PERSONAL ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3594, 30 January 1923, Page 51

PERSONAL ITEMS.

Miss Hannah G. Kilpatrick, of Green Island, has been appointed mistress of the Waimahaka School, Southland, and will take up her duties there on February 5. The death occurred on the 21st of Mr Sylvester Whitty, aged 75 years, a resident of Dunedin for over 40 years. He was head storeman with the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company for over 30 years, and retired several years ago. Dr Frances M’Allister, formerly of Stratford, has been offered the position of resident surgeon at the New Plymouth Hospital. Dr M’Allister won a Taranaki scholarship and continued her studies at the Otago University, qualifying in both surgery and medicine at the end of 1921. Mr W. J. Stevenson, w'ho has been appointed official representative of the New Zealand Customs Department for Canada and 4he United States, is an old boy of the Lawrence District High and Otago Boys’ High Schools. lie was born at Horseshoe Bend, and received his primary school education at the Rae’s Junction School, and entered the Customs Department as a cadet at Wellington in April, 1896, and 11 years later was appointed Collector of Customs, treasurer, and postmaster to the Cook Islands Administration at Rarotonga. In October, 1921, he returned to the Customs Department as inspector at Wellington. The death, through heart failure, of Mr H. C. Davies, chief steward of the Union Company’s cargo steamer Kaiw arra, occurred during the vessel’s recent voyage from Auckland to Newcastle. Deceased was buried at sea. Mr and Mrs Dundas Sarq.uel, jun., left on Tuesday for Sydney, en route for Singapore. Mr Samuel has been engaged lately on the Central Otago irrigation scheme, but resigned in order to take up the position of mining engineer for the Pahang Consolidated Company (Ltd.), Pahang, Federated Malay States. a Paris cable announces the death of Max Simon Nordan, M.D. (Paris and Budapesth). The deceased held French, Greek, and Spanish honours, and had numerous publications to his credit. He was the son of a German Jew, and was president of the Congress of Zionists. He travelled extensively in Europe, was in practice at Budapesth, 1878-1880. and then settled in Paris, lie was 74 years of age. A valedictory social was held at the Church of Christ, North-East Valley, on Monday evening last for the purpose of bidding farewell to two church members, Misses Olive King and Marjory Benjamin, who will leave New Zealand shortly for Glen Iris College of the Bible, at Melbourne, to train for foreign mission w'ork. The chair was occupied by Mr B. G. Corbett, who was supported by several representatives from other churches. During the evening the chairman, on behalf of the church members, presented Miss King and. Miss Benjamin each with an attache case for college use. Mr W. King, sen., returned thanks on behalf of his grand daughter, and Mr L. Benjamin responded on behalf of his sister, at the same time expressing the thanks of the choir to both for their services in the past and to Miss King as organist. Cabled advice states that Dr F. C. Hutchison, of Dunedin, has passed the examination for the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh. Mr I. Simpson, the eldest son of the Rev. J. M. Simpson, of Port Chalmers, lias been appointed sole teacher of the Sherenden School, Hawke’s Bay. Mr George Livingstone, one of the oldest members of the Otago Land Board, states that he has no intention of retiring from the board. He intends to offer himself for re-election on the expiration of his term in April next. Mr H. C. Cameron, lately of the High Commissioner’s Office, with his wife and daughter are leaving- England for New Zealand •by the Ruahine, due to sail in the middle of February. Dr Arnold Gilray, of Dunedin, has (our London correspondent writes) been appointed to the resident staff of the Miller General Hospital for South-East London, where lie will remain for at least six months. Information of the sudden death of Dr W. S. Alexander, magistrate and medical officer at fine Chatham Islands, was received last w'eek. Dr Alexander was a native °f Londonderry, Ireland, and graduated at trinity College, Dublin. He practised for some years in London, but then went to South Africa, where lie served in the Boer War. After another period cf residence in England he returned to Sbuth Africa and carried on the practice of his profession for several years in Rhodesia, w'here he w'as at the time of the outbreak of the Great War, in which he served with the colonial forces in the African campaign. Having come to New Zealand for health reasons in 1921. Dr Alexander practised at Pembroke for about a year prior to his appointment to Chatham Islands, where, however, he had lived for only about a month when he passed away. He leaves a wife and one daughter to mourn their loss. Dr Alexander impressed tnose who met him as a man of strong and attractive personality, of a very kindly disposition, and of broad sympathies. Mr M. Stanley Todd, w'ho died at his residence, Brooklyn, Wellington, last week, at the age of 66, had many friends in Otago. He came with his parents from Scotland in J.cC2, and spent his school days at Christchurch. The family removing to Dunedin, he represented Messrs Gregg and Co. and Messrs Neill and Co. on the Goldfields. Then, proceeding to Wellington, he represented Messrs Johnston and Co. on the West Coast and later on Messrs Strang and Co. of Invercargill, Messrs Nelson Moate and Co., of Wellington, and the Windsor Company, of Wellington. At the time of his death he was in the employ of Johnston and Co. (Ltd.). He was a member of the Otago C.T. and W.A., of the Greymouth Club, of the Hokitika Golf Club, and w'as amateur golf champion of New Zealand m 1896. He was widely respected on the West Coast, and was looked upon as one of its identities, and will be sadly missed by his brother travellers throughout New Zealand and mi many friends in the Commercial Travellers and Warehousemen’s Association, Wellington and Otago. Captain Chas. Todd, a well-known skipper of the Union Steam bhip Company, and Burns, Philp. and Co., Sydney, predeceased him in 1919. His eldest brother, Mr George Todd, of M'Leod and Co.; Dunedin, and his two sisters survive him. Mr Stanley Todd was well beloved and respected by all his friends on the road for the fatherly advice and encouragement ho was wont to give them. Many a traveller appreciates tlio kindness extended to him bv the deceased, and some of them can thank him for their subsequent success in life.

