PERSONAL

Taranaki Daily News, 9 June 1932, Page 4

PERSONAL

A London cable states that the “Rancher” Earl of Egmont, who died recently, left £282,522. He died intestate.

Mr. and Mrs. T. McPhillips, New Plymouth, are visiting Manaia in connection with the jubilee celebrations. The death has occurred at Sydney of Sir. Charles Scrivener, brother of Mr. Frank Scrivener, and the late Mr. Robert Scrivener, New Plymouth. Mr. A, D. Gaunt, accountant of the head office in New Zealand of th© Commercial Bank of Australia, Ltd., has received notice of appointment to th© inspectors’ department' of th© head office of the bank in Melbourne, Mr, Gaunt, who was formerly manager of tire bank’s branches at Neivton (Auckland) and New Plymouth, is succeeded by Mr. F. B. Barber, late manager at Wanganui and formerly manager at Napier,.

Mr. A. Gibbs, chief telegraph engineer of tho Post and Telegraph Department, has decided to retire, having completed over 40 years’ service, states a Wellington Press Association message. Mr. Gibbs was f&rewelled yesterday at a function at th© General Post Office, at which were present the Hon. Adam Hamilton, Postmaster-General, and a number of senior officers of the department. Mr- C. 8. Plank, deputy chief engineer, succeeds Mr, Gibbs as chief engineer.

Visiting Wellington at the present time is the Rev. Vincent la C, Binet, who is enjoying a five months’ furlough after 15 years’ servico as a Methodist missionary on the island of Choiseul in tho British Solomon Islands. Choiseul is not a very large island. It is one of the hundreds that constitute the great Solomon group, many of which do not figure at all in the ordinary maps of the Pacific, yet Choiseul has a population of about SOOO Solomon Islanders, among whom. Dlr. Binet has planted the Cross to some, definite purpose, Mr. Robert Charles Smith, better known as Captain Smith, died at Otaki on Friday last at the age of 72 years. He took up Government'land, at Waitetuna, Raglan county, in the early nineties. He went back to England in. 1903 and returned to New Zealand in 1912. Captain Smith had considerable volunteer and regular service. He served in. the Gordon Relief Expedition of 1884-85, and at the time of the Boer War started and organised fha Raglan Mounted Rifles, of which he was captain. He volunteered for service in the Great War, and was appointed captain in the Maori Contingent at Avondale in 1914, but was later transferred to the Samoan relief force, where he served for about two years, the larger part of which was’O.C. garrison. On returning to New Zealand in December, 1916, he was appointed O.C. the musketry camp of Papawai, where he remained until the armistice. One of Australia’s old school of actors and one of the last to have appeared in the original performances of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas in Australia, died at Moonee Ponds, Victoria, a week ago. He was Mr. John Francis Forde, whose first important role was that of Major Murgatroyd in “Patience” in Melbourne in 1882. His Mikftdo will be better remembered by New Zealanders. He played that role in the Japanese comic opera to the best of all Yum-Yums, the late Miss Nellie Stewart. Mr. Forde was for many years associated with the late Miss Maggie Moore, succeeding Mr. J. C. Williamson in the character part of John Stofcl in “Struck Oil.” Five years ago he played old Tony in. “The Student Prince,” and two years ago was in the revivals of “Katjnka” and' “The Maid of the Mountains” in Melbourne. The death has occurred of Mr. Alexander Sutherland, a very old resident of Auckland, and a veteran of the Maori Wars. Mr. Sutherland was born at Onehunga in 1848, and as a young man joinfid the volunteers. He saw considerable military service in the Waikato in the sixties, and later went to Wanganui as a member of the Transport Corps. Upon gold being discovered at Thames Mr, Sutherland went to that district, whore he took an active part in prospecting, meeting with a fair measure, of success. He also worked at Waitekaurr, Karangahako and Kuaotunu. Subsequentely he made his way to Coromandel, and lived there for a number of years. About 14 years age his hoitte was destroyed by fire, and he returned, to Thames. During recent years he lived, with hip daughter in Auckland. Mr. Sutherland is survived by three sons and four daughters,' His wife "died sevr , eral years ago.