PERSONAL

Southland Times, Issue 24764, 8 June 1942, Page 4

PERSONAL

The Minister of Mines (the Hon. P. C. Webb) arrived in Invercargill from Glenorchy and Queenstown on Saturday afternoon. He had a conference with representatives of the Southland Coal Owners’ Association and yesterday he visited Ohai to meet representatives of the Miners’ Union. The Minister will visit one of the coal mines on the Ohai field today and will later preside at a conference between representatives of the owners and miners to discuss means of securing the maximum output of coal. He will probably return north tomorrow.

Captain A. C. Dickens, Dental Officer on No. 1 Netherlands Military Hospital ship, arrived in Invercargill by the express on Saturday night. _ Captain Dickens, who! joined the ship in January, will spend a period of leave in Invercargill before returning to resume his duties.

Mr H. J. Macalister, district controller for the Southland district of the E.P.S., will attend the conference of district controllers at Christchurch on Wednesday.

At a recent meeting of the Southland Presbytery a call from the congregation of Riversdale to the Rev. J. H. Thomson, of Kennington, was sustained., Reference was made to Mr Thomson s association with Southland during his 18 years at Kennington. Members spoke of Mr Thomson’s good work in his parish and especially of his ministrations to the city hospitals during the 12 years during which he was official chaplain.

Mr G. Stevenson, of Dacre, who attended a conference of linen flax growers at Christchurch, returned home on Saturday night. A letter of congratulation was sent to Mr A. H. Whyte, of North Invercargill by the Southland Presbytery when it learnt of his fine record as Sunday School teacher and superintendent. Mr Whyte began teaching at Wallacetown in 1900 and with the exception of a break of five years during the Great War has been teaching ever since. He recently completed his service as superintendent of the North Invercargill Sunday School. Three Gore soldiers who have been home on leave were met by the Mayor (Mr W. D. Shelton) before their return to camp. They were Privates W. Sheehan, O. Middlemiss and A. Sinclair, each of whom was presented with a cheque on behalf of the citizens of the town by' Mr Shelton. Another Gore soldier, Private R. A. Scott, was entertained by the residents of Charlton at the home of his parents, Main South road, Gore.