PERSONAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2963, 29 December 1916, Page 1

PERSONAL ITEMS

The Hon. I)r. M'Nab leaves to-day for Hastings, and will attend the ceremonies there for the presentation of kits to men eoinE into camp with the next draft. Dr. M'Nab intends to visit Lake Taupo before he returns to. Wellington.

Mr. H. E. Solomon, who has been a master at Scots College, left by the Manuka yesterday for Australia, where he is to take up a commission in the A.1.1?.

Second Lieutenant V. Stacker, who has been awarded the Military Cross, is a son of the Von. Archdeacon Stacker, of Christ-church. Lieutenant Stacker was born in Invercargill, and received a primary education at the Middle School. At the time of his enlistment with the Main Body, in August, 1914, he was farming at Gishorne. He served with the artillery through • the Gallipoli campaign and received his commission on; the field. At the conclusion of the Peninsula campaign he passed on to France, where this latest •honour has be-en conferred upon him. He is about tliirty years of age.

Amongst these ta' whom military decorations_ were presented on December 16 by His Excellency the Governor of Queensland was Chaplain Lt.-Col. D. J. Garland. r Whea pinning the medal on the recipient's breast His Excellency took tho opportunity of congratulating him on his valued servico to the Empire since the outbreak of war. His work in the recruiting movement was specially noted hy His Excellency, who said that Canop Gurland Lad been tho means'of scouring many recruits for tlio A.l.]?.

■ Sergeant Michael Murphy,- who for some time has been sergeant in charge of the Wellington South police, and who is very well known in the city, has been promoted to tho position of sergeant in charge of the Wellington water pohco. •

Ono of the most popular members of the head office 'staff of tho A.M.P: Society, in the parson of Mr. Frank Seed, died at Sydney last week, at the'age of 61 years. . In his early life Mr. Seed, who was a New Zealander, was in the service of the Bank of New Zealand, and became a branch manager before migrating to Australia.

Captain .Frederick Courtney Scions, the explorer and big game hunter, now serving in the English army, has been given tho Distinguished Service. Oixicr for "conspiouous gallantry, resource, and endurance." Ho is a, member of the Royal. Fusiliers.', The battalion with which Captain Selous is associated is'composed of men who have seen service on tho frontiers of the Empire, and. lie- was largely instrumental in their recruitment. •

"Mr. J. H. Carrad, formerly of.-the Magistrate's Court staff at ■Wellington, and lately at Oamaru, is to.be transferred to In vcrcargill. •

Mr.: Alexander Murdoch, formerly of the Sydney detsctivo force, died suddenly. last. week. He went to Sydney from. Scotland in 1881, and during his career had some, .experience with dangerous criminals, and was shot-at five times. He assisted at the arrest cf the Auburn murdeiersj Grand and Jones, and was one of the detectives chosen to escort the present King during his visit to Australia. Mr. Murdoch had narrow escapes through being blown up. in a gas , explosion and through boing bitten, by a snako, tihdl in 1911 was so seriously injured in a bicycle accident in the' city that he had to retire from the force. He was 55 years of .age.

Mr. "Archie" Dalgleish, one of the best-known ea.-ly settlers in North Otago, died last week. 'In the early days Mr. Dalgleish was a champion .ploughman and Tedoubtablo draughts player, though it was as an : atlflete that- the generality of his compeers will remember hbn. ■ lie also took » keen interest, in coursing. He leaves a widow, two-sons, nnd two daughters.

Tho following account of an accident at the front :n .France to Professor David was written by ono of his * cliai>lain friends on service:—"l cannot close ,-witliout ii word regarding Professor T. V/.' Edgewortli David. Our grand jold, man lias been injured, as perhaps you are aware, and is now in 'blighty' getting well again. Tho windless of a. well gave way and lot him down 60ft. The wonder is he is alivo. The doctor bound him up down the well, and strapped liim in a bucket,\ and theu ho was hoisted up. But lie made them stop winding so,that.ho could take somo notes of the geological formations. To uso his own words,_ he went down so quickly ho had 110 time to'tako any notes, and therefore had to do it on tho way up. This is .characteristic of the man. Ho /is a . wonder at his agej with the strength of a giant and tho spirit of a lion."

Mr. A. E. Tnckwell, postmaster at Hamua, is sponding his annual holiday in Wellington and the Hutt district.