ABOUT PEOPLE.

Southland Times, Issue 14378, 26 March 1910, Page 5

ABOUT PEOPLE.

Mr Hugh Ronald Reid, brother of Sir George Reid, High Commissioner for Australia, died last week at Elsternwick, Victoria, aged seventy years. A son of the Rev. John Reid, Presbyterian minister, who arrived in Victoria about 1852, in his boyhood Mr Reid entered the pilot office at Williamstown, and in the early sixties became connected with the firm of Poole’s (shipowners), which subsequently developed into the firm of Messrs Reid, Poole and Co. This firm carried on business for some years. In 1877 it's interests merged into the Melbourne Steamship Company. Mr Reid took a keen interest in church and philanthropic work, and was also connected with many public bodies. For the past 40 years he had been connected with the Victoria - Seamen’s Mission. He was one of the first commissioners of the Harbour Trust, and also a member of the Marine Board. Mr H. Suter, the conchologist, who is preparing a manual of New Zealand mollusca for the Government, is at present in Christchurch to study the collection of shells at the Canterbury Museum. The friends of Mr G. R. George will be glad to learn that he is still progressing favourably, and in a few days it is expected that he will be well over the worst of the attack. Mr John Scully, of the Government Postal Department, Wellington, and formerly of the local department, who has been spending a few weeks holiday in Invercargill, returns north again by the first express today. A London cable states that Mr Roosevelt, who is on his way back to America from his hunting trip in Africa, had a long interview with Mr Keir Hardie.

The Hon. R. McKenzie, Minister for Mines and Public Works, and Mr Geo. Fowlds, Minister for Education, arrived at Auckland by the Main Trunk express from Wellington yesterday morning. Mr McKenzie leaves for the north of Auckland to-day to inspect the proposed routes for the railway.