ABOUT PEOPLE

Southland Times, Issue 18962, 8 June 1923, Page 4

ABOUT PEOPLE

Mr O. J. Wilson, Wellington, arrived by the through express last night. Mr A. Dickens returned from the Dental Conference in Christchurch by the express last night. Mr D. Cuthbertson, who was attending the A. and P. Conference in Dunedin, returned by the late express yesterday. Mr T. O’Byrne returned to Invercargill last night from Dunedin where he was attending the Dairy Manager’s and Dairy Employee’s Conference. The death is announced of E. J. Banfield, author of “Confessions of a Beachcomber,” which is an account of life on Dunk Island, off the Queensland coast, where he resided for some time. Mrs A. G. Burns, who has been appointed to the position of Postmistress at Waikaka, commenced her new duties yesterday. The former postmaster there, Mr T. A. Chamberlain, will assume control of the Waikaia office next week. Mr W. L. Paterson, who has for the past seven years been a member of the reporting staff of The Press (Christchurch) has accepted a position with tho Guardian, the new Sydney daily paper, and will leave for Sydney in a fortnight’s time. Mr W. A. Sawyer, postmaster at Bluff, has received notice of his transfer to Leeston and will proceed there to take up his new duties early next month. No definite successor has yet been appointed but in the meantime Mr A. J. Brown, senior clerk at Bluff, will be in charge. i Mr Robert Cairns, Otago representative of Messrs Haywood Bros., is severing his connection with that firm to take over the management of the Edendale branch of Messrs Mathesons, Ltd., vice Mr A. W. Castle, who has been promoted to the position of manager of the company’s Otautau branch. At the last meeting of the Gore subcommittee of the Fanners* Union, Mr M. D. Dickie was re-elected chairman for the ensuing year, with extended leave of absence, while Mr R. L. Byars was appointed vice-chairman. Messrs J. Paterson, Waikaka, and J. Mcßain, Otama, were appointed delegates to the Provincial Conference to be held next week. The death is announced of Sir Denison Miller, Governor of the Commonwealth Bank, aged 63, of heart failure, says a Sydney message. The end was sudden and unexpected. He had been suffering from a cold for a few days but nothing serious was anticipated. As governor of the Commonwealth Bank he gained a high reputation in connection with the flotation of war loans, the repatriation schemes and patriotic movements generally.

Mr James Crawford, for many years a well-known resident of Gore, died in Oamaru on Tuesday evening. The deceased had been ailing for about a week, and he passed away suddenly from heart failure. The late Mr Crawford was a nativee of Denmark, and left that country in his early manhood, following a seafaring life for a time. He eventually landed in New Zealand about 40 years ago. Later he found employment on the railway near Waipahi, and for a time he was in charge of “a length.” He subsequently took up a farm in the Arthurton district, but about 20 years ago he sold out and resided at Gore. He shortly afterwards joined the staff of Messrs Faitt and Co., and waa collector and canvasser for many years. He left Gore nearly three years ago, and took up his residence at Oamaru. Ht leaves a widow and grown up family to mourn tbeir loss.

The esteem in which the late Mr Leslie L. Murphy was held by the residents of I Invercargill was shown yesterday afternoon, when the funeral service was carried out in the presence of a large and representative attendance of the commercial and sporting sections of the community. The late Mr Muqffiy, having been a South African war veteran, received the honour of a military funeral The firing party was comprised of members of the local Returned Soldiers’ Association, and the gun carriage was provided by the local Defence Office. The 2nd Battalion Band was also in attendance, and played the “Garland of Flowers” and the Dead March in “Saul” as the funeral procession moved through the town. The chief mourners were the deceased’s brother, Mr H. Murphy, and his brothers-in-law, the Messrs Wills. The local staff of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, with which the deceased was connected for many years, was also present in force, whilst representatives were also in attendance from all the other mercantile firms and business houses in the town, besides representatives of the Southland Rugby Union, the Referees’ Association, the various football clubs, and other sports bodies. Many beautiful floral tributes were received. Members of the Star Football Club acted as pall-bearers at the house, whilst members of the South African War Veterans’ Association acted in a similar capacity at the cemetery. The burial service was conducted by the Rev. Mt Robertson, Minister of the Waikiwi Presbyterian Church, and the “Last Post” was sounded at the close of the service by Mr B. Wills.