PERSONAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1056, 20 February 1911, Page 4

PERSONAL ITEMS.

»- : Sir. J. D. Henry, oil expert; is at present visiting Gisborne, investigating the oil-fields of thn district. Ho will remain till Wednesday^—Press Association. .. The Hon. D. Butldo is expected back in Wellington on Wednesday next. On the occasion of hia removal to 'Wellington to take up the important position of' chief telegraph engineer' for .the Dominion, Jlr. J. Orchistoit was' presented by the telegraph and telephone officers of tho Otago district with a very handsome solid silver tea and cofTee service.' Accompanying the presentation .was an illuminated .address expressing in suitable terms the esteem in which Jlr. Orchiston is hold by officers of that distrct; Tho address was appropriately enough framed with wood taken from a historic .totara telegraph pole. Officers of . .the Otago district will always remember Mr." Orchiston lis'a gentlenian with*whom it was a pleasure to have official relations. An old Auckland boy has just been honoured by the city, of Brisbane. . This is Mr. 11. J. Diddams", who has been elected to the Mayoral chair of the city for 1911. Mr.,Diddams was born at Auckland in 1864, anil was .educated at the Aucklahd Grammar School. In 18$3 he went across to Australia, and joined, tho well-known Melbourne house of Messrs'. M'Carron. Bird, and Co., arid, with thrf exception of one interval, he .remnined with ' tho firm till, in the year 1803, lie:was appointed to establish and manage' si branch of the business in Brisbane. While in Brisbane ho has been prominent in tho public eye of the city, having been an alderman since 1807, while lie has also been president of the Chamber of Manufactures. president of the Master-Printers' Association, and . renresentative of the Queensland manufacturers at (different inter-State conferences. So far lie lias not sought Parliamentary honours. Mrs. Diddams,' Ihs Mayoress, is a member of an old and well-known Victoria family, and a daughter of Mr. llobt. M'Co'li Hicks.—Press Association. - 'Mr. John Fuller,-sen., head of the firm of Fuller and Sons, is at present visiting Grcymouth. , Our Masterton correspondent states that Mr. J. E., Ewington has.''intimated his intentibn of becoming a candidate-for a seat on the Wellington Harbour Beard. Mr! J. M. Dunlop; who has resigned the commodoreship of tho Christchurch. Sailing and Power-Boat Club on account of leaving New Zealand for Sydney, was entertained by tho committee of the club on Wednesday night and presented with «■ ca<« of. nines.

Sir. C. J. Liggins, formerly general traffic manager for the Union Company, (lied on Saturday, aged 53 years. He joined the company's service' in 1877, and at various tipies was stationed at Lyttelton, Blenheim, and Westport. 1n'1899 he was appointed assistant traffic manager at the head office of tho company, and in July 1905, lie became traffic manager—rress Association. The Hon. Jas. Carroll, who has been in Gisborno for some weeks/is now spending a few days in the back-blocks of the Motu and 'l'nhora districts.—Press Association. Having secured an appointment in tho R.N.Z.A., Lieutenant H. A. Davis severed his connection with the National Bank (Wanganui branch) on Thursday last, proceeding under instructions to the camp at Tauherinikau. During Mr. Davis's term of- five years at the bank he made many friends. Ho always took a keen interest in defeflce matters, joining first the Alexandra Mounted Rifles, nurf later, after passing his examination, acted as lieutenant with the cadets. He also acted temporarily as secretary to tho Wanganui branch' of tho Navy League, and inter alia he arranged for Lieutenant Ivnox, R.N., to lecture at Wanganui during his. tour of tho Dominion. -