PERSONAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3063, 26 April 1917, Page 4

PERSONAL ITEMS

Mr. Justice Stringer will leave' Auckland for Dunedin to-day ; the Auckland sittings of the Arbitration Court having boen brought to a conclusion on Monday.

Dr. Verdon, Roman Catholic Bishop of Dunbdin, arrived at Auckland from the South on Monday night. He wn3 to leave for Rotorua on a health-ro-crniting trip on Tuesday. A very pleasing little ceremony toolc place on Tuesday morning 'at Government House, Auckland, when Lieut.Dick Turing Bruce, R.N.R., was presented with the Imperial Royal Naval Reserve lone service decoration by His Excellenoy the Governor. A Press Association cablegram from London states that Mr. Bonar -law's second son, who is a lieutenant in the Scottish Borderers, is wounded and missing in Palestine.

The following reference to the retire--ment of Sir Walter Buchanan is contained in the annual report of the Wellington Education Board issued at the meeting yesterday:—"The decision of Sir Walter C. Buchanan not to seek reelection, which terminated a period of educational service of over 34 years as a board member, was received with traversal feelings and expressions cf .regret. It was generally recognised that, while he brought to the consideration. .of every question a ripe and impartial judgment, it was to the improvement of the educational opportunities of the back-country settler's child .that his most earnest, his most; persistent efforts were directed. The board planed on record its warm appreciation of the educational services of Sir .Walter Buchanan. The Rev. Father Reilly has arrived iii Auckland from Sydney. It is understopd that'he will.be stationed at the Sacred Heart College. Mr. Harold Carr, late of the Em-< press Theatre, has been appointed manager ,'of the Queen's Theatre in Cuba! Street. ■.. ■.-.-„.. .■ . . . Mr. p; Hehenton, who has been ail j.organising-.secretary- for the Farmers' Union for sis years, and who also organised the Wairarapa, Patriotic Association, has been successful, after several efforts, in'passing the military; medical test, and will be going into camp, nest month.. Opportunity was taken at the annual meeting of each, centre.'of ttie Wairarapa-branch of the union, to bid him au revoir and good luck, also to welcome Mr. A. L. Morgan, a Teturned Anzac, who is to be the acting-secretary. ■ In speaking at the Martinborough meoting of Mr. Hebenton's services to the Wairarapa, Sir Walter Buchanan said he "knew the farmers of the Wairarapa were with, him in wishing Mr. Hebenton the best of good lucfc*t the .front. They could 3l spare their secretary, .who was one of the most useful-men in the Wairarapa. They all knew his work with the Wairarapa Patriotic Society. Ever since the war started he had been doing his best for the boys at the front. In his many duties he had been courteous, earnest, and capable. They hoped to see him back again amongst them, and he would be most heartily welcomed." ° . ■ . ■. j. ■ ■

Mr. Hugh Burhside, one of. the last of the Crimean veterans, died on Saturday night laet, says the - Christohurch "Press." Mr. Burnside served throughout the Crimean campaign in the 6th Brigade of Royal Artillery under General Pennefather, his battery commander being Major Travers._ After the war the brigade- was stationed at Malta for. five years. Sergeant Burnside was a- gunnery instructor. Oα his Teturn' to England he was chosen to test Armstrong's new rifled gun against a rival make, the- targets being plates from"'the Black Prince and the Warrior, two of, the earliest ironclads. For hie. handling of the guns he received great praise. In 1873 he went to Lyttelton, and for forty-four years he has been a well-known figure at the railway sheds, where' he was highly esteemed by all who knew him. He commenced in_ 1873 as a railwayman, but soon resigned to set up as a Custom House agent. He married in 1866, and Mrs. Bumside's death in 1900 was a shock from wßich at first it was thought he would not recover. Seven of liis sons and grandsons are at the front. ' . . • ■

The school committees in the South Wairarapa district' have taken steps to recognise the services rendered to education by Sir Walter Buchanan, for very many years a member of the ■Wellington Education Board. They have obtained a large framed portrait of Sir Walter and a number of smaller portraits, and they have applied , to the Education Board for permission to bang the larger picture in the hoard room, and to hang one of the sniall pictures in every school committee tcoiii in the South W.iirarapa district. This implication came before the Education Board at its meeting yesterday. On the motion of the chairman it was decided to forward a letter, granting permission, and expressing the appreciation of the board of the steps taken by the South Wairarapa committees to recognise the services of Sir Walter Buchanan to tho cause of education.