PERSONAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 47, 19 November 1917, Page 4

PERSONAL ITEMS

The Eight Hon. W. P. Massey is expected back from the north to-morrow.

Sir James Allen returned from his ,visit to the Auckland province on Saturday.

_Mr. William Watson, one of the directors of the Bank of Now Zealand, is at present in a private hospital. Mr. Watson underwent an operation on Friday, and yesterday evening was reported to bo making favourable progress.

Tho Dunedin correspondent of the Christchurch "Star" 6tates that Dr. Jeflry, of Nelson, will act as medical superintendent at Seacliff during Dr. Trnby King's absence from the Uominion.

Messrs. A. Vamey and E. C. Brownoll, of the Y.M.C.A., returned to Wellington yesterday morning from the south.

Colonel Tracey arrived in Wellington by the Maori from Lyttelton yesterday morning.

Mr. H. Girdlestone, a. popular member of the Eastbourne Bowling Club, who is leaving for the battlefront with the next draft, was suitably entertained by his fellow-bowlers on Saturday evening.

Lieutenant Samuel Hanna, younger son of Mr. A. Hanna, solioitor, has arrived in Auckland on furlough, and will remain there for a few weeks. Lieutenant Hanna, who left Auckland for England in March, 1915, and enlisted in the Royal Army Air Service, served for some tinio in Rumania, the Caucasus, and other portions of the-eastern theatre of war. 'Subsequently he went to Russia with the armoured motor-car portion of the Royal Naval Air Corps. Lieutenant Hanna, who was recently awarded the Distinguished Service' Cross, came to Now Zealand from Petrograd.

Rifleman Patrick Caesidy, who was reported by cablegram on November' 7 as having been missing since October 12, is a brother to Mr. M. J.- Cassidy, farmer, of Wanganui East, and until lately a resident of Hastings. Rifleman Cassidy was rosident in New Zealand only two vears previous to enlisting. He left last November with the Nineteenth Reinforcements, and was through Messines and other fighting. The last letter received from him was dated August- H, and ho was then in the trenches.

_ A family which lias a striking record in connection with the New Zoaland Expeditionary Force is that of Mrs. Ryan, of South Dunedin. Mrs. Ryan has soven sons, all of whom aro in khaki. Mrs. Ryan's sister, Mrs. O'Gorman, of Wellington, has five sons in khaki. Thus the two sisters musters no fower than twelve soldiers.

Second-Lieut. G. R. Park (awarded a bar to tho Military Cross) is a son of tho lato Robert Park, of Blenheim, in which town he was born.' He was educated at the Boys' High School, Christchurch. He was an excellent alhlete, winning the Junior Sports 'Cup in 1910, and was al6o a leading member of the football fiftoen. On leaving 6chool he entered the servico of the Bank of New South Wales, where he remained up to his enlistment in the Main Body as a gunner in tho Field Artillery. He saw servico on Gallipoli, whero he was wounded, and attained tho rank of sergeant. On being transferred to Franco, he obtained a commission for meritorious service, and was awarded tho Military Cross for saving two of his vounded men at Messinos. 11l tb'o last great battle in which the New Zealandorstook part, ho was again wounded, end has now been awarded a bar to his Military Cross. Lieut. Park took a keen interest in religious matters in Christchurch, being a member of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, and the treasurer, and an enthusiastic worker in tho Young Men's Bible Class.

Constable W. M'Lennan, of Kaikoura, has been appointed to succeed Sergeant Edwards at Rakaia.

A cable message received by. the Christchurch office of the Now Zealand Shipping Company announces that Captain Clifford, well known in the Dominion as captain of the company's fleet, died in England on November 10.

Members of the Christchurcli' bar assembled in the courthouse on Friday afternoon to bid farewell to Mr. Wyvern ■Wilson, S.M., who has been in tho Christchuitfh district for 6overal_ ninths as a relieving magistrate, and is about to proceed to the Auckland district. Mr. T. A. B. Bailey, S.M., who presided, apologised for the absence of Mr. Bishop,' S.M., and referred to tho good feeling which had existed during Mr. Wilsons term in tho district and to the' appreciation of Mr. Wilson's work. Messrs. M. Donnelly, Hunt, Cnssidy, and Hunter expressed 'Admiration of the planner in which Mr. Wilson had carried out his duties and wished him overy success in his new sphere of action.

The Rev. H. Clark, 8.A., chaplain to the Forces, who has won tho Military Cross, is well known in the Oamaru district, having been minister in charge of tho Waiareka Presbyterian Church for about three years. Mr. Clftrk, who is a Southland Iwy, received his education at the Southland Boys' High School and at Otago University, where he had a brilliant 'career. He studied for the ministry of tho New Zealand Presbyterian Church at Knox College, Dunedin, and graduated first in his year with firstclass honours, winning tho Ebenezer Bursary. Ho was immediately called to the Waiareka parish, where he laboured until the time of his leaving for the front with the Thirteenth Reinforcements.

Statisticians toll us that twenty-six million babies are born into the world each year; about seventy a minute, .or more than one overy second. Everywhere una alwavs move boys than girls are born into the world, the proportion atoly being 1040 malo infants to 1000 teniale. Tho record for the largest family, so far as England is concerned, would seem to bo held hv a certain Mrs. Jones, of Chester, who bore thirty-three children, thirty of whom were twins, inn liabiea arc not always born on the same day. A workman's wife at Barrow, in Lancashire on February 24 gavo birth, to a son. Six wcoks later a girl was born. These babies, said tho doctors, wore undoubtedly twins, notwithstanding the unusually long period intervening between the two births. Tho smallest baby ever born alive-in the British Isles was the male child of a Mr. and Mrs. Tracey, of ICingsbrictee. It lveipliod exactly ton ounces. Its head was no bigger than n horse-chestnut, the month would barely admit a while tho mother's weddine ring would slip easily up its arniß and thighs.