PERSONAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3882, 7 August 1928, Page 28

PERSONAL.

Mr Josiah Keys celebrated his ninetyninth birthday on July 30 at Toiro, where he is living with his daughter-in-law, widow of the late Mr W. J. Keys. Mr Keys, senior, for long a resident of Balclutha, where he was known as an enthusiatic bowler and gardener, had an adventurous career before seeking a haven of rest in quiet New Zealand. He had sailed the seas, and had some eight years’ experience as major-domo in the household of a rich Spanish family in Cuba, before the island cast off the yoke of .Spain. His experience included adventures with piratical craft and with bandits Both in Cuba and the United States. • On the eve of his birthday Mr Keys received warmest congratulations on his longevity and good health. He is still hale and hearty, and in possession of all his faculties, his memory being particularly good. Among his visitors yesterday was the Mayor of Balclutha (Mr S. V. White). Mr T. Paterson has been appointed first assistant at the High Street School and Mr Douglas Simpson fifth assistant at St. Clair. . ■ x _ Mr J. Curtin, station master at Alakikihi, has received notice of his transfer on promotion to Palmerston North. He will leave at an early date for the north. Mr F. Dawson, of the Lands and Deeds office, who has been transferred to Wellington, has taken up his new duties. A London cablegram states that Mrs Pankhurst left £B6, which goes to her daughter Christabel. In connection with the vacant pastorate of St. Andrew’s Church, the Rev. E. J. Tipler, interim moderator, presided over a well-attended meeting of the congregation, when it was unanimously resolved to address a “ call ” to the Rev. P. Gladstone Hughes, of Chalmers Church, Timaru.

The following candidates w r ere successful in parsing the recent St. John Ambulance Association’s examination in first aid for women. The names are not in order of merit: —Mrs Bullock, Misses Bathgate, L. Cable, M. Cable, Campion, Dunne (advanced aid), Dunning, Fraser, P. Kane, G. Kane, Kerr, Little, Mackay, Al'Leod, Meade, M'Lareh, M'Gregor, Pitts, Peattie, Rowland, Sincoek, Smith, Tyrrell, Todd, Turner, Wilson. Mr Edward Percival, B.Sc., of the University of Leeds, has been appointed professor of biology at Canterbury College, in succession to Professor C. Chilton. Though only 35 years of. age, Professor Percival has already had a distinguished career. He received his primary training at St. Paul’s W-esleyan School, Radcliffe, England, after which he studied agriculture at Harris Institute, Preston, for four years. There he was awarded the National Diploma in Agriculture, with honours. In 1913 he entered Leeds University with an agricultural scholarship. There he graduated B.Sc. in zoology and agriculture, and gained a university scholarship—a very unusual distinction. His course was interrupted by war service, but after demobilisation he was appointed assistant lecturer and demonstrator in the zoology department, Leeds, under Professor Garstang. He was then appointed lecturer in zoology, a position he still holds. He has been responsible for the marine laboration at the university, and has done considerable research on the fauna of streams and rivers in Yorkshire.

A large number of insurance company representatives met in Wellington to bid farewell to Mr F. G. Cray, local manager of the Royal . Exchange Assurance Corporation on his retirement. His insurance career was started in Dunedin with the Victoria Insurance Company, Ltd., and having served four years with that company he joined the staff of the Royal Exchange Assurance Corporation, with which company he has remained ever since. For many years Mr Cray rendered good service to the Otago and Southland Fire Underwriters’ Association as chairman and committeemall, and when transferred to Wellington he occupied the chairmanship of that association for four years and served for 17 years on the committee. Not only did he expend his energies in insurance interests, but he was connected with many public and philanthropic institutions. Mr G. C. Edwards (chairman of the Wellington Fire and Accident Underwriters’ Association) presented Mr Cray with a gold -watch suitably inscribed. Professor J. Al. Dixon, of Los Angeles, who has been on a visit to Dunedin, left last week on the return journey. He will travel by way of Australia, and expects to reach his home about September 30.

