PERSONAL ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3765, 11 May 1926, Page 34

PERSONAL ITEMS.

On the 3rd Mr T. 11. Russell attended the lasi meeting of the Otago Harbour Board at which he will be present as a member. The Chairman (Mr J. Loudon) drew attention to the fact that that was probably the last meeting at which they would have the pleasure of Mr Russell's company, and said that they all regretted that fact very much. They had had theii differences with Mr Russell, but they had always been very good friends, .ir Russell left the board with the kindliest feelings of every member, and tliey all hoped they might see him back again. Mr Moller and Mr Dickson also expressed their sincere regrets at Mr Russell’s departure, Mr Dickson saying that Mr Russell had given satisfaction to his constituents and gained credit for himself. Mr Russell, in returning thanks, said he sorry to be leaving the board, add asked that his regards be conveyed to all the staff. He would continue to take a great interest in the transacts is of the board. The Rev. Brother J. N. Moore, who was Veil known in Dunedin in connection with the Christian Brothers school 12 years ago, has returned on a special mission connected with the progress of the Christian Brothers schools.

On May 3, 1876, Mr A. F. Stuart, a compositor, entered the service of the Otago Guardian, then owned by Messrs Reed and Fenwick. A year later the proprietors of the Otago Guardian purchased the Otago Daily Times. Mr Stuart continued in their employ, and has thus completed 50 years’ unbroken service with the company. At the annual meeting of the Otago Bible Society on Tuesday, the president (Mr P. Barr) presented Mr E. A. Rosevear with a handsomely-bound copy of the Scriptures, which had been given by the board of the National Bible Society of Scotland in recognition of Mr Rosevear s 28 years of service as honorary treasurer of the Otago Bible Society. Mr Barr referred to the conscientious manner in which Mr Rosevear had worked for the society for many years.

Mr W. D. Taylor was on Wednesday admitted as a solicitor ol the Supreme Court by his Honor Mr Justice Sim. A message states that Mayor of Westport (Mr John Menzies) has tendered hi s resignation owing to the pressure of private business. Mr C. N« Greenland, Deputy-mayor, was appointed in his stead, with Mr E. R Cox to act as DeputyAt the Christchurch Competitions on Tuesday the recitation in character (12 years and under 16) was won bv Miss Roberta Williams, of Dunedin, with 83 points. There wns a large assemblage of friends on the railway platform on Wednesday to see Mr Charles Todd away. Mr Todd, who was accompanied by Mrs Todu, Miss Sheila Todd, Mr C. P. Todd, and Mr B. J. Todd, will sail from Auckland on Tuesday next by the Niagara for San Francisco. He will leave San Francisco on June 1, and will travel vai the Yosemite Valley for J.os Angeles, and thence to Denver, where he will attend an international conference of Rotary, which will commence on June 14. He will subsequently visit Chicago, Detroit, Niagara Falls, and New York. He hopes to arrive in London early in July, and will then visit the Continent. He expects to be ..bsent from the omiiiion for a period of nine months, and will return to Dunedin about the end of the year. Mr Arthur Jordan, the Englisu tenor, who was at the Exhibition a' Dunedin, was singing in Brisbane last month. He is to leave Sydney for Wellington on July 2, and will sing the music of Don Jose in “Carmen” with the Wellington Choral Union. He will also make appearances at Nelson, Blenheim, Wanganui, and Auckland before leaving that port for America early in August. The sixtieth anniversary of the wedding of Mr and Mrs James Rutherford, of New Plymouth, wa a celebrated recently, when relatives and f. jnds visited the aged couple to extend wishes for a long continuance < the good health which they both enjoy. Many telegrams were received and a cablegram from Sir Ernest Rutherford. Mr and Mrs Rutherford, whose ages combined make 170 years, were married at Spring Grove, Nelson, on April 28, 1866, by the Rev. \Vm. Kirk. The surviving members of their family of 12 children are:—Mr Gaorge Rutherford (Frankton), Sir Ernest Rutherford (Cambridge, England), Mr J. G. Rutherford (Pungarehu), Mr Arthur Rutherford (Te Arolia). Mrs N. P. Chapman (Wairoa, Hawke’s Bay). Mrs G. 11. Streiff (Te Arolia), Mrs H. C. Sergei (Hamilton), and Mrs N. H. Bell (Kaitaia). Three sons and a daughter have dit the latter being the late Mrs A. T. Elliott, whose three sons are living with their father at Waimaliaka, Southland.

Mr C. M. Croft, Canadian Trade Commissioner for New Zealand, who has been associated with the Canadian Court at the Exhibition, left Dunedin yesterday for the north, on his return to Auckland. There was a large gathering of Rotarians on the ralway platform on Thursday morning to bid farewell to Messrs Peter Barr, J. Fletcher, 11. J. Guthrie, and James Brown, who left for the north on their way to attend the Ro’ary Convention at Honolulu. Each departing Rotarian was greeted with a verse of a favourite Rotarian song. After a number of years* service at the Bluff railway station as head shunter, Mr A. Breazley‘left Bluff on Thursday to take up a position on promotion as a guard on the Otira section. Prior to his departure he was met by his fellow officers and made the recipient of a presen-

lation as a token of the esteem in which he and his wife are held.

