year. On the eve of his departure for Melbourne, opportunity was taken by the staff of the Returned Soldiers Club and dining rooms to present Mr George luckhurst with a token of appreciation and esteem. Mr J. M. White (secretary of the Returned Soldiers’ Association), in presenting Mr Tuckhurst with a gold-mounted pencil, referred to the happy relations which had been a feature of his association with the club. They wished him success in his new sphere, and expressed the wish that he would in the future pay a frequent visit to Dunedin. The members of the staff of the Central Police Station met in the station library on Saturday evening to bid farewell to Subinspector O’Halloran, who has been promoted to the rank of inspector at Greymouth. On behalf of the local officers. Inspector Cameron presented Mr O’Halloran with a gold-mounted fountain pen and a wallet, and referred to the esteem in which he had been held at the station. Other speakers were Sergeant Dunlop, Detective Boer, and Constable Milne, all of whom congratulated Mr O’Halloran on his promotion. The sub-inspector replied briefly, thanking his colleagues for their kind wishes and for their gifts. Sub-in-spector- O’Halloran will leave for Greyrnouth to-day. CHRISTMAS DAY AND AMUSEMENTS. TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Last year some argument took place through your columns whether the Exhibition should be to the public or not. Eventually it was opened and the people in their thousands visited the Exhibition, proving clearly their mina on the subject, which should servo to the City Council as an indicator for future guidance if they are anxious to cater for the public generally whose servants they really are. We find to-day the same old spirit and long faces for Christmas Gay, Dunedin being the only city of our four New Zealand cities closed to pictures on that dav. This' attitude is backed up bv the Council of Churches which, after all, is a body of men, who take upon themselves the right to guide their various flocks just as the Citv Council endeavour to guide the citizens of Dunedin. Although both bodies may be dead from the shoulders upwards as to the requireemnts of their memb rs. the writer can vouch for a largo number of church-going people who would welcome the opening of picture theatres on Christmas Gay, as they recognise the enormous amount of good a film is capable of doing. As it is not within the power of all citizens to leave the city on th = t dav with their families, they would welcome the cheapest form of amusement in the whole word—“picture theatres open.’’ I note too, that not one word has been said by any of those who. for years, have benefited by the generosity of the picture theatres in their various charities and collections. Tills neglect is not on account of reli'dous scrunles._ I am sure. Now, the City Council, if it has a religious mind must, to bo consistent, stop all tram find bus services on Christmas Day. as those are run for profit and the members must behave themselves personally in such a manner as to meet the applause of the Council of Churches and to see that Cr Sincock and his followers do not attend a cricket, match. —I am, etc., G. L. Johnston. Dunedin. December 18. [The Exhibition was not open on Christmas Day.—Ed. O.D.T.]