PERSONAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 149, 13 March 1918, Page 4

PERSONAL ITEMS

Tlio Hon. J. G. W. Aitken, Moderator of the Presbyterian Assembly, has gone on an official visit to the 'Presbyterian churches on the West Coast of the South Island. He left last night by the Mararoa, and will be' absent for a fortnight.

Reports from Auckland . state that Mr. William Pryor, secretary of the N.Z. Employers' Federation, who was recently operated upon for appendicitis, is making a slo\y lmt steady recovery.

Mr. Guy C. Williams, who has been rendering useful service on a military service hoard, lias found it necessary to resign from ihe Claims Board of the Wairarapa Patriotic Association. His place is being filled by Mr. A. M'Donald. • !

Mr. H. A. Beauchamp, general manager of Kodak, Australasia, Ltd., recently roturned from a visit to Australia.

Mr. H. J. Jenkins, of the Napier railway workshops, retired on superannuation on Saturday, after thirty-four years' service under the Department, five of which have been spent in Napier. He was met bv the staff and presented with a travelling bag as a token of esteem and good-will from his old comrades. Mr. W. J.. Johnston, foreman, made the presentation. Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins intend to reside at AVainui-o-mata.

Mr. J. Reid, president of the Trades Council, lias gono to Auckland on conciliation business, and will be away about a week.

Mr. F. H. Brittain, who has been Inspector of Stock in the Marlborough district for the past nine years, has received notice of his transfer to Auckland, where he will go in about threo weeks' time.

The funeral of Mr. Abraham Levy, of Rona Bay, took place yesterday morning. The Rev, H. van Staveren presided at the graveside at Karori.

The Wairarapa Patriotic Association has beon advised that Mr. Stanloy V. Pnrsonson, the association's representative at tlio Wairarapa Hut in France, is returning to New Zealand invalided.

Captain George Lambert, of Wellington, received word last night that his son, Rifleman W. A. Lambert, of the Twenty-first Reinforcements, had been severely '"gassed" and was an inmato of a hospital in France. According to his last letters, Rifleman Lambert was ono of the sharpshooters for his battalion.

The news that Mr. Charles Eriekson, the'draughts champion of the Wellington Working Men's Club, and also of tho Wellington Watersiders' Club, died in Christchurch on Friday last was received with very great regret in local draughts circles. Mr. .Eriekson, who left Wellington five months ago to take up temporary employment in the South Island, strained his heart while engaged in harvesting, and died of syncope shortly afterwards. He joined the Wellington Working If en's Club in 1911, winning tho club's draughts championship the same year in a "twolife knock-out" tourney. His record in the club's tourneys is as follows: — 1912: 32} points out of n possible 36; 1913: 50\ points out of a possiblo 60; 1914: 44 points out of 52; 1917: 52 points out of a possible SG. On each of these occasions ho was tlie top scorer. The 1917 performance was' a particularly line one, viz., CO wins 2 losses and 4 draws. Ho also put up some good reoords in the Watersiders' Draughts Club, his best being in last year's championship contest,- which ho won with the fine tally of 78 wins 3 losses and 9 draws. Mr. Eriekson also took part in several matches between our two local clubs, and never once lost a game in these fixtures, Ho also represented his club with credit at the New Zoaland championship tourneys held in Wellington, Auckland, and Gore. His fine play in the la&t of these congresses (at Invercargill in 1915) approximated very closely to the Australasian standard. Mr. Eriekson, who was a native of Sweden and nbout 40 years of age, was very popular with his comrades. The flag at the Working Men's Club was flown at half-mast out of respect to his memory.

Mr. Henry Parate (son of the late Hon. Tame Parata, M.L.C., Mid brothor of the late Mr. C. R. Parata, M.P.), who was nominated as the National Government candidate for the recent by-election for the Southern Maori electorate, left Wellington for the south last evening.