PERSONAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3886, 4 September 1928, Page 37

PERSONAL.

After serving the Southland Education Board for 38 years, 13 of which have been occupied in performing the duties of secretary and treasurer, Mr F. G. Stevenson has tendered his resignation, which will take effect from March 31 next. The Canterbury College Board has decided to confer the title of professor emeritus on Professor A. W. Bickerton, who for 30 years (from 1873 to 1903) was a professor in the college. Professor Bickerton, who now resides in England, is 87 years of age. The Rev. Dr G. E. Weeks, head master of Trinity Grammar School, Sydney, has been appointed diocesan missioner for the diocese of Sydney. Dr Weeks was formerly Dean of Nelson, New Zealand. He will take up his new position early next year.

Mr and Mrs W. C. Burt and their tv o daughters left Dunedin on Tuesday morning by motor for an extended trip to Sydney and other parts of Australia. They will be absent from New Zealand for from six to nine months, and will then return to Dunedin to settle. Mr Burt having earned, during his long control of the great business the firm of A. and 1. Burt developed throughout New Zealand, the leisure he will then have to interest himself in some of the public activities of the city in which he has spent his life.

Captain J. B. Rainey, joint manager for the Commonwealth and Dominion end of September. At one time he was in the employ of the White Star Line, and later joined the service of the Huddart, 1 arker Company, first as chief officer and then as master. Before being appointed to Ins present position. Captain Rainey was marine superintendent for the Commonwealth and Dominion Line. Well known in Baptist circles throughout the world, the Rev. W. T. Whitley, M.A...LL.M., LL.D., F.R. Hist. S., etc., arrived m Wellington by the MakH£ a * ~ !’ as been attending the World s Baptist Congress at Toronto and remained behind to edit the congress volume, a task he has undertaken in former years. Dr Whitley will spend a month in the Dominion before crossing to Australia, where he was for 10 years the principal of the Victorian Baptist College in Melbourne. After visiting Nanier, Gisborne, and Rotorua, he will deliver a course of lectures on church history to the students of the Baptist College in Auckland before lecturing in Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. Dr J. B. M'Miken, of Hamilton, has been appointed superintendent of the Whakatane Hospital, in succession to Dr E. J. Cronin, who has resigned and is leaving shortly on a prolonged visit to England. Dr M'Miken is a New Zealander by birth. In December. 1925, he qualified from the University of Otago as bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery. As a final year student he was the Otago nominee for the Rhodes scholarship. For more than two years he has. been senior house surgeon at the Waikato Hospital. He will take u-> his duties at Whakatane on October 1. Mr . J. A. Johnstone, who has been on a visit to the United Kingdom for the past six months, will leave by. the Cbitra! on September 7, and should arrive in Dunedin about October 15. In the recent State examinations for maternity nurses. Miss Ngaio Z. Fulton, of St. Helens Hospital, Dunedin, was successful in passing with over 75 per cent, of the total marks.

Among the passengers by the Corinthic, which left Southampton on July 20 (says our London correspondent) are Mr and Mrs J.. Crossley Clitheroe. Mr Clitheroe is coming to Dunedin to take up the position of lecturer in music at the Teachers’ Training College.

pr A. E. Porritt (New Zealand Rhodes Scholar) went to Oxford to sit for his bachelor of medicine degree a few weeks ago (states our London correspondent, writing on July 27), and his many friends in the Dominion will be glad to know that he has been successful. Dr Porritt has been doing his medical work at St. Mary’s Hospital, Paddington. News has been received that Miss Una c S x-■ M- A -’ daughter of Mr J. Castle, of Newtown, who was awarded the 192628 French travelling scholarship for New Zealand, has been successful in obtaining Le Diplome Du Franeais -at the Sorbonne University, Paris (reports our special correspondent in Wellington). During her two years’ sojourn abroad Miss Castle has been studying methode of teaching modern languages, and in order to do this most effectively has spent her vacations travelling through Spain, Brittany, and Northern France, gaining a thorough insight into the language and customs of those interesting countries. She has also taken a refresher course in English at Oxford University, and has been in residence at Crosby ‘Hall (London). Miss Castle, who has received many complimentary references on account of her scholarship and the high standard of her work, is at present travelling through Germany, and expects to leave for New Zealand at the end of October. ‘Prior to taking up her scholarship Miss Castle was on the staff of the Queen Margaret College, Wellington, and was later first assistant mistress at Columba College, Dunedin. Mr W. F. Sligo was a passenger by the express on Wednesday morning, en route for Sydney and Melbourne, where he intends to spend a considerable time before returning to New Zealand. Professor E. R. Arthur, of Toronto University, who has been spending the vacation with his family in Dunedin, sailed last week by the Niagara for Canada.

Mr F. W. Penlington, who has been stationed at Dunedin as chief postmaster for the past three years and a-half, will retire on superannuation on September 8, after having completed 40 years’ service. . .

