PERSONAL

Southland Times, Issue 24592, 14 November 1941, Page 4

PERSONAL

The Leader of the Opposition (Mr S. G. Holland) will arrive in Gore on Monday and will address a meeting there in the afternoon. He will then travel to Invercargill and will speak at a meeting of the Invercargill National Party executive in the evening. Mr Holland will be accompanied by Mr A. Gordon, Dominion president of the party, and Mr Arthur Laing, of Dunedin, divisional secretary. He will leave Invercargill on Tuesday morning, addressing a midday meeting at Balclutha and an evening meeting at Dunedin. Mr Vv. Grieve will leave Invercargill by the express this morning for Burnham camp to take a special course of training for one month. He has been granted leave of absence for that period from the executive of the Southland Provincial Patriotic Council, of which he is chairman. During his absence the Mayor (Mr J. R. Martin) will act as chairman. Mr W. G. Tait will leave Invercargill by the express this morning for Timaru. He will return home early next week. The Rev. J. A. Thomson returned to Invercargill by the express last night after attending the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand at Timaru.

Mr J. R. Gardiner, at present first assistant at the Bluff public school, has been appointed head teacher at the Isla Bank school and will begin his new duties on February 2. The Rev. C. J. Tocker returned to Invercargill by last night’s express from Timaru, where he was a delegate to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand. Mr F. S. Simpson, who was formerly superintendent of the Invercargill Fire Brigade, will leave Invercargill on Sunday for Auckland. Constable R. L. Timmins has received notice of his transfer from Dunedin to take charge at Clinton. He has been stationed in Dunedin since 1937. Mr F. J. Tercel has been appointed a deputy member of No. 1A Armed Forces Appeal Board at Whangarei, states last night’s Gazette.—P.A. A motion of sympathy with the relations of the late Mr A. Washer was carried at the annual meeting of the Southland Cricket Umpires’ Association last night. The president (Mr A. Anderson) referred to the long and valued service given by Mr Washer. Mr H. Digby-Smith, who has been appointed chairman of the Social Security Commission, joined the accounts branch of the General Post Office in 1906 and was appointed registrar of pensions in Invercargill in 1914. He served with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force from 1915 to 1919, holding a commission in the Otago Regiment. In 1921 he was appointed registrar of pensions in Wellington and in 1923 registrar of pensions in Auckland. In 1929 he became Assistant Commissioner- of Pensions and Commissioner in 1936. When the personnel of the commission to administer the Social Security scheme was appointed in 1938, Mr Digby-Smith was one of the two principal executive officers chosen, and was given charge of the division dealing with superannuation and all other monetary benefits. He also became Secretary for War Pensions.