ABOUT PEOPLE

Southland Times, Issue 25417, 19 October 1935, Page 6

ABOUT PEOPLE

His Worship the Mayor, Mr John Miller, returned from Wellington by last evening’s express. Mr C. H. Wing, organizer of the Democrat Party, arrived in Invercargill last evening and is a guest at the Grand Hotel. Messrs D. H. Stewart (Christchurch), A. F. Turnbull (Wellington), J. R. Hoopex- (Sydney) and H. B. Shaw (London) are at the Grand Hotel. The appointment of Dr. W. Hawkesworth, of Dunedin, as a house surgeon at the New Plymouth Hospital, has been confirmed by the Taranaki Hospital Board. Mr M. Gilfedder, who retired in 1933 from the position of judge of the Native Land Court, returned to Wellington by the Marama from Sydney after an extended health trip abroad. Two nominations have been received fox- the vacancy on th? Gore High School Board of Governors caused by the resignation of Mr W. Gee. The nominees are Messrs A. J. Cameron and F. Wallis, jun. Mr I. G. McGrath, of the literary staff of the Southland Daily News, will leave by this morning’s express for Palmerston North, where he has been appointed local representative of the Dominion, Wellington. Mr- D. Cameron, of Dunedin, who has been on a brief visit to _ Invercargill, returns north by this evening s express. Mr Cameron is the father of Mr D. C. Cameron, the well-known cricketer, who has been transferred to Brisbane. A Wellington Press Association message states that Mr G. W. Swain, of Wellington, proprietor of the New Zealand Electrical Journal, has been appointed part-time secretary of the New Zealand Power Boards and Supply Authorities’ Association. He will take up his duties on December 1. Brigadier James Imrie, Salvation Army trade secretary for New Zealand, has been promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He entered the army in Tayport, Scotland, in 1900, and came to New Zealand as trade secretary in 1931, after-19 years holding important posts in Australia, and a period at Migration House, London. Reference to the death of Mr J. D. Rodger, of Tapanui, was made at the annual meeting yesterday of the Farmers’ Dairy Federation, Ltd., by the chairman of directors, Mr John Fisher. Mr Rodger died just after the last annual meeting of the federation, at which he was elected a director for a further three years. “Mr Rodger’s interest in the federation was personal and sincere,” said Mr Fisher. “He believed in it and in its aims, and he was a fine missionary.” Mr T. McMath, of Riversdale, was Mr Rodger’s successor.

On the eve of his departure for the Public Works Department’s base camp at Milford Sound, Mr Max D. Hunter, of the Invercargill staff, was farewelled at an informal gathering of his friends last night. Mr T. Crowe, in handing Mr Hunter a solid leather suitcase on behalf of those present, referred to his sporting instincts and wished him every success in his new sphere of activities. After Mr Crowe’s remarks had been endorsed by Messrs W. L. Copeland and L. Hughes, Mr Hunter suitably responded.

Mrs T. H. Maslin, who died suddenly at hex- home at North Chatton last week, was the third daughter of Mr John Mathieson and the late Mrs Mathieson, of Knapdale, and was born at Knapdale 33 years ago. She received her education at the Knapdale School and spent practically all her life in the district. She married Mr T. H. Maslin 12 years ago, and leaves a family of seven children. She is also survived by two brothers, Messrs William and John Mathieson (Knapdale)and two sisters, Mesdames Clelland (Knapdale) and G. McLeod (Gore).

Advice has been received by the Otago Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association that Mr John Page, who has been the centre’s sub-local officer at Invercargill for many years, will be unable to accept nomination for a further term of office, and a new appointment will have to be made at the centre’s annual meeting on Tuesday night. Mr Page, who is the father of J. R. Page, the All Black Rugby player, is well-known in Otago and Southland sporting circles, and in the earlier stages of the amateur athletic revival in Southland did a great deal to firmly establish the sport in Invercargill and surrounding districts. He has held the office of president of the Invercargill Amateur Athletic Club on many occasions and has also been chairman of the Southland Athletic Clubs’ Combined Committees.

After a brief illness, the death occurred at Patearoa on Thursday night of Mr Robert McSkimming, who was in his eightieth year. Mr McSkimming, who was engaged in farming, was a well-known figure in Central Otago and Dunedin, and his two youngest sons, Ronald and Hector, are wellknown representative Rugby players. Mr McSkimming came to Dunedin from Melbourne with his parents when he was a small boy, and it is interesting to recall that his first home in New Zealand was a tent pitched in Stuart street on the site now occupied by Reddell’s Ltd. He was educated at the Union Street School, where he was taught by the late Sir Robert Stout. Mr McSkimming always took a keen interest in the “old stone school,”, and was actively associated with the committee which arranged the reunion celebrations a few years ago. His oldest son, Robert, was killed in the Great War. He is survived by four sons and three daughters. One of his sons, Allan, is an elocution teacher in Auckland, another, Frederick, was associated with him on the farm, two of his daughters are married and are residing in Christchurch, while the other daughter is unmarried. It is also interesting to note that Mr McSkimming was a great uncle of F. Vorrath, who is now touring Great Britain with the All Blacks. Only last year Mr McSkimming was a spectator of the Otago-Canter-bury Rugby match at Carisbrook when his two sons, Ronald and Hector, and his grand-nephew, F. Vorrath, were members of the Otago team.