PERSONAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 34, 3 October 1912, Page 5

PERSONAL.

„ Rear-Admiral R. E. Erskine succeeds Rear-Admiral H. G. King-Hall in command of the battle squadi on, Says a London cable. Mr W .A. W. Grenfell, secretary of , ■ the Wellington Employers’ Associa- ; tion, is attending the Arbitration Court sittings in New Plymouth. Mr. C. P. Lindegreeu, organiser of : the Political Reform League, was m ; ' M+fa+ford last night. He left tor Waitara this morning. Corbett, the pugilist, is dying from peritonitis. A later cable states that Corbett lias marvellously rallied, and is likely to recover. ■ Captain Hart, late of the Star of Canada, left Gisborne on Saturday last for Sydney, where ho expects to receive orders from England. Mrs, Halt accompanied him. I ■> ■ 'The Rev. B. L. Thomas', who for ’ the past s|x years has been the mmisi ter of . the Nelson Congregational : Church, has accepted a unanimous cal to the pastorate of the Congregational • Church at Masterton. Mr. A. J. Law, of Messrs. Porcival , and Messenger’s staff, Inglewood, was ■ presented by the members of the Golf ■ and Tennis' Clubs with a handsome .(i • .travelling rug prior to his departure for Geraldine. ■ '"The Dunedin Presbyteiy has nomif l . mated the Rev. W. McAra, of Kai- ■ kdura, for the position of Moderaror of the ’Genehd Assembly. f ihe Ma- ■> !• taura Presbytery decided to nominate 'the Rev. Ji Kennedy Elliott, of Wellington.—The Hawke’s Bay Presoy- . . tery has, nominated the Rev. A. Grant, of Dannevirke, for the ..({ position of Moderator of the General , Assembly.—P.A. wire. •bn Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Leader of the h Opposition in the Canadian House of ‘ Commons, speaking at Cobalt, de- . dared : “If England is ever in danger, nay, if she is 'even on trial, I, a Canadian of French origin, shall be the first ; to go to the people and call on iutliem Lo assist the'Old CoUKtryi’Witlr all their might.”

Mr E. O’Meara left Waverley on Tuesday for Wanganui, where he has entered into partnership, with Mr Stanley Reid. Mrs O’MeAra and family are still in Waverley. During the ' two years they have resided here, says the correspondent of the Patea Press, Mr and Mrs O’Meara have gained the highest esteem of their fellow citizens ; and their departure means a distinct loss to the community. j Mr Harold Hendry, one of the “Sedg- ' wick boys,” who came to iNew Zea- ! land at the beginning of last year, died ' at Wanganui on Sunday from meningitis. He was nineteen years of age and was employed by Mr G. Moore, at Kai Iwi: The Labour Department, , as his guardian, made all the ncces-| i Hsary arrangements for the funeral.| , This is the first breach made by death • in the party of fifty lads brought out - by Mr Sedgwick. j Messrs. J. ,R. Hill and J. Andrews were yeserday re-elected representatives for Mangorei Riding in the Taranaki County Council, and Mr. Arthur Morton,'the new representative for Waitara Riding. The new Council ■ will consist of the following members: Messrs. Jt Brown, R. Stevens, and . M. Hopson (Moa Riding), J. R. Hill and J. Andrews (Waitara Riding), A. Morton (Mangorei Riding), D. McAllura (Omata Riding), C. Andrews and C. Billing (Okato Riding).

Officers and Teirltorials to the number of over 200 wore present at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Auckland, on Sunday afternoon, at a special service held in connection with the unveiling of a handsome tablet erected in memory of the late 1 Colonel Abbott by the Auckland Garrison Officers’ Club. A number of prominent Auckland citizens also attended the function, as well as members of the Empire Veterans’ Association, and ex-contingenters who ■had served with the deceased officer. The service was conducted by Bishop Crossley, who referred in the course of his sermon to the many lino qualities’ of the deceased. After the sermon the tablet was unveiled by Colonel Heard, who was accompanied by Bishop Crossley. The inscription on the tab-j let made the following reference to| the deceased officer:—“A distinguished and honourable soldier, whoso high character and modest nature earned the love and respect of all with whom he came into contact. His services to the Empire throughout the Boer War, 1900-1902, his work for the military forces of this district and the Dominion, and his constant care of those under him, both in peace and in war, will cause his memory to be long revered,”

Mr Itolnert H. Houston, ox-M.P. for Bay of Islands, who died at Mangonui <^ v Eriday, was horn in County Down, and was educated at Belfast Academy and at Queen’s College, Belfast. _He arrived at Lyttelton on the ship Canterbury on January 10, 1864. Six months afterwards he went to Auckland, and after acting in 'the capacity of school teacher at, Whangarei and Otar a, took up storekeeping at' Mangonui. During his residence in the district he acted as chairman of various local bodies, included- in which was a term of 2! years as chairman of the Mangonui County Council. In 1801 Mr Houston entered Parliament as member for the Bay of Islands electorate, which he represented until his retirement in 1908. He,was for fifteen years chairman of the Native Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, resigning, in 1906 owing to ill-health.

Tho Archduchess Elizabeth, a granddaughter of tho Emperor of Austria; has married the Count Waldburg, who acted as tutor to her brothers. She lias had to renounce all her royal rights owing to the fact that she uas taken a husband from outside any of the reigning lines.

Mr. James W. Matthews, who has been appointed by the Grand Lodge of New Zealand Ereemasons as their representative on the Grand Lodge of Great Britain in succession to tne late Earl Onslow, is well known in die theatrical profession and among the Craft at Home. He is a son of Mrs. Mumford, better known by her professional name of Julia -Matthews, and he was born in Dunedin. For several years lie was a member of Wilson Barrett's and other touring companies, but for the last fifteen years lie has been business manager of the Duke of York Theatre, London. He is a distinguished Mason, having served as master for several London lodges, and in/1909 was appointed an officer of the English Grand Lodge.