ABOUT PEOPLE

Southland Times, Issue 17969, 9 March 1917, Page 5

ABOUT PEOPLE

Dr Bedford arrived at Auckland on Tuesday, and will resume University lectures at Dunedin to-day. A London cable states that the Progressives, who were allowed to nominate the next chairman of the London County Council, have chosen Earl Crewe, who lias accepted.

Second-Lieutenant John H. Massey, of Invercargill, who was wounded in the Somme push, has been in England for some months on leave. He has just returned to duty with the R.F.A. at Woolwich. • The name of Lieutenant-Colonel A. B. Charters, C.M.G., officer commanding the Otago Battalion, appears in the list of those mentioned in dispatches by Field-Marshal Sir Dougla-s Haig, issued after the great Somme fight. Colonel Charters, who is a son of Mr W. W. Charters, of Christchurch, has been twice previously mentioned in dispatches from Egypt. Mr J. L. Richards, of St. John's Vicarage, Invercargill, who arrived in England in June, 1915, and took up a course of study in the following September under the auspices of the Mirfield Community, is now at the hostel of the Community of the Resurrection, Leeds, with a view to preparing for ordination in the Church of England. After taking Ills degree at the University of Leeds he intends working in an English parish for about two years before returning to New Zealand to work there. The London correspondent of the Post writes :—Mr Waiter Wright, who for the last five years has been Inspector of Dairy Produce in this country for the New Zealand Government, and a member of tlie staff of the High Commissioner’s Office, is shortly returning to New Zealand. While in London Mrs Wright's health lias been far from good, and this is the chief reason for Mr Wright's request for a transfer. It is with great regret that those connected with the dairy produce trade in England learned of Mr Wright’s coming departure, and many expressions of entire confidence in his knowledge and courtesy have been made.

Mr William Stewart-, who has this week resigned his seat as M.P. for the Bay of Islands, had decided some months ago to retire from politics, hut was prevailed upon to consent to await the return of the Prime Minister. The delay that has occurred in holding the Imperial Conference, however, has made the date of Mr Massey's return uncertain, and (an Auckland correspondent informs the Otago Daily Times) Mr Stewart states that he considers that it is only just to his constituency to resign now, so that his successor may tie able to take his seat at the opening of Parliament. In his announcement of his resignation to the electors, Mr Stewart states that on~being pressed to contest the vacancy at the by-election in 1915 his decision was necessarily given hurriedly, but very soon he found that to give the attention necessary to his electorate he would practically have to abandon his private business, and, realising this, 'he decided to retire from politics. Mr Vernon' Reed, former member for the district, is announced as a candidate..