PERSONAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1851, 10 September 1913, Page 6

PERSONAL ITEMS.

9 Tho Rev. W. Douglas, M.A., of Christ-'-".urch, tho oldest activo Presbyterian minister in Now Zealand, is retirinir from active miniiitry. Mr. J, V, 0. J'iohards, sou of Mr. John Rifiimffs,. of Wellington, has beenaivard'/J tfo tvmttw'n gold medal for clinical stitxf.rj/ si Uvy's Hospital, London,

Ny ' Pi'yM, . gWiMfil nccrotary of tn'i Nfiw Zealand Kmpkiyerfi' Federati'm, returns from Auckland on Monday Jiext.-

Hf, dMtlv litis coourred of Mr. John Ilafriis,- at Palmerst&rt North. Decwisfirl wa 3 o iie of the earliest settlers of tlio Afskara district, Wellington, and one (a the oldest r/miv/Ws of tho Foresters I/Odgo in' this province.

• . T - V*- Oardarisr, Mayor of Lavin, v/ho Jm been ill fa/ several days, is now ftbc>nfc again, ffs is, however, far from WtiJL

The Wnj- friends of Mr. J, W. I>oynton, fc-M,, will tegret to hoar that his livo-year*old_ son has contracted pnournoma, and is seriously iff.

Mr Allan Boyd, a wry old Otago' identity, died at his residence at North -laieri on Thursday last, in },j 3 gnth J'ear.

At the_ Lyttslton Council Chamber last.ovening a presentation was made by tho citizens to Mr. F. R. Webb, who was for many years a member of tho iiorough Council, and who is Icavintr tho town. a Messrs J Colvin M.P., H. Atmoro, M.P., and R. M'Callum, M.P., wcro passengers from Nelson and Picton by tho Pateona last ovening.

• Sir J. Q. Ward will arrive from tho south by tho Wahino this morning.

The Hon. E. 0. J. Stevens and the Hon. J. CJ. Smith will arrive from the south by tho Wahino this morning.

Captain Stott, local Marino Superintendent for tho Union Company, who lias boon on a brief visit to Lyttelton, l roturned by tlio Wahino this morning. A meeting of Napier citizens has resolved to erect a monument to the Into Mr. G. H. Swan, for many years Mayor of Napier', and originator of tho schema for construction of tho Marino Parade, The movement was taken up onthusias-. tically.—Press Association.

Mr. J. J. Calvert, Clerk of Parliaments, Now South Wales, will in all probability retire at tho end of tho present year. ,! Ho will then have completed his sixty-second year in the Public Servico of Now South Wales, He has been actively connected with tho New South Wales Parliament since the introduction of responsible governmpnt.lt is expected that , his retirement will carry with it a pension kof £500 a year. As president of tho New . South Wales Rugby Union, Mr. Calvert has received every v Ncw Zealand amateur team that has visited Sydney, and is gratefully remembered by, all visiting athletes.

It is reported that Mr. C. Mackie, who.has occupied the position of manager and secretary of the Patea Farmers' Co-operative Freezing Works Company for tho past.three years, intends severing' his connection with the company, and will shortly enter into business on his own account. The death has occurred of Mr. Jack Windloburn, of Wanganui, of pneumonia. Deceased was well-known iu tho Feilding and Manawatu districts, and for many years carried on business in Feilding before removing to .Wanganui. Mr. T. E, Sedgwick, who initiated a scheme of boy emigration from Great Britain ;to New Zealand, has boon appointed by tho'Now South Wales Gov-' eminent to superintend a party of Eng-j lislt boys who lefW/ondon for Sydney oui July 29 last, and are now almost duo there. Mr.'Sedgwick intends to spend, two or three months in Australia, after which he will visit Now Zealand. ; Yesterday's arrivals at tho Royal Oak; inoluded Messrs. Arthur Matrin (Waiyarapa), W. J. Nnpior (Auckland), Jas. Hay (Christchurch), and R. H. Reaney^ Messrs. F. Radclyffe (Auckland), JV S. Hyslop (Hastings), Chas. B. Buxton (Auckland), J. M. Ross (Foxton), and M. Carey Wallace (Auckland) aro staying at the Empire Hotel. Included among tho guests who ar* •rived at tho Grand Hqtel yesterday, wore Mr. H. Derbyshire, of Buenos Ayres, and Mr. W, Peterson, of Auckland.

A return, asked for by Mr. G. W,. " Russell (Avon), which was tabled yesterday, showed the increased expenditure of tho Railway Department during tho year ended March 31 last, caused by the'increase of salaries and wages provided for in the Railways Amendment; Act, 1912. It stated that as' the pro--visions of tho Government Railways Amendment Act, 1912, did not come into operation until April 1, 1913, the increased expenditure due to tho increases; provided thorein for tho year ended March'3l, 1913, was nil. In January, 1912, tho return proceeded, an allowance was granted to members in receipt of a wage of loss than 9s. per day, to bring their pay up to that amount, and to givo a number of those in receipt of more than 9s. per day a relatively higher. remuneration; also to in- 1 crease the minimum pay of married members from £133 to £140 17s. per annum. Tho Government Railways Amendment Act, 1912, made these allowances' wliioh increased tho working 'expenses by £44,316 per annum, and to this extent the Act of 1912 might, bo said to have increased tho expenditure for the financial year 1912-1913.

A return tabled in the House of Re* presentatives yesterday, on the motion of Mr. G. Witty (Riccarton), shows that there wero 104 applications for tho position of Genoral Manager of tho New Zealand Railways. The applicants domiciled outside of New Zealand at the time of application wore as follow: United Kingdom 58, Canada 3, India 4, Australia 1, United States 9, Egypt 2, South Africa 2. From those at present employed by tho Railway Department there wero 25 applications. A petition was presented to the Houso'' of Representatives yoftcrday by the Hon. A. L. Hordman (Minister for i Justice), on behalf of Donald Kerr, of Wellington, formerly a stock inspector. Tho petition sot out that in June, 1898, ■ an inquiry was hold by tho Commissioners into certain charges made against the petitioner of alleged, neglect ' of duty and bad behaviour. On Juno 24, 1898, the petitioner was suspended, and afterwards.treated by the Department as having been dismissed. • The petitioner claimed that tho findings of the Commissioners were not to the effect that tlio charges were proved, and that the report did not recommend his ' dismissal. Ho therefore sought by. way of compensation £977 10s., being the amount of salary ho stated was duo to him from Juno 24, 1898, to October 30, 1902. Ho furthov asked that lie might bo heard through counsel before tho Committco of tlio Houso to whom tlio potition might be reforred.