ABOUT PEOPLE

Southland Times, Issue 21772, 29 July 1932, Page 4

ABOUT PEOPLE

Mr J. Gilkison returned to Invercargill by the express last evening. Mr E. Bowmar left by yesterday morning’s express attend a meeting of the executive of the New Zealand Counties’ Association at Wellington. Miss Ethel E. Smith, at present on the staff of the Hedgehcpe School has been appointed assistant at Limehills School.

Mr and Mrs J. W. Smith and Miss Daphne Smith, who have been on a visit to Christchurch, returned to Invercargill by motor yesterday afternoon.

Master Lex Macdonald the Dunedin soprano, who is to leave for Sydney next month to make records, is to be the guest of honour at a farewell concert now being arranged by Mr Ernest Drake.

Mr T. Pound, who has been appointed inspector in the Lands Department, left Dunedin for Wellington yesterday to take up his new duties. Mr Pound was formerly a member of the Invercargill staff of the department. A Press Association message from Wellington states that the retirement is announced of Mr J.. E. Gamble, countant of the Wellington Harbour Board, after 48J years’ service He has been accountant since 1909. Mr A. W. O. Travers succeeds Mr Gamble. Mr Andrew C. Toshach, well and favourably known as a competitor at various competitions throughout New Zealand as elocutionist and sneaker, is at present in the Southland Hospital, where he is steadily improving in health. At a meeting of delegates from the various Invercargill associations of employees held in the Technical Co - lege last evening, Mr W. M. Benham was unanimously re-elected as one of the two representatives of Labour on the Board of Managers of the Technical College.

Mr T More, chairman of the Southland Silver Beech Co. ipany, was at a meeting of the beech millers of Otago and Southland appointed the millers representative in London m connection with the negotiations for the orders for beech for motor body building and other purposes. Prior to severing his connection with the firm in order to take up business on his own account, Mr E. H Bal l was met by fellow employees of Messrs D. W. McKay, Ltd., and presented with an engraved tobacco pouch as a mark of the esteem in which he was held by the staff. In making the presentation Mr D. W. McKay referred to Mr Ball’s qualities as a business man and citizen, and wished him ®« cc e“ in his new venture. Mr Ball suitably returned thanks. A large number of relatives and friends, and representatives of lacing, swimming, and other sporting bodies with which he was associated, paid their last tribute of respect to the late Mr Alexander Murdoch at his funeral in Dunedin yesterday morning. The interment was at the Andersons Bay Cemetery, and the service was begun at the residence in Constitution street, and continued at the graveside by Dean Cruickshank, vicar of St. Paulls Cathedral. The pall-bearers were Messrs J. Murdoch (brother of the deceased), Neville, Alex, and Keith Murdoch (sons), A. J. Blakeley, R. G. Hudson, and Robertson. The wreaths, which were most numerous, included tributes of respect from the various sporting bodies with which Mr Murdoch was associated.

Sir William Murray McPherson, KB.E., a former Premier of Victoria, whose death was announced yesterday, had a long and distinguished career in the politics of Victoria. He entered Parliament in 1913, when he was elected for Hawthorn, and represented that electorate in the Nationalist interests until his retirement in 1930 In 1917 he was appointed to Cabinet rank as Treasurer, eventually becoming Premier, and later, in 1926, leader of the Opposition. Born in 1865, the son of Thomas McPherson, a wellknown Melbourne merchant, he succeeded his father in the management of the business, extending operations until there were branches in Sydney and Adelaide. His interest in local affairs led him to accept for a lengthy period the appointment as commissioner for the Melbourne Harbour Trust and he was also president of the Melbourne Chamber of Commerce.

The death occurred on Wednesday after a brief illness of Mr Peter Walker Aitken, one of the most brilliant students who have passed through Otago University in the past decade. Mr Aitken, who was born in 1903, was educated at the Otago Boys’ High School, of which he was dux in 1921. Entering Otago University as the holder of a scholarship, he took a science course and in 1925 was awarded the Sir George Grey Scholarship in Experimental Science, obtaining the degree of M.Sc. and being awarded the Lubecki Scholarship for Applied Science in the following year. In 1927 lie was the Otago nominee for the Rhodes Scholarship, and he devoted the two succeeding years to flax research in the Manawatu _ district for the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. He went to England in 1930 and for twelve months studied chemical engineering at the University of London. On his return to New Zealand he was appointed assistant-man-ager’ and chief chemist of the Dominion Fertilizer Company’s works at Ravensborne, a position he held at the time of his death. As an athlete he was a member of the University first fifteen and represented Otago in boxing at the annual inter-University tournament.. Mr Aitken was married only four months ago to Dr Pauline Witherow, a graduate of Otago University.