PERSONAL

Taranaki Daily News, 18 February 1933, Page 6

PERSONAL

Mr. F. J. Dunbar, Waitara, has gone to Dunedin, having received news of the sudden death of his brother. Mr. D. Le Cren Morgan, secretary of the Taranaki Trotting Club, left yesterday morning on a visit to Auckland. A remark made by Sir Francis Bell in the Legislative Council last week that, in opposing the Banks Indemnity Bill, he might be making his last speech in that chamber, is interpreted to mean that the possibility exists that he will not be reappointed when his term expires on May 21 next. Sir Francis has almost completed three terms of seven years each in the Upper House, and had the rare distinction in 1925 of holding office as Prime Minister without being a member of the House of Representatives. The torrns of two others members, the Hon. C. J. Carrington and the Hon. J. A. Hanan, will expire on June 17. It is not customary to notify \in advance the Government's intentions regarding reappointments, but with the councils membership now reduced to 22 it is obvious that the position calls for fairly early decision. It is likely that the matter of making reappointments or new appointments will be decided during the next recess.—Dominion.

A military veteran, Sergeant-Major Edwin Bezar, of Rintoul Street, Wellington, will celebrate his 95th birthday to-day. He was bom in England in 1838, and arrived in New Zealand in 1861, when he took part in the Maori Wars. Seventy-eight years ago Mr. Bezar joined his county regiment—-the 62nd First Wiltshires—and a year later was transferred to the 57th Die Hards in the Crimea. His first seven years in the Army were spent in Ireland, the Crimea, Malta, Aden, and New Zealand, which involved travelling a distance greater than half-way round the globe. Between March, 1855, and October, 1857, he crossed the Mediterrean four times, the last occasion being from Malta to Alexandria. Mr. Bezar told “The Dominion” of the trouble in India in 1857. At that time his regiment was in Malta. In September of that year an order came from the War Office for 200 men of the 57th Regiment to be hurried to Aden through Europe, as a strong sepoy regiment stationed there was causing anxiety. His regiment left Malta on September 30, 1857, for Suez, and thence to Aden, where they landed on October 14. Mr. Bezar is the oldest remaining member of the 57th Regiment, of which only two are living. Mr. Michael Gill, of Palmerston North, is the other survivor. ‘ j