PERSONAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1699, 15 March 1913, Page 6

PERSONAL ITEMS.

' Vice-Regal. His Excellency tho Governor, the Earl of Liverpool, who is at present in Auckland, has no immediate engagements of public interest. Hd will open tho Grafton branch library in Mount Eden Hoad next Wednesday. On March 2G lio.will leave for Christchurch to inspect, military camps at Yaldhurst and Springfield, returning afterwards to Auckland, The Hon. W. J?.. Massoy (Prime Minis; ter) will leave Christchurch for Kciapoi to-day. The Hon. Hi H, lihodes is at Christchurch j the lion, W. Eraser at Gis- . borne; and th© Hon.'W.i.H.. Herries at ICawakawa (North Auckland),. The other Cabinet Ministers are in town.

The Prime Minister (the .Hon. W. P. Massey) attended a' complimentary banquet to tho Hon. R. H. lihodes at Lincoln 011 Thursday night, and went to Akaroa yesterday morning. To-day he will tour North Canterbury.—Press Association. '

The Hon. P. M., B. Fisher is still con:fined to his house, but is now almost restored to health. Ho will not leave for the south to-day as! ho had intended, but will take his departure instead oarly next week. On March 24 Mr. Fisher will take his departure by the Maungnnui for Australia, where he is to discuss i trade reciprocity proposals with, the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth, and attend a reciprocity conference at which Canada, Australia, and New Zealand will bo represented. Canada will be represented by tho Hon. G. E. Foster, who is now in New Zealand.

Mr. ,H. G. Archer, a son of Captain Archer, who has been transferred from the Auckland to the Calcutta branch of the South British Insurance Company, left Auckland'yesterday to take up his new duties,

' Tho Public Service Commissioners (Messrs. D. Robertson,. A. D. Thomson, ; and R. Trigfjs), arrived at Oamnru yesterday morning and- later went on to Timaru. To-day they will leave Timara for Christchurcn. Mr. W. C. Gasquoine, general manager of tho State Coal Department, will return next week from the West Coast, where ho is at present makuig an inspection of the State mines, Mr. Thomas Quinlivan and Mr. S. J. Guun, managers of tho State coal dejicts in Wellington and Dunedin respectively, will exchange positions at the end of tho present month. Mr. A. A. S. Danby, Government Immigration Officer, has retired from the Service, with three months' leave of absence. Thirty-one years-ago he joined tho Survey Office as a clerk, and in later years rose to the position of chief record clerk. During the time hoJield his late appointment he dealt with close on 30,000 immigrants. Mr. Danby voluntarily retired from the Service, although lie has not reached tho compulsory retiring ago.

Mr. C. E. Bridge, of the local staff of the A.M.P. Society, who has been in Greymouth on relieving duty for some weeks, liaa returned to town. '

Dr. Grimes, Roman Catholic Bishop of Christ'church, and Dr..Blanc, the newlyconseorated Bishop of Tonga, left Sydney on March 5 by the R.M.S. Medina. They are paying their ad limina visit to Rome. Bishop Grimes will also visit Malta, and take part in tho great Eucharistic Congress to be held there in April.

Professor Baldwin Spencer, of . Melljourne University, the well-known Australian scientist and 1 explorer, departed for Sydney last evening by the Manuka after a holiday visit to the South Island.

The Brisbane "Church Chronicle" refers regrotfully to the projected dopnrturo of Bishop Merccr, of Tasmania. "There can bo no doubt," it says, "that the whole Australian Church will bo distinctly tho poorer for tho loss of Dr. Mercer. For, apart from tho work ho has dono as l a diocesan bishop, ho was in two directions an asset of real value to tho Church as a whole. Ho disproved two widely-accepted but entirely false ideas, that tho religion of orthodox Christian creeds is not a possiblo religion for d nian of high intellectual attainments, and second that tho Church of England is tho Church of ono political party. Dr. Mercer is a standing refutation of those two heresies, and for this and for many other reasons his loss will bo severely felt in Australia."

Tho climatic conditions of New Zealand bo appeal to Sydney's Town Clerk (Mr. 1 T.' H.'Nesbitt) that ho has formed tho habit of making it his regular holiday resort. Ho is not a Now Zealandor, but ho has nevertheless bccomo very well known throughout tlio oountry. "It is the climate, you know," Mr. Nesbitt laughingly remarked, when telling an Auckland "Star" reporter on board tho Moldavia yestcrdaj; morning; that ho ia making his' eighth visit to Auckland, and his ninth visit to Now Zealand in succeeding years. Ho added that tho chango of climate so refreshed him that ho never had any desire to go elsewhere when holiday time camo round.—Press Association,