PERSONAL.

Colonist, Volume LVI, Issue 13598, 7 October 1914, Page 4

PERSONAL.

Sir Douglas Mawson, the. Antarctic explorer, arrived at Wellington yesterday from Sydney.

At the Harbour Board meeting yesterday on the motion of Mr. Bell a resolution of sympathy was passed with Mr Macmahon on the death of his brother, Mrr H. Macmahon.

Mr AJfred Gyles, the well-lrnown 'Now Zealand chess player, who was in England when the war broke out, joined the 2nd City of London, Field Ambulance <?orps.

Mr James Gane, for 50 years a settler in the Wairau, died somewhat suddenly-on Monday evening, aged 72 years. He was a prominent -figure in local politics (says a Press Association telegram from Blenheim), and was for five years chairman of the Spring Creek Road and River.Boards. He was also one of the founders of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association.

Mr. J. H. Robertson, of the Wellington Customs Department, has ! e«n uppointed Acting-Controller of tmtotns and Commissioner of Taxes in British Samoa.

Mr. A. J. Watters, who has lauly been in charge of the shipping department of the Wellington Customs Ik use, has been appointed to act as AssistantCollector at Samoa.

A Press Association cablegram from Hobart reports the death of the Hon. A. E. Solomon, ex-Premier of Tasmania. .

The death of Mr. William Stephen Cochrane, a well-known resid-j.it of Auckland, is announced. The decei«».\2 had been 65 years in the Dominion ard for some years was Diocesan Bec'ceUiry at Auckland. '

By command of the King, the Governor on Saturday invested Mr Christopher James Parr, Mayor of the City of Auckland, with the insignia of a Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, and Mr Thomas Ronayne, lately General Manager of the New Zealand Stat© Railways, with the badge of a Companion of the Imperial Service Order.

The death is announced of Mrs. •!. 11. Pilcher, a resident of Wellington for over fifty years. Mrs. Pilcher, who was born in London in 1837, was a daughter of Mr. T. W. Downs.1 She arrived in Nelson with her parents in 1867 by the ship John McVicar, but removed 10 Picton shortly afterwards. In 1850 she married Mr. T. W. Pilcher, uql was closely identified with the social life < f Wellington in the early days. Kito leaves four sons, two daughters, nu& several grandchildren.

The death occurred suddenly on Monday afternoon of a highly respected resident of Collingwood in the person of Mr. Charleß Bradshaw, brother of Mr. T. W. Bradshaw, of Nelson. It appears that the deceased had not been weir lately, and came to Nelson for medical advice, and was recommended to take a few weeks' rest. He returned to Collingwood on Sunday night by the steamer Wairoa, his death occurring as stated, presumably through heart failure. One child is left to mourn the death of both parents, Mrs. Bradshaw having died some years ago.

I The Pope has given ,in audience to Moneignor Ceretti, the Apostolic Deloeate to Australasia. When Monsignor Bonaventura Oeretti's appointment was first announced, the Rome coirespotident of^ the London "Observer" stated that it hat! caused surprise in Catholic circles in til*? Eternal City. It was understood that the late Cardinal Moran had impressed upon Piux X. the necessity for decentralising the Churcii in the most distant colonie-3, and had suggested a Primate for Australia, who should also be Papal Legate. The Popo decided instead that an Apostolic Delegate should bo the connecting link.