Among the overseas visitors at present at Miltord is Mrs Doctor Wilson, England, whose husband died while with Captain Scott on the antarctic expedition. Miss K. M. Bruce, 8.A., who is at present on the staff of the Otago Gills’ High School, has been appointed to the position of assistant in the Boys’ Grammar School in Suva. She will leave for Suva by the Navua on February 5. A recommendation by the Financial Committee that Miss Florence Valentine, at present matron of the infectious diseases hospital, be appointed matron of the Wakari Hospital, was adopted by the Hospital Board at its meeting last night. The appointment of Mr B. L. Hammond as a temporary member of the Arbitration Court during the absence ol the employers’ representative as from January 29 is gazetted (says a Wellington Press Association message). Before proceeding with the business at the monthly meeting of the Otago A. and P. Society on Thursday, the president (Mr D. Andrew) referred to the death of Mr William Thomson, and moved the following resolution: —“That this meeting expresses its regret at the death of Mr William Thomson, a member of this society, and desires to extend its sincere sympathy with his family in their sad bereai enient.” The motion was carried in the usual manner, members standing. A great, many people in shipping circle® in New Zealand will (writes our London correspondent) learn with regret of the death of Colonel J. M. Denny, C. 8., chairman of Messrs William Denr.y and Brothers, Limited, the great Dumliarton building and engineering firm. He died a few days aigo at a nursing home in Glasgow after an operation. One of the eight sons of Dr Peter Denny, be was born in Dumbarton in 1858. and educated at the local academy as well as at Lausanne. It is one of the traditions of the firm that future partners, during their tutelage, are treated in all respects as ordinary apprentices, and Colonel Denny, at the age of 17, entered the counting-house as a junior clerk. He w'as a good linguist and had travelled considerably in the interests of the firm, which grew' and prospered very largely owing to his business ability. At present the shipbuilding department covers about 70 acres, and Messrs Denny Brothers have done much for the development of turbine machinery for seagoing vessels, as New Zealanders can well testify, for many of the Union Steam Ship Company’s vessels have been turned out by this go-ahead Dumbarton firm. In Masonry, Colonel Denny held high rank. For many years he represented the Unionist, interest in Parliament for Kilmarnock Burghs, and he soon became known as an able and well-informed man, who only spoke on_subj%cts which he has mastered. Sir James Mills was a passenger by the Remuera, which arrived on Saturday at Auckland (telegraphs our own correspondent) He is accompanied by bis daughter, Mrs Curzon. Sir James states that he proposes to spend a few months in New Zealand. It is possible, lie added, that he will return to London, and at the end of 12 months he will take up his residence in the dominion.