PERSONAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 844, 16 June 1910, Page 4

PERSONAL ITEMS.

The Hon. T. Mackenzie (Minister for Agriculture) and Mr. C. J. Keakes (Uovermncnt Veterinarian) will be among tho speakers at the Farmers' Union dinner on Friday next.

Dr. Foster, at present house surgeon at tho Wellington Hospital, has (according to a. Tress Association telegram received iroin Chrislchurch) been appointed senior house- surgeon at the Christchurch Hospital. Dr. Foster has been ou tho local hospital stall' for the past 18 mouths, and previous to that Uβ was engaged at tho Dunediii Hospital. Ho will probably be leaving Wellington to take up ins new duties in about a month. In the Labour notes in the "Southland Times" the following paragraph appears: "It is whispered in Labour circles that tho Hon. J. T. Paul, M.L.C., contemplates resigning from the Upper House before next election, and contesting a Duncdin seat for tho Lower Ilouse in the Labour interests. It is further said jlmt Mr. J. A. M'Cullough will be a Labour candidate for one of the Christchurch seats/' , Mr. Andrew Hamilton (vice-president) is the only nominee for the presidency of the Wellington Bowling Club, and will Le elected to that office unopposed. Mr. Andrew Wylie is the sole nominee for vicepresident. Messrs. F. W. Haybittle, L. Lodger, D. M'Lean, E. Moult, jf. Kussell, D. F. Skinner, W. J. Thompson, and A. Veitch have been nominated as directors of tho club. Messrs. AV. Brunskill, W. Kerry, W. T. Grundy, B. H. Price, and C. Smith, retiring directors, offer themselves for re-election. Captain Hales, wharfinger for the Union Steam Ship Company at Qreymoiith, returned from a trip to Australia by the Maitai yesterday. Mr. E. V. Hall, of the sub-editorial staff of Tun Dominion", Iras boom appointed chief reporter of the "Ne»-Zealand Herald," vice Mr. J. Y. Birch, who has been appointed press agent to Mr. Goo. Willoughby, the weli-known actor-manager. Air, Hall will take up his new duties about tho middle of next month. Mr. J. Youlin Birch, who has resigned the position of chief reporter of the "New Zealand Herald" in order to take up a theatrical appointment in Australia, was entertained at a complimentary farewell social by the members of the staffs of tho "Herald" and "Weekly News" at the Tiil'ci) rooms, , Auckland, on Saturday evening. Mr. \V. S. Douglas, editor of the "Herald," presided, and on behalf of the combined staffs presented Mr. Birch with a handsome gold chain and pendant as a memento of his long association with the "Jlorald" and a mark of the high esteem in which he is held by his late confreres. Mr. Birch, who is well known in Wellington, is joining (ho Willoughby Comedy Company as press agent. Air. Duncan Lawes, representative of the New Zealand Tourist Department in Adelaide, is on a visit to Wellington. Jlrs. Short left Feilding for Wellington by the noon train yesterday to join tho Corinthic, en route for the Argentine and England. A cablegram has been received from Buenos Ayres stating that Air. Short is laid up there with an attack of inflammation of tho kidneys. Lord Carrington, who presided on May 3 at the annual dinner of the Artists' General Benevolent Institution, held at itho Whitehall ltooms, Hotel Aletropole, London, told an amusing story. In proposing "Prosperity to . tho Artiste' Benevolent Fund," he said when he first went to New South Wales ho was entertained at dinner in the Sydney Town Hall. Having delivered himself of a speech lie thought he had done very well, and sat down rather pleased with himeelf. Exactly opposite him there was a very fat man, and when ho got up to speak this man looked at him with horror. Ho afterwards discovered that his predecessor, Sir Hercules Bobinson, never spoke under an hour. When he sat down the man opposite him gave a great grunt of relief, filled his glass to the brim, emptied it to tho dregs, and said, in a voice loud enough to be heard all over the room—the Town Hall at Sydney— "Thank the Lord, he can't speak." (Laughter.) Two Sisters'of Mercy arrived from Sydney by the Maitai yesterday afternoon. The senior Christian Endeavour Society of St. James's Presbyterian Church, Wellington South, held a social meeting Jast evening, and presented a. handsome travelling bag, suitably inscribed, to Mr. Robert Millar, who has been for several years an energetic officer of the society, and who is returning to tho Taihapo district. Tim Roy. W. Shirer and Mr. .1' Patterson, president, spoke in appreciation of Mr. Millar's services.

Tho Eov. S. Lawry (Papanni, Christchurcli) and the Kev. J. N. Buttle (Woolston, Christchurcb) returned by tho Maitai from Sydney yesterday, after attending the Methodist General Conforence in Adelaide.