PERSONAL

Taranaki Daily News, 13 October 1931, Page 3

PERSONAL

Detective A. B. Meiklejqhn left; New Plymouth yesterday for Dannevirke to attend the funeral of’his wife’s mother, Mrs. F. W. Smith, whose husband is a well-known resident and borough councillor. Mr. A. B. Bateman, who has been stationed at New Plymouth as enginedriver for 15 years, will retire on superannuation on < Saturday in conformity with the Railway Department’s decision officers of .35 years’ service. Major A, E. Conway, N.Z.S.C., accompanied. by Mr. H. V. S. Griffiths, Mayor of New Plymouth, and Mr. W. H. Skinner, president and vice-president respectively of the Taranaki Territorial Association, left yesterday for Wellington to attend a conference called by the G.O.C. New Zealand Military Forces. Before returning home Mr. Skinner will go on to Blenheim. A London cable reports the death of Sir Bertram Mackennal, the Australian sculptor, aged 68. He was born in Melbourne and studied in Paris. Among his works are statues of Queen Victoria for India and Australia, the coinage for King George V, the national memorial to Gainsborough (1913), memorial tomb of King Edward VII at' St. ■ George’s Chapel, Windsor, and Memorials to King Edward at London, Calcutta, Melbourne and Adelaide.

"When a man of 54 years of age can turn out and play football there is nothing wrong with the game,” said Mr. S. Hollander, of Christchurch, referring to the performance of Mr. A. J. Mason in a referees’ match, at a dinner to the teams after the game in Ashburton. Responding Mr. Mason said that he had played football since he was a small boy, and it was the game that had kept him fit, “I expect to be taking an active part when I am 60,” he concluded amid cheers. As showing the reward received by some farmers who have gone in largely for potato growing, a well-known farmer informed a Timaru Herald representative last week that at. present prices it does not pay to dig or pick over a crop of tubers. He sard that he knew of one case of a farmer who had shipped 160 sacks of potatoes to the North Island, and after paying all expenses his net return was 28s. Another farmer from'four acres of potatoes secured a 1 net return of £6. A third case cited was that of a man wjto had shipl- - 200 sacks to the North Island. The price he received was not sufficient to meet all costs, and he had to send 17s 6d' to make up the -difference between the return for the potatoes and the expenses incurred. • 1 ■