A London cablegram states .that Nancy, the only daughter of Sir Arthur and Lady Robinson, is to be 'married to Francis Huntley Griffiths, of Ceylon, at St. Paul’s, Knightsbridge, on September 12. Mr E. C. Purdie, secretary of the AuckTetire toward the end of the present year retire toward the end of the preesnt year (reports our special correspondent). Mr Purdie is one of the best-known figures in educational circles, and was for a considerable time an inspector of schools. He was also a well-knovvn headmaster. Mr Purdie twieg unsuccessfully contested the Marsden seat at the general election. Captain D. T. Maxwell, N.Z.S.C., formerly of •Christchurch, who will return from India in October, has been appointed area officer for Wanganui. Captain D. H. W. H. Donaldson, N.Z.S.C., who will return in February of next year, will be area officer at Timaru, and Major D. H. Mead, D. 5.0., will be staff officer in charge of. the regimental district at Dunedin.

Mr E. P. Moir, chief clerk at the Railways Head Office, Wellington, will succeed Mr H. A. Penn as traffic superintendent to the North Island divisional superintendent, with headquarters at Auckland. Mr Moir is an old Port Chalmers boy, and was stationed in Dunedin for a lengthy period several years ago. Second-lieutenant C. Shuttleworth, N.Z.S.C., who left Nelson College and went to the military college at Sandhurst in 1925-, will return from England in November or December of this year. He will then be assistant to the staff officer in charge of the regimental district in Dunedin. Lieutenant Shuttleworth was very successful while at Sandhurst.

Mrs Joseph Martin, of Onehunga, celebrated her ninety-first birthday on July 29. Born at Belfast, she went to Mel-

bourne in 1854, and eight years Jater landed at Dunedin. Her husband was a lay preacher in the Methodist Church in the Otago district, and she accompanied him in his early travels to various parts of the province. Mrs Martin went to Auckland over 30 years ago, and has lived there since. Mr Martin died some 16 years ago. There are seven sons, 34 grandchildren, and four— great-grand--children.

Miss Ngarita Gordon has been appointed temporary librarian at the University of Otago. Two Auckland headmasters, Mr J. Woolier, of Newton West School,, and Mr A. Douglas, of Mount Eden School, will retire on superannuation at the end of this year, after having completed 45 and 40 years’ service respectively. The Rev. Al. W. P. Lascelles, secretary of the Baptist Union of New Zealand, who represented the Dominion at the Baptist World Congress at Toronto, returned by. the Maunganui. The resignation was accepted on Thursday with reget (says a telegram from Wellington) of Mr G. F. Martin through ill-health from the posiof secretary and solicitor of the Municipal Association of New Zealand. The association desired to place on record its appreciation of Mr Martin’s services to the association extending over a period of 30 years. His son, Mr J. Al. Martin, was appointed.to carry on as acting secretary until the next municipal conference. Eleven candidates trained in the Dunedin Hospital sat the State examination for nurses held on June 6 and 7. Nurses M. Patterson, Phair, E. Sutherland, Harvey, Inder, Lynn, and Watkins passed with over 75 per cent, marks, and Nurses Stringer, Anderson, Crawford, and Lindsay obtained over 50 per cent. The Rev. J. M. Simpson, who recently relinquished the charge of St. Stephen’s Presbyterian Church, North Dunedin, left Auckland by the Aorangi en route to America and Great Britain. He was accompanied by his wife. We understand that Dr A. Murray Drennan, professor of pathology at the University of Otago, has been asked to accept a position in one of the Irish universities similar to that which he now holds.

Word has been received from Sydney that the Rev. Robert, Mead, who will fill the pastorate at Moray Place Congregational Church, is travelling by the Maheno, and is expected in Dunedin on August 15. The scholars of Standards IV and V of the St. Clair School met together during the week and presented their teacher, Mr W’. H. Townrow, with an attache case prior to his severing his connection with the school.