Mr P. L. Porter, manager of the Invercargill branch of the Bank of New Zealand, has been appointed to take charge of the bank’s interests in the Fiji Group, with headquarters at Suva (reports our correspondent). Mr Porter, who has had 21 years’ service with the Bank of New Zealand, was formerly stationed at Ashburton, and took up the position of manager at Invercargill some 18 months ago. Prior to that lie was at different periods connected with the bank’s branches at Queenstown, Christchurch, and Wellington. Mr R. S. Black, who has been on an extended tour of the United States Canada, Great Britain, and the Continent, reached Sydney on Thursday by the Chitral. He intends to - remain there for a week, when he will proceed to Melbourne. Mr Black'will join the Manuka at Melbourne on May 20 for Dunedin. A Wellington telegram reports that Miss May M'Lean, who has been principal of the Wellington Girls’ College for many years, and who is now retiring, was bade farewell yesterday by many local societies to which she belonged. The staff of the Girls’ College made a presentation to the principal, whose work was eulogised. A very pleasant function took place on Tuesday evening last at the Otago Harbour Board store, when the general works employees met to make a presentation to Mr J M'G. Wilkie on the eve of his departure. Mr A. Robertson, on behalf of the employees, asked Mr Wilkie to accept, on behalf of Mrs Wilkie and himself, a set of crystalware as a token of esteem and appreciation for what Mrs Wilkie and he had done for the employees in the past. He wished Mr Wilkie a pleasant and instructive trip, and expressed the hope that both would return in the best of health. Mr A. Clark also spoke on behalf of the employees, heartily endorsing what Mr Robertson had said. Mr Wilkie, in responding, thanked the employees, on behalf of Mrs Wilkie and himself, for their handsome gift, and said Iv hoped that Mr Robertson would be accorded the same loyalty and hearty cooperation from the staff that he had experienced. On Thursday, presentations were made to Mr Wilkie on behalf of the secretary’s, engineer's, and harbour master’s staff, the gifts being accompanied by expressions of goodwill for a pleasant trip and a safe return. Confidence was expressed that success would attend Mr Wilkie’s investigations abroad, so that as a result of securing a better dredge the board would be enabled more rapidly to deepen the Victoria Channel and thus improve the facilities of the port. Mr Wilkie left Dunedin on Saturday for the United States and Great Britain. At the station he was given a fitting send-off by members of the board, the board’s sfaff, headed by the secretary (Mr W- J. Bardsley), and numerous friends. Mr Wilkie will leave Wellington by the Corinthic He will disembark from this vessel at Colon, and will proceed to New Orleans, Chicago, Buffalo, and New York. After this he will visit Canada and return to New York, sailing from that port for Great Britain. Mr Wilkie is accompanied bv his wife and her sister (Mrs Lee Smith).

Mr T. Buxton, who has been the organiser for the League of Nations Union in New Zealand, will sever his connection with that society on the completion of his term of appointment to-morrow. Mr R. P. M'Cracken, who is well known in Dunedin and Otago, has resigned from the service of the Railway Department, and has gone into business in Wellington on his own account.

Mr Er:.c„fc Wilson, who l, as been representing Messrs Spear and Jackson and Joseph Rodgers and Sons (Ltd.) at the Exhibition, left yesterday for a business trip through the Dominion. Advice has been received that Mr T. S. Tomlinson will succeed Mr P. L. Porter as manager of the Invercargill branch of the Bank of New Zealand. Mr Tomlinson was formerly accountant in the Invercargill branch. He was promoted to the position of accountant at Auckland, and then to the position of manager at Feilding. A very large gathering of the citizens of Lower Mutt assembled in the Council Chambers last Thursday evening to bid farewell to Mr I. M‘Gregor, postmaster, who has been promoted to Gore, after serving at Lower Ilutt for three years. Mr Westbury (president of the Businessmen’s Association), who presided, said that Mr M'Gregor had earned the goodwill and esteem of the citizens for the capable, courteous, and obliging manner he had carried out his duties. The Mayor (Mr W. T. Strand) then presented Mr M'Gregor with a travelling bag and Mrs M'Gregor with a travelling rug, on behalf of the citizens of Lower Ilutt. Mr and Mrs M'Gregor left Wellington for Gore on Saturday. On a world tour in search of health, Bishop Paddock, accompanied by Mrs Paddock. arrived in Auckland from Rotorua on Thursday last. Bishop Paddock is a member of the American Episcopal Church, a branch of the Church of England, and was Bishop of Eastern Oregon from 1907 until he resigned on account of failing health in 1922. Before accepting the bishopric he held many important po3tg in his church, notably as Canon of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine and as Rector of the Church of the Holy Apostles, both in New York. For a term he was general secretary of the Christian Students* Missionary Association. Bishop Paddock came to New Zealand via Soutn America, South Africa, and Australia, and, landing at Wellington, ho travelled through the North Island via Napier, Taupo, and Rotorua.