PERSONAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2625, 22 November 1915, Page 6

PERSONAL ITEMS

The' Prime Minister (Hon. W. F. Massey) returned 1 from a visit to Auckland yesterday.

The Defence Minister (Hon. James Allen) left for Auckland by last evening's express.

_ Sir Joseph Ward returned to Wellington; from the South Island by the Maori yesterday morning.

Lieut.-Colonel .11. W. Cumming, who has'been in "command Of the' 16th (Waikato) Regiment since its inception, has been appointed lieut.-colonel of the Twelfth Reinforcements. He will shortly.proceed to-Trentham.

Dr. Linderman, accompanied by his wife and daughter, were passengers from Melbourne by the Wimmera, which arrived last evening.

Rev. J. R:\Burgin. formerly curate at St. Mary's Cathedral, Parnell, and late vicar of-St. Stephen's, Ashburton, has been appointed chaplain to the 3rd and 4th Battalions of tho New Zealand Rifle Brigade.

Sir Joseph Ward stated in Christchurch. on ; Saturday that some misunderstanding might be caused by a Association message from Dunedin> • indicating that Mr. Massey and lie would leave Auckland by the Niagara on Decembei\ 28 for the London Conference. Sir Joseph said that the pencillings of berths on the Niagara had been made for that date, but that did not imply that the date of departure had been fixed. The pencillings were made in case it was on December 28, but the time of departure had not' been fixed. As a matter of fact, it was more than likely that December 28 would not be tho date.

Mr. W. E. Mooto, solicitor, of Auckland, has left for Sydney, en route for England, where he intends to enlist for active service.

Mr. James Webster, father of Mr. A. P. Webster (who recently left Wellington. to become inspector of the Bank of Australasia for the Commonwealth), died at Oust, Canterbury, on Monday. The deceased was born in Forfarshire, Scotland, in 1834, and arrived in Lyttolton in the Cameo in 1859. For sixteen years he was forester on the estate of the late Mt. J. Deans, Riccarton. He settled in the Oust district in 1876, and resided there until his death. He leaves a widow, four sons, and three daughters. Included in tho family axe Miss Bessie Webster, who for years has been engaged in missionary work in China.

Dr. Bom an leaves Napier early in January for the front.

Sergeant W. A. Mills (son of Mr. Tom L. Mills, editor of the Feilding "Star"), who has been twice wounded, has been pronounced permanently unfit for service, and ordered to return to New Zealand.

Mr. J. H. Hammond, manager of the Cambridge branch of tho Bank of New Zoalaml, has received notice of his tranefor to New Plymouth.