PERSONAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1184, 20 July 1911, Page 4

PERSONAL ITEMS.

The following had the honour of being invited to dinner'at Government Houso yesterday:—General', aiul Mrs. Godley, the Bishop of Wellington and Mrs. Sprott, Sir George, Lady, and Miss Clifford, Major, and Mrs. Hughes, Colonel and Mrs. Collins, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Clifford, Mr. G. I'. Donnelly, the Hon. J. D. Ormond, Dr. Izard, Mrs. Grace. Mr. and Miss Ilarcourt, Miss Richmond, Mr. and Mrs. L. 0. Tripp, tho Hon. E. Mitchelsou, Mr. and Mrs. Lan Duncan, Mr. Tolhurst. Mr. Boyle, Mr. and Mrs. Fisher, and Mr. and Mrs. Brandon. All the members of tho Cabinet will be in Wellington to-day except the Hon. It. M'Kenzie, who leaves Christchurch for Wellington to-day. Tho Hon. JI M'Gowan, M.L.C., will act as the representative of the Mihistry- in tho Legislative Council until tho return of Sir John Findlay. Tho death occurred last evening at the residence of his son, Mr. J. W. l'oynton, tho Terrace, of Mr. Joseph l'oynton, agea 77 years. The late Mr. l'oynton was Irorn in Ireland, in tho month of April, 1834. In tho year 1851 ho came out to Victoria, where ho helped to open some of the. early diggings. Ho came to Otago in 1863, and later on ho journeyed overland to tho West Coast diggings. For the last 20 years Mr. l'oynton was farming at Auckland. Ho leaves two • sons, Mr. J. W. l'oynton, Secretary to the Treasury, and Mr. F. Poynton, farmer, at Auckland, and a daughter, Mrs. Ilecnan, of Wellington. Mr. T. IC. Side}-, M.P., is a visitor to Wellington. Mr. J. Thornton, Principal of tho Te Auto Xulivo College (iluwkc'i Bay), returned from ii' t'rip to Australia by the Moeraki yesterday. Mr. J. Mitchell, of I.aery and Co., was a passenger by the same steamer.

Mr. Vigor Brown, M.l'., of Napier, returned from a trip to Australia yesterday,

Mr. J. W. Keadc writes to explain that his authority for asking that no further subscriptions should be sent, for the llepple I'untl was Mrs. Hopple herself. Jlr. lleade states that he calculated that the amount contributed, JIISOO, with interest added, would give Mrs. Hepplo i:3 per week for 15 years; that ho discussed the matter with Mrs. Hepplo and she agreed with him to the course he should take. Mr. Reade has worked very hard to assist to raise the fund and no one, we arc sure, will lie likely to begrudge him all the credit he deserves. A committee had been appointed, however, in connection with the fund and the feeling appears to be 'that this committee should have been consulted by Jlr. lleade before he, in his capacity of lion, secretary to the Hopple fund, took it. 011 himself to declare the fund closed. Jlr. and -Mrs. I'. Hatton-Jlillnr returned by tho Jloerald yesterday from a visit to Melbourne. Jlr. \V. T. Jewell, for nineteen years connccled willi the "Jlanawatn Kvening Standard," is severing his connection with journalism in I'almerston North. lie has been presented by tho members of the Horough Council (whose meetings he has reported during the whole of the period mentioned) with a pair of solid silver candlesticks. Jlr. Jewell is going on the land. The North Canterbury Education Beard yesterday appointed Jlr. S. C. Owen. JI.A., headmaster of liast Christehurch School, (0 the position of inspector of schools for the. North Canterbury district, rendered vacant through the retirement of Jlr. T. Hughes. There wero thirteen applicants ior tli§ po&Ltion.—li'MS Association,

Mr. Eugeno Ossipolf, the Russian baritone, who has boon fulfilling a special 'engagement at Now Plymouth, intends to leave for San I'rnndsto by the Aorangi, which leaves Wellington on Wednesday next. ]]is accompanist, Miss Reno Lees, returns to Sydney either to-morrow or on Friday next.

• Owing to the illness of Mr. Ilarrv Lyons, probably the oldest theatrical advance agent still in harness in this part' of the world, Mr. George Buller arrived from Sydney by the Mocraki yesterday to pilot "Nicola," tho magician, through New Zealand. -"Nicola," who comes to Now Zealand under tho management of Messrs. J. and N. 'fait, is at present touring the North Island, lie will commence a season in Wellington on August 7.

Mr. W. Pryor (secretary of the New Zealand Employers' Association) is now at lnvercargill .where he will alt-end the annual meeting of the Southland Employers' Association. Thence ho will proceed to Diinedin, on Federation business, returning to Wellington on July 24.

The remains of tho late Mrs. Florence Murray, wife of Mr. S. 1?. Murray (of Messrs. Ncilson, Murray, and Frederic), Revans Street, Wellington, were brought to Wellington yesterday from Sydney. Mrs. Murray succumbed to an illness on July 13 during a visit to Sydney. Deceased was the fifth daughter of Mr. 11. Marsden, late of Piatt Bros., Oldham, England, and she arrived in Wellington in 1873. She leaves seven daughters and three sons. Deceased's husband has been in. the engineering business for many years in Wellington. Mrs. Hannah, of Bonleott Street, and the Misses Hannah (2) returned from a threo months' visit to Sydney yesterday. Mr. G. Laurenson, M.P., arrives in Wellington by the Mararoa from I.yttelton this morning,