PERSONAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20868, 7 November 1929, Page 10

PERSONAL.

Recent callers at the High- Commissioner’s Office, London, include Mr H. F. Marshall and Miss Nance Pattrick, both of Dunedin.

Our London correspondent states that Mr Edv?ard Aslin, of Dunedin, returned to' London from Switzerland about the end of September and intended touring in the south-west of England. Our London correspondent states that Mr W. E. Barron, a graduate of the Otago University School of Mines, has been appointed mining engineer and geologist -to the North Charterland Exploration Company, Ltd., operating in Rhodesia. Before proceeding with the business at the monthly meeting of the Mocgiel Borough Council the Mayor (Mr W. E. M’Lean] referred to the death of Mr R. W. Hall, late Mayor of St. Hilda. A motion of sympathy was, passed with the relatives and with the St. Hilda Council.

Mr A. M. Sidey, of Dunedin, and his family have returned to London from a tour of England and Scotland (says our London correspondent, writing on September 18). They will remain in London for a week or two before visiting the Continent.

A, Press Association telegram from- Wellington states that Mr William J. Gow, acting second assistant secretary of the Post and Telgraph Department, has been appointed second assistant secretary, succeeding Mr Esson. Mr Gow joined the service at Oam aru in 1893, and was in the secretary’s office from 1899 till 1923, when he became postmaster at Auckland. He was appointed acting second secretary last March.

The Dunedin Drainage and Sewerage Board, at its meeting last night, passed a resolution -of sympathy with the family of the late Mr R. W. Hall, of St. Hilda, a member of tbe board. A motion of sympathy with Mr C. Conn, a member of the board, in the'loss of his brother, was also passed. A motion of sympathy with the relatives of Mr Hall was also passed at the meeting of the City Council last night. . At a meeting of the Southland Boys High School Board of Governors on Tuesday Mr J. L. Cameron was appointed an A grade assistant on the staff. At present at the Rotorua High School, Mr Cameron was until 1927 a master at the school to which he is now returning. During the years he was at the Southland Boys’ High School, both in the old buildings and in the new. he took an active part in the sport and military drill of the boys. Cable advice has been received stating that Mr Denis Blundell, son of Mr Percy Blundell, of- Wellington, has qualified as a barrister and solicitor’at Gray’s Inn, London, He will be called to the Bar ou November 20, and will sail for New Zealand on November 23 by the Ormonde. He will arrive in Wellington about the end of the first week in January, and will join the Wellington firm of barristers and solicitors, Messrs Bell, Gully, Mackenzie, and O’Leary. Lieutenant-colonel N. W. B. B. Thoms, D. 5.0., M.C., chief staff officer of the Southern Command, will leave the Dominion at the end of the month for England, where he will take a course at the Imperial Defence College in military work affecting the higher commands in time of war. Lieutenant-colonel Thoms has been connected with the New Zealand Permanent Forces since 1911, pre-. viously serving in volunteer regiments in England, and taking part in the South African War, In 1914 he was appointed to the Main Body of the N.Z.E.F., holding various staff appointments throughout the war, and being wounded on more than one occasion, 1 Since the war, he has held staff appointments in New Zealand.. Captain A. L. Campbell, of the Highland Light Infantry, Indian Army, who has been attached to the staff of the New Zealand Defence Forces since August. 1925, will leave to-morrow by the Marama for Sydney, en route to Bombay. Captain Campbell is a son of Colonel G, F. G. Campbell, of Wellington. He will be accompanied by Mrs Campbell and Miss W. Preedy, of Wellington. Captain A. W. Greville, of the New Zealand Staff Corps, is expected to return to Wellington next week from India. , He will be stationed at Trentham. It is understood that there will be no further movements for some time under the system of exchange of officers of the New Zealand Forces and the Indian Army. Mrs Martha Reece, of Opotiki, who celebrated her 102nd birthday on Sunday, is one of the earliest settlers of that district. She arrived in the Dominion in 1868 by the ship Nimrod, and settled there in 1870. Mrs Reece has brought up two sons, Messrs E. and W. Reece, and three daughters, Mrs R. Smith, Onehunga, Mrs J. Butler and Mrs H. R. Webb, of Opotiki, She has lived with Mrs Webb for over 20 years. There are also living 34 grandchildren and about 20 great-grandchildren. Mrs Reece has a wonderful memory, and can recount events which happened 92 years ago, beg.nning with the accession of the late Queen Victoria to the throne. The coronation of Queen Victoria is also impressed on her mind, and she has a vivid recollection of the precautions taken to ensure the safety of the Queen,