ABOUT PEOPLE

Southland Times, Issue 22478, 14 November 1934, Page 8

ABOUT PEOPLE

Mr James Hargest, M.P., returned to Invercargill last evening.

Mr J. S. Hazlett returned by the express last night from a visit to Melbourne for the Centenary celebrations. Mr G. Cruickshank, for many years Stipendiary Magistrate in Invercargill, arrived from the north yesterday on holiday.

Mr W. J. Gaudin, a member of the Wellington City Council, has announced his intention of contesting the Wellington East seat as an Independent at the next general election, states a Wellington Press Association message.

Mr J. W. Gale, who has been in charge of the Gore area for the Shell Oil Company for two years, left on transfer to Napier yesterday. Prior to his departure he was farewelled by the local staff and a presentation was made.

A British Official Wireless message states that the King has approved of the appointment of Mr A. J. Clark Kerr British Minister at Stockholm to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary at Baghdad in succession of Sir Francis Humphreys, who is relinquishing his appointment in the spring.

Master Allan Tregonning (Balfour), a pupil of Miss D. E. Carmody, who was one of the four local candidates to pass the practical examination for A.T.C.L., conducted at Gore last week, secured the highest marks for the centre. He is 14J years of age and is the youngest candidate in the district to have obtained this diploma. The death of Mr William Brack Leyland, managing director of the Leyland O’Brien Timber Company. Ltd., occurred on Sunday. Born at Wigan, Lancashire, in 1853, he was a son of Mr and Mrs Samuel Leyland. He had an adventurous career before coming to New Zealand in 1879, rising to become a leading figure in the timber industry. In 1888 Mr Leyland began business in partnership with the late Mr J. J. O’Brien, who remained in the firm until 1912. The Leyland-O’Brien Company became a limited company in 1896.

At the meeting of the Southland Electric Power Board at Gore yesterday the chairman (Mr W. Hinchey) made reference to the death since last meeting of Mr J. D. Rodger, a member of the board. Mr Hinchey said that Mr Rodger had been a member of the board since 1928 and during that time he had been a most regular attender of the meetings. He had taken a keen interest in the affairs of the board and had made himself fully acquainted with the business. He had faithfully served the needs of the district he represented. The Rodger family had been associated with the board since its inception. A motion of condolence was passed in silence.

The list of Australia’s representatives to attend the fifth Imperial Press Conference to be held in South Africa in February next is as follows: Mr A. H. Stuart, general manager, the Sydney Morning Herald, who has been chosen to lead the delegation; Mr Delamore McCay, editor-in-chief, Associated Newspapers, Sydney; Mr Hugh Grant Adam, associate editor, the Herald, Melbourne; Mr F. Lloyd Dumas, managing editor, the Advertiser, Adelaide; Mr Firmin McKinnon, associate editor, the Courier-Mail, Brisbane; Mr C. P. Smith, managing editor, the West Australian, Perth; and Senator R. D. Elliot, chairman and owner of controlling interests in the Sunraysia Daily, Milduia. The death occurred at his residence in Dowling street, Dunedin, on Sunday of Mr Thomas Joseph Rossbotham, founder of the well-known commercial college of that name in Dunedin (states Otago Daily Times). Mr. Rossbotham was educated at the Christian Brothers School, and later he took up the study of shorthand, book-keeping, English and foreign languages, eventually commencing teaching these subjects in 1892. Since then thousands of pupils have obtained their commercial education under him, and he was instrumental in placing women in. office work when the business community was just beginning to realize the place of women in this sphere. With the co-operation of Mr Cope, of the Union Steam Ship Company, and Mr H. P. Harvey, of the Otago Daily Times, Mr Rossbotham founded the Phonetic Journal, which had a wide circulation for a number of years. He also did a great deal towards making the typewriter popular in Dunedin businesses. For some time after his marriage 14 years ago he lived in the North Island, but returned to Dunedin later to take control of his college once more. Mr Rossbotham was among the keenest chess players of Dunedin and spent a considerable amount of time working out problems submitted by players for solution.