PERSONAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1292, 22 November 1911, Page 6

PERSONAL ITEMS.

Sir Joseph Ward arrived in Wellington from the south yesterday morning, and, alter a stay of about three hours, departed by the' Main Trunk express for Taumarunui. To-day he is to open a new bridgo at Tauniaruiini, and in the afternoon he is to turn the fust sod of the branch railway from To Homa to Whangamomona and Stratford. In the evening tho Prime Minister will deliver an address at Taumarnnui, and is to be entertained at a banquet, leaving immediately afterwards for Pukekobe. On Thursday morning he will lenvo Pukekobe for Patumahoe and Waiuku. At the latter place ho will speak on Thursday evening. Friday and Saturday tho Prime Minister will spend in the Auckland district. On Sunday he leaves Onehunga by the s.s. Rarawa for New Plymouth. " On Monday afternoon he will deliver a short address at Norminby, and will speali at Hawera in the evening. On Tuesday afternnoon ho is to foy the foundation-stone of tho new District High School at Stratford, and ho is also to speak at Inglewood. The Prime. Minister returns to Wellington probably on Wednesday next.

Sir James Carroll is at Gisborne, Sir John Fiudlav at Auckland, the Hon. D. Bnddo at Itanejora. tho Hon. I?. Ji'Kcnzie at Nelson, tho Hon. T. Mackenzie at Opunake. the Hon. J. A. Millar at T)nnedin, and tho Hon. A. T. Ngata at Port General Godley, Commandant of the New Zealand Forces, and Captain Thornton, Staff Officer, returned to Wellington by the Takapuna last evening.

The Eight Rev. John Carroll, D.D., Roman Catholic Bishop of Lismoro (N.S.W.), arrived in Auckland from Sydney on Monday by tho Mahono, on a short'holiday trip, lie intends to visit Rotorna.

Tho new commander on the Australian station (Vice-Admiral George Fowler King-Hall) is iii his sixty-first year. He is the son of tho late Admiral Sir Willia*u King-Hall, K.C.8., and was educated at North Grovo House, Southsea. Ho joined the' navy at the ago of 13, in December 1563, and became sub-lieutenant in March, 1870, lieutenant, April, 1873, commander, December, 1883. captain, December, 1801, rear-admiral, May, 1001, and vice-admiral on May 18, 1008. He was commander of the Mclita in ,tho Mediterranean, and received thn thanks of the French Government and a present of Sevres china for his assistance in getting the- French ironclad Seiguelay off when she grounded of; JnlVa, in April, 1891. As captain of tho Narcissus, he hoisted (ho British flag at Wei-Hai-Wci, ceded by China to England on May 24, 1898; wa.s chief of staff to Vicc-Admiral Sir John Fisher, March, 1900; assistant to the admiral comraanding coast guard and defences, October. 1902: was made a-Com-panion of tho Victoria Order, 1908; and filled the position of aide-de-camp to tho late King, (rom June, 1900, to July, 1909. Says a Press Association message from Blenheim:—An old colonist expired suddenlv on Monday evening in the person of Mr. David Girdwood, commission agent, aged sevenlv-nino years. He arrived in New Zealand in 1880, and established n business at Duucrtin. Subsequently ho bo-c-aino a leading importer at Groymouth, whenco ho came to Blenheim, over twenty years ogo.

Mr. H. Gladstone Hill, conductor of tho Berhamporo Baptist Choir, has been presented by the members of that lwdy with a silvcr-mountm! baton. In making the presentation, Mr. J. Osborno remarked ou the improvement which had been effected in the choir since Mr. Hill was appointed conductor.

Mr. Thomas Courtney, associate editor of tho "Sydney Daily Telegraph," has been selected by (he Commonwealth Government to represent Australia at tho Durbar festivities. For the past 20 venrs he has been on the editorial staff of the "Telegraph," and for twenty years of that, time ho has filled the position of associate editor.

A very old resident of Auckland, Mr. James Thomas Hendry, died on Sunday at. the uge of fi!) years. Mr. Hendry was born on tho ship Ann just outside Wollinglon Heads, and has lived in this country the whole of his life. Ho saw service, during tho Maori war. was at 0110 time a manager of the National Bank at. the Thames, also at Coromaudel, during tho early, days of the goldfield. later on he was interested in the shipping business. More recently Mr. Hendry lias carried on a successful business as a Khafebroker. For the last few months Mr. Hendry has shown signs of failing health, tho death of his wife and eldest son within the last two years ovidontly affecting him very much. Tho deceased leaves a grown-up family.

Dr. Guy Hasldns, formerly of Now Zealand, and a member of tho Dominion team for the Festival of Umpire Sports, was married iu Philadelphia nn September 2tf to' Miss Anna Morgan, daughter of Mrs. Lewis Thompson.

Mr. F. Royling, secretary of the Wellington Trades aud Labour Council, will act as an assessor in tho Conciliation Council lo sit at New Plymouth on Monday to inquire- into tho painters' dispute there. Mr. Peter Muir, secretary of the Wellington Tailors' Union, will act in a similar capacity in the tailors' dispute at New Plymouth on Friday.

Mr. li. Coker, lato of 1 the Hawera branch cf tho Bank of New South Wales, and formerly of New Plymouth, has been transferred to Wellington.

Mr. F. T. Moore, one of the members of the Wellington Hospital Board, who was recently bereaved of his brother (Mr. A. Moore), was accorded a vote of sympathy by his fellow members at yesterday's meeting of tho board.

Tho felicitations of the Wellington Hospital Board were yesterday extended to Messrs. W. Galloway, B. I!. Gardener. V. T. Moore, and W. Tompsitt, on their recent re-election as county councillors at the statutory olectiona.