PERSONAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2955, 19 December 1916, Page 4

PERSONAL ITEMS

The Hon. J. Allen will leave for Auckland to-night to present the Pruico of Wales's Cup and various other shooting prizes, won by th<v Auckland Grammar School. ''$3 is due back in Wellington on Saturday morning. Sir Ernest Shacklcton left for Dunedin by the ferry steamer last night. Ho will leave for the Antarctic with the Aurora from Port Chalmers to-mor-row. Sir Ernest Shackleton informed, a Dominion reporter that he expected to be absent at least three months in connection with the rescue of the Ross Sea section of his expedition. Brigadier-General Sir A. W. Robin, Commandant of the Forces, is at present in Auckland, for the purpose of mooting tho hospital ship Maheno. Ho is expected to return to Wellington on Thursday. The Hon. Gilbert Carson, M.L.C., and Mr. John Riga, of Wellington, Captain Miles, and Dr. Gormley, were among the passengers from Sydney by the Riyerlna last evening. A Press Association telegram from Auckland announces the death of Major Shepherd, formerly officer commanding the Auokland Military District, and recently Sorgeant-at-arms in the House of Representatives. The late Major Shepherd, who was aged 71 years, was born in. Auckland, and joined tho Army as an ensign in 1861. He served in the 109 th Regiment at Home and in India, and then exchanged to the Ist Battalion, from which he retired a major in ISB'3, and settled in New Zealand. He was commandant or adjutant of the Auckland militia, district from 1883 to 1890, aud lieutenant-col-onel in the New Zealand Militia'. Yesterday tho Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce passed resolutions of sympathy with Mr. * James Macintosh (chairman of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce) and Mr. George Winder (a member of tho council of the Wellington Central Chamber) both of whom are i;l. Mr. and Mrs. F. J. Nathan, of Palmerston North, returned from a visit to Australia by the Riverina ye6tcr day. Mr. Eugeno Ossipoff, the Russian baritone, who visited New Zealand about six or seven years ago, was a passenger from Sydney by the Riveriina yesterday. He is to sing hero on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Twenty New Zealand cadets from the Duntroon Military College arrived from Sydney by the Riverina ye/terday on Christmas holiday leave. Their names are:—Staff-Cadets Dyer, Allen, Butterfield, Chilton, Chapman, Davis, Gentry, Gillingham, Grenville, Leech, Hanson, Lambly, Kevell, Robertson, Steele, .Sugdon, Earle, Sutherland, Brooke, and Pleasants.

Among the' passengers to arrive by tho Riverina from Australia yesterday wore quite a group of clerics. These included Bishop Wedgewood (of the Old Catholic- Church), of England,.the Rev. H. Bourne, of Adelaide, who is to sen-© in the Anglican Church in Gisbonie; tho Rev. W. H. Wilson (Anglican), of St. Heliers, Auckland, who has just returned from a health visit t!o Tasmania; Canon Pattison, of the Parramatta School, Sydney; and Fathers W. J. Ormand and Wright (Roman Catholic).

Private advice was received in Wellington during the weekend that Lieut. Vivian Haughton, who left New Zealaud with the Fifth Reinforcements, had received a captaincy. While in the firing line in France, LieuE. Haugbton sustained a serious head wound, but at latest advices was progressing well. His many friends in Wellington will be to- hear of his achievement, and" wish him well in his future military career.

Captain Edmund Boulnois, of the West Yorkshire Regiment, the oldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Boulnois, of Aylesbury, is reported to have teen killed in action on October 23, 1916.

Mr. John Farrell will manage the tour of "Williamson's musical comedy, which commences a season here on Tuesday evening next. The company leaves Sydney on Thursday next.

Mr. Robert Coupland Harding, for many years a. member of the editorial staff of the "Evening Post," died at his residence in Hataitai on Saturday afternoon. /' Born in "Wellington in 1849, ho went with his parents to Wauganui in 1850. Mr. Harding was apprenticed to the printing trade. As a young man he joined the Napier Militia, and ho was on duty after-the Poverty Bay massacres under Colonel Whitmore. ' Mr. Harding eventually came to Wellington, and started business as a printer. Subsequently he entered the editorial department of the "Evening Post," and he retired from active work some sis or seven years ago. 'In private life he devoted himself to his books. These were Iris hobby, amounting almost to a passion, and he left a large, valuable, and in many respects a unique library. , Mr. Harding was an elder of the Presbyterian Church. He is survived by his widow, who is a daughter of the late Captain E. T. Blackmore, of Nelson; his sons, Messrs. V. C. and A. C. Harding, Kis daughters, Mrs. Muscker and Miss H. B. Harding, all in Wellington. The funeral took place at Karori yesterday afternoon.

In the Supreme Court yesterday, Mr. Justice Edwards made reference to the fact, that Mr. G. Clarke, Deputy-Regis-trar of the Court, was about io go into camp. His Honour thought that however useful Mr. Clarke might be as a soldier he could be mora useful, still in performing the responsible duties of his office. That office was difficult to fill, and although Mr. Clarke had enlisted voluntarily, lie should not be allowed to go. Ho was sure the other Judges took this view, and the Chief Justice had intimated his intention of pointing out to the Justice Department how ill Mr. Clarke couid be spared. Mr. C. P. Skerrett, EC, and Mr. M. Myers, who were appearing in Court at tho timo. referred to the great assistance Mr. Clarke had been to the legal profession, and said it would be difficult to fill his place satisfactorily.