PERSONAL

Taranaki Daily News, 17 January 1923, Page 4

PERSONAL

Mr. J. R. Smith, of the literary staff of the Wellington Evening Post, is on a short holiday visit to New Plymouth.

Mr. A. M. Kester, assistant-manager of the Christchurch Press Company, has been appointed manager in place of Mr. P. 'Selig, who has retired.

Mr. T. M. Wilford, leader of the Liberal-Labor Party, will arrive in New Plymouth to-night to spend a few days in the Taranaki district. Tie will be accompanied by Mrs. Wilford.

A London cable reports the deatlfof Father Alan John Westby Perceval, son of -Sir Westby Brook Perceval, K.C.M.G., who was Agent-General for New Zealand from 1891 to 1896.

A 'Sydney cable states that Dr. H. R. Seddon, of Tauranga, has been appointed veterinary pathologist at the Glenfield veterinary experimental farm under the Department of Agriculture. Amongst the successes at the recent University examinations appears the name of Mr. C. W. Hodge, of Victoria College, Wellington, who gained passes in the following subjects for his LL.B, degree, viz.:—Property Law, Law of Torts, Law of Contracts, Evidence, and Criminal Law. Mr. Hodge, who is the son of Mr. W. W. Hodge, of Stratford, has joined the staff of Mr. H. B. Gibgon, solicitor, at Manaia.

Dr. E. A. Walker, medical superintendent of the New Plymouth Hospital, is about to leave New Zealand on a tour of the United Kingdom and probably the Continent. Dr. Walker’s application for leave will be considered by the Hospital Board to-day, and, if it is approved, he will leave Wellington on February 4 by the Port Elliot, returning to New Zealand in December. Dr. Walker will be accompanied by Mrs. Walker and Miss Walker.

The death, following an operation, occurred at a private hospital in Wellington on Friday, (says the Wairarapa Age) of Mr. Donald McKenzie, of “Hill-End." Bideford. Deceased, who was 48 years of age, was the third son of Mrs. 'R. McKenzie, of Masterton. His wife, a daughter of tlie. late Mr. W. F. McLaren, Bush Gully, predeceased him during the 1918 epidemic. Mr. McKenzie, who had followed farming practically all his life, successfully worked him run at “Hill-End,” and was recognised as a leading farmer of the district. He leaves two sons, -Carlyle and lan. both of Wellington. ‘ Dr. P. Cousin Davie, who belonged to Timaru before going to England, has come to New Plymouth to act as locum tenens for Dr. E. A. Walker during his absence abroad. After qualifying at Edinburgh University Dr. Davie, in September, 1914, joined the Imperial forces and went to France in 1915, with a Scottish division, afterwards proceeding to Serbia and Roumania with another British division. -He was twice mentioned in despatches for gallantry in the field. Since leaving the army of .occupation in 1919 Dr. Davie has been resident surgeon to the Royal Hospital for Children at Edinburgh, resident surgeon in tlie Royal Infirmary at Edinburgh, and resident surgeon in the Simpson Memorial Maternity Hospital at Edinburgh. R. W. Bellringer, of New Plymouth, who has won a University National Scholarship, has been attending the Boys’ High School for about four years and has had quite a distinguished scholastic career. In 1919 he secured a Junior National Scholarship; in 1920 a Senior National Scholarship, heading the list of successful students on both occasions. He also gained his matriculations in 1920, anil in 1921 won the Bendall Memorial Prize at the High School. Last year—l922—he won the W'hite Memorial Prize and was dux of the school, following up this with a National University Scholarship. He and the school are to be heartily congratulated on attaining such success. There died on Saturday, at his home in Karaka Bay, in his seventieth year, Mr. Henry R. Lawry, who was, until his retirement ten years ago, a well known officer of the Bank of New Zealand. Ilis service with the bank extended over more than forty years, during which his appointments included the positions of accountant at the Wellington branch, manager at Hokitika and elsewhere, am l head office accountant. Mr. Lawry was a son of the Rev. Henry H. Lawry, Wesleyan Missionary, and grandson of (he Rev. Walter Lawry, who was, in the forties, superintendent of the Wesleyan Missions in the South Seas, and who had paid his first visit to the New Zealand missions of that church in 1822. He was born at the mission station at Ihumata (Manukau), and educated at the old Wesley College in Auckland.

Captain Rodgers, who died in New Plymouth on Monday, saw a good deal of war service, and will be long remembered for his work it) training the First Contingent for South Africa. In his early days he had a commission in the Royal Marines, being present at M‘Neil’s Zareba, at Tamai, in the Sudan, when the Egyptians broke the square. Later he served in the 12th and 16th Lancers. He was g resident of the Hawera district when he was selected as sergeant-major in the Diamond Jubilee Contingent in 1897, and on the outbreak of the South African War, in 1899, he proceeded to Africa with the First Contingent under General Robin. Members of that crack contingent owed their high efficiency to the drilling they received at the hands of “Reggie,” who had a genius for the military game and the facility for imparting" his knowledge to those under him. In Africa he played a distinguished part. On the return of file First Contingent to New Zealand he was given a staff appointment, and later proceeded to South Africa with the Eighth Contingent. For a number of years he was mounted instructor in the Auckland, Palmerston North and Canterbury districts, but owing to ill-health, resulting from oversea service conditions, he was invalided out of the service. He was a kindly, good natured soldier of the old and his passing will be regretted by all who knew him.