PERSONAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 229, 10 January 1911, Page 5

PERSONAL.

Mr. J. Day, pilot at Sumner, in spending u lew days in New Plymouth. Mrs. 0. J. Crane, of Napier, accompanied by her daughter, is on a visit to New Plymouth. Mr. Oldficld, the automobilist record'older, sails, says a New Yotx Frees wire, for Australia next wees.

Mr. Leeming and Mr. Scott, of the stall' of the New Zealand Herald, are holiday-making in New Plymouth. A Sydney message reports that Mr. Fowlds will visit the Jenoiaa Caves, and will sail for New Zealand on Saturday. It is stated that Mr. B. C. Robbing, formerly of Hawera, but now of Auckland, will contest the Parnell seat at the coming general election. Messrs C. Arnold-Jones, W. McAUum, J. H. Parker, and C. 0. Hawke were amongst the passengers for Auckland last night per s.s. Rarawa. It is stated that the Hon. G. <t. Smith will resign his seat in the Legislative Council and become one of the candidates for Christchurch City at the next election.

A London cablegram reports the death: of Sir John Aird, member of the firm of John Aird and Sons, contractors, who constructed the great Assuan dam ott the river Nile.

The death occurred at Opunake last evening of Airs. M. Callender, mother ol Mr. R. Callender, of the New Plymouth telegrahpic staff, who will have the sympahty of a very wide circle of friends in his Joss.

Messrs. Wat kins and Fox received a cable yesterday from Mr. J. D. Henry, the petroleum authority, notifying his arrival in Melbourne. He is on board the Mantua, which is due at Auckland on Monday next.

Mr. Norman Lindsay, the Sydney But* letin artist, who last year left Australia to try and make arrangements for the publication of his illustrations of "Casanova," is returning to Sydney by the R.M.S. Osterley.

There was a large attendaSce' at the funeral of the late Mr. Leslie Okey, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. B. N. L. Okey, of Frankley road, which took place at the Te Henui cemetery on Sunday- The Rev. J. G. Chapman was the officiating minister. The Rev. Rollo Hovell, son of the late Dean Hovell, of Napier, who was recently ordained in England, has left for Rhodesia to assume a position there. He expects to be joined in South Africa by his mother and sister, who are already there. Mr. C. P. Skerrett will be engaged in an important New Zealand case before the Privy Council this year. On his way to London he will spend about a month visiting relatives in South America. He will leave Wellington by the Rotorua next Thursday. A Press message Teports that Mr. N. F. Parsons, a resident of Wellington since 1855, died on Saturday, aged 76. He was a builder and contractor for many years and a prominent figure in musical circles. At one time he was a member of the City Council. Dr. T. Hope Lewis was severely injured in a motor accident at Auckland yesterday afternoon, Bays a Press message. His car collided with a tram-car, and he was thrown from the front of the car Heavily to the ground. His condition at a late hour last night waa fairly satisfactory. The delegates to Sydney Science Congress inolude Mr. T. S. Reed, secretary, of the South Australian Geological Society, who is bale and hearty at the age of 92. He has lived under six monareha, and was present at the second meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science in 1837.

The Superannuation Board election takes place on March 0. Two members will be elected to represent the Post and Telegraph. Department. The candidates are as follow:—Mr. H. A. R. Huggins, assistant accountant; Mr. W. S. Thompson, postmaster, Opunake; Mr. VV. M'Nickle, postmaster, Bulls; and Mr. A. T. Markmann, staff clerk, G.P.O.

Mr. Peter Bowling, interviewed at Auckland, stated that having been released from his engagement with the New Zealand Federation of Labor, he prposed to return to Sydney on the lf-th inst.. but as the result of represen- , tations from Christchurch Unions he ii ' now favorable to remaining another three months in the colony if satfcfac> tory arrangements are made. Mr. Harvey Burr, who for some time past has been coastal representative for Messrs. .'J. B. MHSwan and Co., Ltd., has left New Plymouth to take up a posi- •; tion with Messrs. Dalgety and Co., Ltd., = : Sydney. Prior to his departure Mr. Burr, who has many friends in this district, was entertained by some of his friends and presented with a handsome travelling rug as a token of their esteem.

For the purpose of spending a holiday : iit New Zealand, the Hon. W. M, Hughes, Attorney-General in the Federal Government of Australia, and the Hon. E» L. Batchelor, Minister of External Affairs, arrived at the Bluff yesterday hy , the s.s. Moeraki from Melbourne. *sayi an Invercargill telegram. To-day they go on to Lumsden, and thence to Lake Munapouri, Lake Te Anau. From Lake Te Anau they propose to go overland te Qucenstown, and later their itinerary is to arrive in Wellington on February \ Ist, to reach Rotorua on February 3rd, and to sail from Auckland far Sydney on February (ith. r

Staff Sergeant-Major W. Grant died at luvercargill on Sunday. He had been operated on for appendicitis on Satu* day, and did not rally. Ik- had previously been apparently well, for. he had made all arrangements to attend the ' camp of instruction at Wellington. The deceased soldier served with the First New Zealand contingent to the Boer war as a sergeant, and was distinguished not only for his soldiering qualities, but for his manliness, courage, and modesty. He was. in fact, one of the best liked men of the corps. PhilT Sergeant-Major Grant joined the First Contingent from the Permanent Artillery, and was a trooper in the New Zealand contingent that attended the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in London in IS!>7. He was na expert piper, and his tine figure behind the pipes was a feature at many holiday encampments. Mr. Grant leaves a widow and one son.