In the recent State examination for midwives, Nurse G. A. Clarkson, of Batchelor Home, Dunedin, was successful in passing with over 75 per cent, of the total jnarks. Nurse N. Beaufort (St. Helen’s Hospital) and Nurse C. Scanlan (Batchel°r Hospfial) were also successful. Mr West, the principal of the firm of Ulover-West, which has just completed the installation of the vertical carbonising plant at the City Gas Works, will be in Dunedin this week to participate in the formal taking over of the plant bv T he , c o r P ora tion. Mr West is an exb°r!.. Mayor of the city of Manchester. lhe Rev. Father Howard, of Milton, and the Rev. Father Scanlan, of Lawrence, were passengers by Thursday morning s express on tffeir way to attend the .Eucharistic Congress at Sydney. Other passengers also bound for the congress Cronan, Mr M'Mahon, Mr r ■ L ' l T< e r<J’- *1- Rankin (Cromwell), Mr J- MLintock and Mr R. M'Lihtock. ~ ® R ev - J- Featherston, of the Methodist Church, Gore, has advised his officials that he has accepted an invitation to the Creendale circuit, North Canterbury. The change will not take place until April of next year. At the Wellington branch office of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, a presentation of a silver tea service was made to Mr F. I* Shalders on his retirement from the company on superannuation after 44 years of service Mr Shalders joined the company at Cainaru in 1884, and in 1889 was transrerred to Dunedin, and shortly afterwards tn i edln St°n. For about 25 years Mr Shalders has had charge of the wool department of the Wellington branch of the company, and has also acted as wool auctioneer. 2', Brien > managing director of OBi.mns Iheatres, Ltd., is at present visiting Dunedin to make arrangements tor the opening of the new Empire Theatre. G; R- Adams. Government Astronomer and Seismologist, left Wellington for the south on Thursday night in continuation of his site-testing work in Otago with a view to the possible establishment of a new observatory. Sir George Elliot has been elected chairman of directors of the Auckland Gas Company, Ltd., in succession to Mr J. H. Upton, who has resigned. Mr Upton has served on the board of directors since 1892, when he was elected to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Sir Frederick Whitaker, and has been chairman since 1911.

On his way to England on urgent private business, Sir Dudley de Chair, Governor of New South Wales, was a passenger _ from Sydney by the Niagara. He is accompanied by Lady de Chair and his daughter as far as Suva. Sir Dudley wil return by way f Panama and will join his wife and daughter in New Zealand. Lady de Chair and Miss de Chair, who are accompanied by Miss Shirley Bavin, who recentlj’ toured the Dominion with her father, Mr T. R. Bavin, Premier of New South Wales, will be the guests of the Governor of Fiji and wil] subsequently make a tour of the Islands. They will then proceed to Honolulu, where they will stay about a month, returning to New Zealand about the middle of December to join Sir Dud ley de Chair. “ I have not visited New Zealand before, but I am greatly looking forward to a tour of your country on my return,” said Sir Dudley de Chair. “I hope to make the trip to Milford Sound.”

Dr Clifford James, a young Dunedin medico, who has had a distinguished career, and who recently returned from England, where he passed with honours the degree in the study of tropical diseases, is at present in Dunedin, and will leave in a few weeks time as a medical missionary to the Methodist Mission in the Solomon Islands, He will be accompanied by Airs Janies. These volunteers will be accorded a farewell at several functions by the local Methodist churches next week, as both Dr and Mrs James have been devoted workers for many years in connection with the Cargill Road Methodist Church, and the dedication service will be held in that church next Sunday afternoon, when the Rev. H. E. Bellhouse will be in charge and will be assisted by the Rev. A. N. Scotter, B.A. (secretary of i.„ ~i .. ters. Dr and Mrs James will leave* Sydney for the Soipnion isniuus in ~ and will be accompanied by the Rev. w'. A. Sinclair (foreign mission secretary). Dr James is the second medical missionary to proceed to the Solomon Islands for the Methodist Church, the first being Dr E. Sayers, who established the Methodist Medical Mission in the Solomons last year, and Dunedin Methodists are naturally delighted that two of their number, in Dr and Mrs James, have volunteered and been accepted for service there, and thenpresence and service will be very welcome in the Solomon Islands. Mr Erskine Nichol was a passenger on Saturday morning on his way to Auckland, where he will catch the steamer for Melbourne. Mr R. Matthews, manager for Australia and New Zealand of Messrs James Buchanan and Co., travelled to Christchurch bj- the express on Saturday morning. Mr A. Holden, the Otago Rugby representative footballer, was a passenger by Saturday morning’s express on his way to Wellington, where he will take part in the first test match against New South Wales. Mr H. L. Tapley, M.P., arrived in Dunedin on Saturday evening after a tour of England, the Continent, and America. He was welcomed on the platform by members of his political committee, friends, and relathes. Master David Robertson, of this city, has been successful in winning the junior championship in elocution at the Invercargill Competitions. Mr G. Craig, C.M.G., Comptroller of Customs, has received advice from the University of New Zealand that he has been recommended for the degree of doctor of laws. It is understood (says our special correspondent in Wellington) that this will be the first degree of doctor of laws which has been awarded by the University of New Zealand since the old system of granting them by examination only was abolished in 1903, and the new method was instituted by yvhich such degrees are conferred on those embodying in some original work the history, philosophy, exposition or criticism of law. Mr Craig’s degree will no doubt be .conferred by the University Council when meets in January nexl (