ABOUT PEOPLE

Southland Times, Issue 20499, 30 May 1928, Page 6

ABOUT PEOPLE

MINISTERIAL. The Hon. W. Downie Stewart arrived in Dunedin yesterday and .expects to be here about a week, reports a Press Association message. Sir Charles P. Skerrett is stated to be maintaining the improvement shown in the last few days, states a Wellington Press Association message. The funeral of Thomas James Gilroy took place at Bluff yesterday. A large number of friends and relatives were present from all parts of Southland, and also representatives of the various bodies and companies with which he had been connected. Many beautiful wreaths were laid on the grave. The cortege which followed the hearse to the cemetery was one of the largest seen at Bluff for many years. Flags were flown half-mast from many of the buildings, on the oyster fleet, the harbour board’s vessels and other boats in port.

Every year two Savings Bank scholarships have been awarded by the trustees to a qualified boy and girl candidate respectively. Lately, however, at the request of the trustees the New Zealand University Council has altered the regulations in order to award the scholarship to a qualified boy candidate should a girl not qualify. As a result Robert C. Tuck, who has been a pupil of the Southland Boys’ High School during the past five years and who has shown marked ability both in learning and in sports, has been awarded a Savings Bank Scholarship.

Prior to Mr C. G. Boyd’s leaving for Invercargill, the staff of Messrs Thomson and Beattie, Ltd., Gore, met him, and in a few well chosen remarks Mr E. Jordon complimented him on his promotion, and expressed the staff’s pleasure at the happy relations that had always existed between their manager and themselves. He specially wished to commend him for the very high plane upon which he had placed the local branch and as a reminder of his Gore staff he had much pleasure in asking Mr Boyd to accept a gold mounted fountain pen, with the hope that he would be long spared to use it in his own efficient way. Mr Boyd, in thanking them for their gift, which he valued very highly, said that any success which had fallen his way could only have been obtained by the co-operation of a loyal and painstaking staff such as it had been his pleasure to supervise.

Fifty-two years at sea in the employment of one firm in which his son and grandson are also serving, is the record of Captain W. Wildman, commander of the Anchor Shipping Company’s steamer Arahura, in the Wellington-Nelson service. It was on May 20 that Captain Wildman completed his fifty-second year with the Anchor Company (says the Dominion). He looks hale and hearty, and says he feels well enough for years of sea going service yet. Many years ago he was in command of the old Waverley, which has now ended her sea-going career, and in that ship his son sailed with him as a boy. The son is Captain A. Wildman, master of the Anchor Company’s steamer Ngaio, so that father and son maintain daily service between Wellington and Nelson. Captain A. Wildman’s son has followed the family profession and has been at sea for some time.

The First Company, Gore Girl Guides, and members of the local Girl Guides Association met in the Guide Club room on Monday evening to bid farewell to Miss Florence Speden, who has acted as captain of the First Company for the past 11 months. Miss Aitken (District Commissioner), in presenting Miss Speden with a black and gold enamelled clock, referred to the happy comradeship which had existed between the guides and their captain, and to the pleasant manner in which Miss Speden had helped the cause of guiding at Gore. She trusted that the small gift would serve to remind Miss Speden of the happy hours spent with the guides of the First Company. Miss Speden, in thanking the guides for their gift, said it had been a great pleasure to her to work with the guides, and she would cherish happy memories of her association of the Guides of First Company. The evening was spent in games and competitions. Miss Maude won the shop competition and also the “strange” competitions, and was presented by Miss Speden with a set of sweet dishes. Winifred Philp gave a recitation, and after supper had been served the evening terminated with the singing of “Auld Lang Syne” and the National Anthem.