PERSONAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 165, 2 April 1918, Page 4

PERSONAL ITEMS

Word has been received that FlightLioutenant George Scott Murray, of .tho Tasman district, who was awarded the Military Cross for services rendered during the East African campaign, has been promoted captain. Captain I Murray received bis decoration at tho hands of the King, and on latest adI vice was leaving England for France. Letters have been received from Lieutenant Max Juriss, of Wellington, a prisoner of war in Germany, assuring his relatives here of/his well-being. His last letter stated that he was still receiving his parcels regularly, and had received a letter from" BrigadierGeneral Richardson. Mr. C. W. Batten, vice-president of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association, and Mr. Douglas Seymour, general secretary, have gone to Auckland to attend a special meeting of tho Auckland Returned Soldiers' Association. Tho death of Mr. Joseph Hyde-Par-ker, at the age of 84, occurred at the Awapuni Old People's Home last week. Tho late Mr. Hyde-Parker was a professor of music, and arrived at Wellington in the early 'sixties, and followed his profession hero for many_ years. He was then for a short period in Wangamii and went to Palmerston North in the middle 'eighties. He followed his profession in that town till compelled by deafness to give it up. The death ocourred on Friday morning of Mr. D. Stewart, Inspector, of Schools in the Wanganui education district. Mr. Stewart was a native of Dunedin. He received his training for tho teaching profession ,'at Dunedin Normal Training College, and his first appointment was headmaster of the Loburn School, where he was for six and a half years. He then became first assistant at Oamaru for two years, followed by a Term of three years as headmaster i.t Duntroon. He was finally appointed headmaster at tho model school in connection with the Dunedin Training College, and held ihe position for five years.. In 1911 Mr. Stewart was appointed assistant inspector and organiser of school work in the Wanganui Education Board district, a position he held until two years p-go, when the inspectors were placed under I the control of the Central Department. Ho was but 43 years of age. He leaves a widow and seven children. Mr. Jenseu, Danish Vice-Consul atj Melbourne, is at present in Wellington. Mr. H. 0. Brown will accompany Sir Joseph Ward to England in the capacity of private secretary. Members of the staff of the stampprinting branch of tho Government Printing Office assembled on Thursday last to extend to Mr. S. M'lver their best wishes on his retirement from tho Public Service. Mr. M'lver, who had been an apprentice in tho printing and stationery department, had a record of twenty-one years' _ service, tho last ten years being spent in the stamp printing branch. A presentation, to mark the esteem and goodwill of.tho staff, was made by tho overseer, Mr. John Burns. Mr. Burns spoke of the loss sustained by the Department in the retirement of such a valued officer, and expressed the opinion that if Mr. M'lver evinced the same thoroughness, zeal, and devotion in his new duties as he had exhibited in the service of tho State, then ho could look with confidence to his future success. Tho death is announced from Auckland (per Press Association) of Mr. William Richardson, a familiar figure in that city. The deceased, who was a native of New South AVales and over 70 years of age, had long been identified with the Temperance movement. Ho was a forcible, fluent speaker, and a facile writer, and by his death the Prohibition party, has lost one of its ablest advocatos. For many years past Mr. Richardson conducted tho Auckland "Free Press," which was mainly devoted to the furtherance of the Temperance cause. On several occasions ho was an unsuccessful candidate for Parliamentary honours. Many years ago he figured as defendant in an action for libel brought by a leading Auckland hotelkeeper. Tho case, which excited an immense amount of local interest, was heard before tho late Mr. Justice Conolly, and was decided in his favour. A fow months ago Mr. Richardson underwent a serious operation. He has left a widow and a family.