PERSONAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 794, 18 April 1910, Page 6

PERSONAL ITEMS.

Sir Joseph and Lady returned from Napier and Gisborne yesterday afternoon by the Tutanekai.

Mr. Massey, Leader of the Opposition, visited Balclutha on Friday, and-; on Saturday left for Roxburgh, and will reach Alexandra to-day. The visit, though designed in the interests .of the' party, is to be_ of a quiet nature (6ays the "Otago Daily Times"), and nothing in the way of public functions or speechmaking is intended. A return will probably be made to Dunedin on Tuesday next. Though no speech-making is intended to be engaged in on this visit, it is the intention of Mr. Massey to return'to Dunedin to appear on the. platform some time before the next plecion. Mr. Massey cannot bind himself to any date, but he anticipates it will bo' after tho present session. ' , The Hon. Dr. Findlay (Minister for Justice) leaves on Thursday morning for Palmerston North, where has promised to deliver an address before the Manaiwatu Philosophical Society. The Hon; D. Buddo returned from the south yesterday by. the Maori. Our' Wanganui correspondent states tjiat word. has been received that bis Excellency the Governor will pay a farewell' visit to. Wanganui on May 14. News has been , received : of. the death from tetanus at Brisbane of Lester Philp, son of Mr. James A. Philp, commercial editor of the Brisbane ."Courier," and a nephew of Mr. A. B. Philp, of tho Wellington Post Office st-aff. ■ Archdeaoon Harper arrived from Nelson and Pioton by the Pateena on Saturday night. •. ' Mr. Justice Cooper was a passenger by the Pateena, which arrived from Nelson ;uid Picton" on night. ' Lieut.-Colonel Head arrived from the 60uth yesterday by' the Maori. The Taylor-Carrington Company were also passengers by the 'same .si^araer.' Mr. William Fitchett,' an old resident : of Wellington,. and 'a member of the well-known family which farmed the hills now. known as Brooklyn and Fitohett-town, died rather suddenly at his. residence,- Nairn. Street, on Saturday. \The. deceased, who was .74 years of > age,' arrived in Wellington from' London with his parents on May. 7, 1842. His father took up the hillside lands referred to, long known to old r&idents, of Wellington as "Fitchett's .Farm."'' On his death two of the sons, Messrs. Ashton B. Fitohett and Wnl. Fitchett, worked, tho property until some thirty years ago, wnen Mr. Wm, Fitohett retired owing to failing health, and took np his residence in Nairn Street, where he resided until his death. The. . .deceased was up and about as usual on "Friday, but became very ill at ah early hour on Saturday, and medical aid was summoned. He grew worse rapidly, and expired at 5 a.m. , Mr. Fitchett leaves :'a 'widow" (who was' a daughter of the late Mr. Geo. Hawkins, of the Customs Department) and two. sons, : Mr. Wm. H. Fitchett, of Shannon, and Mr. Alfred C.. Fitchett, of Arthur Street, Wellington, Messrs. A. 8.. Fitchett' and John Fitohett, of. Wellington, and Mr. Arthur Fitchett, of Auckland, ] are brothers' of 'the 'deceased, and Mrs. Thos. Symons, of Palmerston North, is a sister. The interment, will be a private one. '

There was a very laTge congregation at St. Paul's pro-Cathedral last night, when an "in memoriam" service was held in connection with the death of Mr. William Houghton. Appropriate hymns were . sung, the. anthem being "Blest are the Departed" (Spohr), and after the offertory the choir sang "Brother, Thou art Gone Before Us" (words by Dean Milman and music by Sir Arthur Sullivan). The Rev. T. H. Sprott's address consisted of a carefully-reasoned argument in justification of the belief in human immortality, concluding with a short reference to the deceased as a communicant, a member of the choir, a true friend, and an upright man of business. A very impressive service was brought to a'close by the playing of Chopin s Funeral March. Mr; J. H. Clay, who has represented Sharland and Co., Ltd., in the Wanganui, Hawera, and Palmerston districts for the past twelve years, has'resigned his position, and has purchased a pharmacy business at Wanganui, Mr. Harold Churton will succeed Mr. : Clay. Mr. Churton has been in the employ of Sharland and Co. for over twenty years. The death ' occurred in Wanganui Hospital on Saturday morning (says our local correspondent) of Mr. James" Garland Woon, a member .'of one of Wanganui's oldest families, aetai 71. Mr. Woon was a son of the late Rev. Wm. Woon, one of tho early Wesleyan missionaries to Tonga, and, later, stationed in New Zealand. Deceased, in his younger days, was a music teacher, and, later, entered the Customs Department, rising to be Collector of Customs at Grcymouth. He retired some,years ago, and, eince thon, lived in Wanganui. He was a keen musical , entliu; siast, ami, at various times, Was conductor, of many musical societies and churoh ohoirs. Ho has been in • poor health for tho. last fonr years, but bore a severe illness with great fortitude and cheerfulness. In private life lie was an upright and kindly-iiatured man and his death will be sincerely regretted by a very large circle of friends both in AVanganui-and elsewhere. Mr. Vernon Rout, LL.fi., of Nelson lias just returned to New Zealand by the Morea, having been away on a fifteen mouths' holiday, during which time ho travelled considerably in Great Britain, and ho spent some timo in France. Mr. Rout now intends to practise law in Nekon. •

Mr. W. H. Bectham, of Mosterton, who has been on a visit to New TJy mouth, returned to his home on Saturday. Mr. W. Young, of Waitara, will feava Wellington this woek, accompaniod by Mrs. Young, on a holiday visit to Austraiia. v Mr. David Hatton, formerly director of the Wanganui Technical School, has been appointed art instructor to the Now Plymouth and Stratford Technical Schools. For nearly two years, Mr.' Hutton has been m Great Britain, and while there was modelling and signa, master at the Birmingham Municipal' Art' School under Professor Catterson. Smith. ■ • -> Sir 'fhomas 'rancred, whose death in London was recorded recently, resided for a number of years in the South Island as a sheepfarmer. • The family, •has a wide connection. Of the brothers of, the deceased baTonet, Mr. P. F. Tancred is a resident of Wellington, > .while a sister has her home in Christ-. church.. Another brother, Hr., Seymour Tanored, is -understood to 1 reside in England. Ail the brothers were bora l in New Zealand, and educated in Engr; land. ■ Mrs. F. H. Capon, a daughter of' Mr. Allan Orr, passed away at the-.' Wellington Hospital, after a painful': operation yesterday. Deceased was is', her thirty-first year.