PERSONAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 77, 24 December 1917, Page 4

PERSONAL ITEMS

Sir Joseph Ward (Minister <>f Finance) left for the south on Saturday night. He will be away from Wellington most of this week. Major Charles R. Mackesy, of Whangarei, returned to Now Zealand yesterday in charge of a. draft of returned men. Sir Georgo and Lady Clifford arrived in Wellington yesterday morning ty the Maori from Lyttelton.

Captain J. B. Rainey, Marino Superintendent of tho Commonwealth and Dominion Line, returned to Wellington from the south by the Maori yesterday.

News has just como through cable of tho promotion of Captain Geoffrey do B. Dovercux. He left New Zealand with the Second Reinforcement as first lieutenant, and served in Egypt, Gallipoli, and France, where lie won his Military Cross for bravery on th'j b ittlefield. Major Devereux is now in England at Sling Camp, where bo will bo on camp duties for five months.

In orders, the Camp Comamndant at Featherston regrets to • announce tlio death of No. 3/819 Sergeant L. Steenson. N.Z.M.C., who died at the Taibape Hospital on December 20 last.

Mr. H. W. Curchin, who has been lent by tho Imperial Government to the Commonwealth Government in connection with tho Australian shipbuilding scheme, has arrived in Sydney. Ho will control the whole of the projected shipbuilding programme, and has brought with him plans and specifications and other necessary data to begin active operations as soon as possible

Sapper C. Erie Fogelberg, aged t\t only-one, who has been awarded tho Military Medal for Gallantry in the liell or action, is a son of Mrs. E. Fogolberg, of Hataitai. Ho left, with fhe Ninth Reinforcements, im»l has been through all the New Zealand engagements in France'without keing ill or wounded. The Mayor 'if Masterton (Mr. J. M. Coradinc), who has been 111 indifferent health of late, has gone to the Auckland district for a few weeks in the liopo of recuperating. Captain Norman H, Prior, in a letter to a Masterton friend dated October 29, stated that he was an inmate of the Walton-on-Thames Hospital .suffering from muscular rheumati'im. '•

News lias been received that Mr. M. Lynskey, father of Mr. J. H. I.ynskey, of the Petone High School', died jesterday. Mr. Lynskey was an old and respected resident of Kaiapni, whero he had resided up to his death.

Mr. Herbert Gaby, for many years proprietor of a foundry and engineering works at Newtown, and formerly very actively associated with trie Wellington Hospital and Aid Board, celebrated his eighty-fourth birthday at Teignmouth (England) on October 24. On that occasion the Wellington Ironmasters' Association cr.bled its congratulations to tho old gMiliomnn. During tho past week Mr. H. F. Allen (secretary of the association) received an interesting letter acknowledging tho courtesy. "It is a great pleasure to feel that one is not forgotten by old friends/' writes Mr. Gaby. "I can hardly realise that it is nine years in May lost since I sailed in the lonic for Old England. When I was a lad I always said I should like to spend the evening of my life in Devonshire. . . . God his blessed me with a long life, for which I am vurv thankful. . . . The doctor says I am a wonderful man in health and stic-ngth for my age, nnrt may live many moro years. . . . Wo Vnve hnd very changeable weather during this past summer and rifdit through har-vest-time. Up in the north and in Scotland they have had snow_ and frosts whilst, the corn was waiting to bo cut. This terrible war coes nil, and apparently it will lie worse. The time of Jacob's trouble seems to be upon us." Mr. Gabv lias 'orwarded a photograph of himself to Mr. Allen, in which the sender presents t ! ie figure of a fine old man of patriarchal appearanco.

Mr, >T. Winter, of Tbovndon, hn? tin-in advfsed that Tils vounrrest. surviving: son, Trooper TT. .1. Winter, has lin-m slightly wounded" "for the first time after two years and three months of active service. Trooper Winter was op.lv seventeen in May last, and Ims liee'i throne!) all encasements with the First, Antral'"! LHit, Horse c-inee TVfnTier 3, ]315. His brother Leplie was killed in action a few week* ago. Miss Marie Tempest, the famous FiiigEsh comedy actress, with the members of the company assockited with her, nrired in Wellington on Saturday.