Our London correspondent, writing on June 30, says that Dr and Mrs A. J. Crawford (Invercargill) are visiting the battlefields, Brussels, and Paris. Mr Robert B. Snodgrass (Dunedin) has settled in London for an indefinite period (states our London correspondent, writing on June 30). and has resumed his interest in choral singing and other matters. He is connected with several choral societies, including the Handel Festival Choir. A fellow traveller from Australia with Mr Snodgrass was the Rev. Father Kelly (Upper Hutt). Father Kelly had the misfortune to experience nasty fall on deck, which confined him to bed for' a week, but by the time he arrived in England he had quite recovered. He is at present in Ireland. Our London correspondent, writing under date June 30, states that recent callers on the High Commisisoner included Dr R. E. Austin, Mr W. W. Begg, Miss C. Al. Mathieson, Miss E. Pritchard, Professor James Park, Mr A. L. Hern, Miss Brettargh, Miss H. Smith, Mr C. F. Dunn, Mr A. Palmer, Captain and Mrs A. B. Powell (Dunedin), Mrs A. B. Donald, Mr C. C. Cook (Oamaru), Mr and Mrs D. Le Cren (Timaru). Mr E. B. Cocks, son of the Rev. Canon J. Cocks (Waimate), has passed his final examinations for admission as corporate member of the Institution of Civil Engineers of Great Britain. Mr Cocks (reports our London correspondent writing under date June 30) is in England to gain engineering experience under the terms of the New Zealand University Engineering Travelling Scholarship. lie has been recently with the firm of Messrs Preece. Cardew, and Rider, under Mr Evan Parry, who is still well remembered in New Zealand.

Mr F. H. King (Timaru), who is on a health and business trip combined (says our London correspondent, writing on June 27), expects to be absent from New Zealand for .about seven months. He came by San Francisco and Los Angeles, and on his way back he will spend three weeks in California, joining the Makura at San Francisco on October 3. Meanwhile, Mr King will be visiting relatives and clients in Scotland, England, and Wales, and he hopes to visit his old home in the city of Canterbury. The principal race meetings are also fixtures of interest,.and his visits may suggest useful points for the South Canterbury Jockey Club. Mr King intends inspecting the latest rub-divisions of suburban properties, the most laboursaving flats, and houses, which would be suitable for Timaru, and he will see the. agricultural and horticultural shows. All details regarding pedigree stock, new varieties of grain, grass, and flower seeds are of special interest to him. He is also inquiring into the rates of interest and finance, as in the Dominion there is no competition in- the banking, shipping, or insurance companies, all their rates being the same, and too high. As New Zealand is the soundest and safest of all the British possessions, All- King is of opinion that the present high rate of interest should be reduced to enable the farmers to obtain a fair return for their hard toil. If time will allow, lie will visit France, Belgium, and the Channel Islands.

Mr T. J, Archbold, J.P., of Christchurch, a director of the New Zealand branch, Manchester Unity of Oddfellows, arived in Dunedin on Saturday, and is staying with his son, Mr H. Archbold, at St. Clair.

Mr E. M. Jackson, formerly of the Hamilton Post Office, has been promoted to 4he position of accountant at the Dunedin Post Office.

Mr C, M. Hume, of Hamilton, general manager of the Dominion Herd Testing Association, who has been in Dunedin for the past few days, left for Invercargill yesterday morning to continue the herd testing extension work he has been engaged on in the Taieri district,

Mr W. J. Coughlan and Mrs Goughian, who have been spending some time here, started on their return trip to Sydney on Saturday.

M r J* ’ Hickey, of Sydney, left en route for his home by Saturday morning’s express train. Major Furse, private secretary of the Secretary of State for the Dominions and a member of the British delegation th e Empire Forestry Conference, which will be held next month in Canberra, was a visitor to Dunedin over the week-end. lie arrived from the north on Saturday morning, and left again yesterday morning 'J-’he British delegates to the For-, cstry Conference will pay a short visit to New Zealand at the conclusion of the conference, and it is anticipated that Dunedin will be included in their itinerary.