PERSONAL

Southland Times, Issue 24755, 28 May 1942, Page 4

PERSONAL

Colonel W. T. Churchward, of Christchurch, regional commissioner of the E.P.S. for the Southern Military District, arrived in Invercargill by the express last night. He is accompanied by Captain H. Kitson, of Christchurch, associate officer. Mr Mark Silverstone, of Dunedin, a director of the Reserve Bank, is visiting Invercargill to assist with the Liberty Loan campaign.

Mr L. A. Niederer was elected chairman of the Southland County Council at the annual meeting of the council yesterday. Mr Niederer, who has been a county councillor for 20 years, previously was chairman in 1928, 1929, 1934 and 1935.

Mr J. A. Edwards, of Ot'ikerama, was re-elected chairman of the Southern District Council of the Royal Agricultural Society of New Zealand at the annual meeting of the council held at Gore yesterday. Mr H. Nicoll, who has been secretary of the Waikiwi Bowling Club for 12 years, was presented with a gift from members of the club at the annual meeting. Tributes to the retiring secretary’s work for the club and his personal qualities were paid by Messrs H. Halligan, R. Buckingham and E. Watson.

At the meeting of the Invercargill Fire Board yesterday a welcome was extended by the chairman (Mr W. G. Tait) to Mr G. S. Warwick, who was recently elected to the board as representative of the Insurance companies in place of Mr R. R. Binney, who resigned. At a parade of A Company of the Gore-Waimahaka Battalion of the Home Guard a vote of sympathy with the relations of Mr Christopher Miller, who died suddenly on Monday, was moved by Captain P. S. Glasson. Guardsmen on parade stood in silence for a few moments.

Mr Alfred Whyte has retired because of ill-health after 29 years’ service in the tramways department of the Invercargill City Council. He joined the service a year after the electric tramway service was established and was employed first as a conductor and later as a motorman. He will live in Dunedin. Before his departure he was entertained at a social held in the Tramwaymen’s Club room. The tramways manager (Mr A. C. Carman) was chairman and made a presentation to Mr Whyte of a roll of notes on behalf of his colleagues. He spoke of the long and faithful service which Mr Whyte had given to the department and expressed the hope that he would enjoy a long and happy retirement. Other speaker’s paid tributes to Mr Whyte’s popularity with the public and said he would be missed from the service. They included Crs A. W. Jones and W. J. Thomas (representing the City Council), Mr V. C. Broad (president of the Tramwaymen’s Union) and Mr S. Jones. Mr Whyte acknowledged the gift and good wishes and said he had enjoyed his association with his fellow workers and the public. Items were given by Messrs T. Cran and R. Smith.