ABOUT PEOPLE

Southland Times, Issue 19830, 29 March 1926, Page 8

ABOUT PEOPLE

The Hon. Sir James Parr, Minister for Education, was entertained at a dinner on Saturday night by the Wellington members of the Old Boys’ Association of the Auckland College and Grammar School, of which Sir James Parr is himself an old boy. Sir Francis Bell's resignation from the Ministry will not take effect until about the end of the month. This will enable him to eend a farewell message to the Samoan people from the ship by which he is travelling while he is still within the territorial limits of the Mandated Islands. The well-known Southland footballer, Mr Rav Bell, was taken ill at Dunedin on Saturday and was operated on for appendicitis. The Secretary for Native Affairs (Mr N. 8. Griffen) at'Western Samoa, is on a short visit to New Zealand for health reasons. Mr W. G. Compton, who is well known in Invercargill, arrived from Auckland on a short visit to the town by the late express on Saturday. Dr Malcolm McEachern is to be entertained at luncheon by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce on April 9, when he will speak on "The Present Hospital System of the Dominion.” Mr Zane Grey, who has been fishing in the nonh for the past two months, has broken camp, and, with the members of his party, will return to Auckland. The noted writer and angler will spend some time fishing at Taupo before returning to America. Mr. R. R. Hunter, the newly-appointed inspector of schools for the Invereargill district. who has just relinquished control of the Baklatha District High School was the guest of his brother. Mr. J. Hunter, rector of the Gore High School, over the week end before proceeding to the south. A Wellington telegram records the death of Mr John Baillie, well-known in art circles. About 15 years ago deceased brought out an important collection of British pictures to Wellington, many of which remained in Dominion. Later he brought a similar collection to the Auckland Exhibition.

At a toll meeting of the congregation of the Nonh Invercargill Presbyterian Church last evening at which the Rev. J. Chisholm presided, it was unanimously agreed to extend a call to the Rev. William Tanner, of St. Peter’s Church, Christchurch, to fill the vacancy recently caused by the removal of the Rev. James Collie to Queenstown.

At a meeting of the Joint Parliamentary library Committee held last week, under the chairmanship of the Hon. 0. E. Statham M.P. the following resolution was passed: "That this committee, on the occasion of farewelling Mr Charles Wilson upon his retirement from the pastion of chief librarian, desire? to place on record its high appreciation of his services during his 25 years’ occupancy of that office; and cordially wishes him and Mrs Wilson all

happiness in the future.” Mr Wilson retires from the library at the end of the present month, and hopes to leave Sydney for London on May 4 by the Mooltan. The Rev. Eric Alexander, Methodist minister at Balclutha, was entertained at a farewell social in the Foresters’ Hall on Thursday night and presented with a wallet of sovereigns as a token of esteem and regard. Mr W. G. Stewart, choirmaster, madp the presentation in an appropriate speech expressive of the regard Mr Alex ander's ministrations had inspired, and

wishing him a great measure of success in his future career. For a young minister Mr Alexander had done exceedingly well. Mr Alexander will leave for Te Aroha early this week, to which place he has been temporarily appointed. His successor will be the Rev. M. White, of Te Awamutu.

Word hae» been received (reports the Lyttelton Times' of the appointment of Mrs Jennie Benson Wyman, 8.A., M.Sc. (University of New Zealand i, AJL, Ph. D. (Stanford University', as Professor of Psychology and Education at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Dr Wyman left New Zealand six years ago, and since completing her post-graduate work at Stanford has been directing the research work under Dr Bird T. Baldwin at the Child Welfare Research Station at the State University of lowa. She is a daughter of the late Mr W. J. Moore, of Dunedin, and was formerly on the staffs of the Napier Girls’ High School and the Auckland Girls’ Grammar School.

A pleasant function took place at the Balclutha primary school on Thursday afternoon when the opportunity was taken by the staff to bid farewell to Mr R. R. Hunter (headmaster and to show some tangible evidence of the high place he occupied in the esteem of the teachers and scholars. On behalf of the children Mr Hunter was presented with a beautiful oak clock, while the teachers’ presentation took the form of a solid leather suit-case and a travelling rug. Mr Graham, first assistant, voiced the sorrow of all at Mr Hunter’s departure and wished him every success in his new sphere as inspector under the Southland Education Board Mr Hunter severs his connection with the school at the end of the month.

The members of the Invercargill Football Gub held a very successful social evening in the Federal tea-rooms on Saturday evening. Mr W. Robison presided over a very large attendance, which included members from the Star and Pirate Football Cube. The occasion was marked with friendly enthusiasm throughout and the chairman, in his remarks, stated that two of the club’s most prominent members, Messrs P. Rice and P. Burt, were the two guests of honour for the evening.' In making a presentation of a handsome clock to Mr Rice in view of his approaching marriage. Mr Robison referred to Mr Rice's war service and his long football career as club captain of the Invercargill Cub. Mr Burt was the recipient of a handsome presentation in the form of a case of Loewe pipes. In his remarks, the chairman spoke in glowing terms of Mr Burt’s fine sporting instincts and regretted that his work had made it neccessary for him to reside in Dunedin.

News has been received of the death in England of Mr G. B. Starkey, a well-known North Canterbury runholder. He took a keen interest in public and sporting affairs, and was president,of the Amberley Steeplechase Gub and later of the Amberley Racing Gub. His interest in racing affairs was not confined to Amberley district, as he was one of the oldest stewards of the Canterbury Jockey Gub, an office he held up to the time of his death. Apart from his work on the administrative side of the sport, Mr Starkey played his part as owner. During recent years he was rarely without at least one horse in the F. D. Jones stable, at Riccarton. Among horses that carried his colours with success were Week End, Mustard Pot, Blush, Tinihanga, and Economist. In addition to the horses he raced, Mr Starkey bred other winners at his small stud. The deceased gentleman was a fine type of sportsman, a bluff, outspoken man, who observed the highest traditions of racing, and he will be greatly missed.