PERSONAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 266, 30 July 1918, Page 4

PERSONAL ITEMS

The Hon. G. W. Russell will return to Wellington from the '6outli on Thursday morning. He intends to leavo again for Hamilton on Saturday. Tho Hon. D. H. Guthrie is going to Pcatherston to-day on Departmental business. He will return to Wellington this evoning. . .

The Acting-Prime Minister has rcceiv-. Ed advice that the New Zealand editors going to England us guests of jlinistry of Information have arrived in tho United Kingdom "all well." Mr. W. A. Barton, the retiring Stipendiary Magistrate of Gisborne, is at present on a visit to AVellington. Advice has !>een received of the award of tho Distinguished Conduct Medal to Sergeant 11. C.. Fraser, formerly of the clerical stall' of Messrs. Williams and Kettle, at Gisborne. Sergeant Fraser is the son of Mr. William Fraser, of Ormond Road, Gisborne, and left New Zealand in February, 1915, as a lancecorporal in tho 3rd Battalion Lord Liverpool's Own. Ho was wounded in March last, and, subsequently, information was received to tho effect tliiit ho was returning to the firing-line. Particulars as to the deed which won for him the coveted decoration aro not yet available.

A military funeral was yesterday accorded tho remains of Sergeant William Brooks, of who had been stationed at Awapuni Camp almost from the beginning of the war, our Masterton correspondent telegraphs.

Mr. 11. ff. Bishop, for many years senior Magistrate at Christchurch, was bado farewell yesterday on the occasion of his retirement, and presented l)y tho Bar with a piece of plate (states a Press Association message). Complimentary sp:oches were m..do by Mr. Raymond, Crown Prosecutor, Superintendent Dwyer, and the liev. F. Rule, to winch Mr." Bishop replied. Mr. Thomas Gardner, who went to Masterton '13 years ago. died yesterday morning at tho age of 86 years (our coirespondent. telegraphs), t.lo leaves a grown-up family of soils and (laughters and many grandchildren. Private Reg. M'Kinnon, who was tho only surviving son of Mr. and Mrs. P. M'Jvinnon, of Dublin Street, Wangaiim, died yesterday at ilis home, death being iluo to wounds received in Franco m April of last year. Private M'Kinnon left theso shores with the Fifth Rein- ! forewent, with his elder brother Alec, who died in Egypt. Reg. participated in the Su.vlu Bay landing, through which he passed unscathed. After the evacuation of Gallipoli Private M'Kinnon went to France, where ho was wounded. Atter a loir* and painful illness in England Private M'Kinnon was invalided home, arriving in Now Zealand by tho last hospital shin. Tho death has occurred in Napier at the age of 76 of Mr. Charles Dobel. The late Mr. Dobel was born in Jersey, Channel Islands, in tho year 1841, and arrived in New Zealand in 1858. He saw service in the Now Zealand military forces in tho Maori War. and took part in tho battle of Omarunm.

Artists and their friends will be interested to learn that Mr. Nugent Welch, a member of the New Zealand Academvof Fine Arts, an art instructor at the Wellington Technical School, and a constant exhibitor at local art shows, is faring well in the war zone in France. Following upon the decision of the Government that some historical war pictures should be painted descriptive of New Zealand's part, in fhe conflict, Private Welch lias been taken from the ranks in the front lino and been made "New Zealand Divisional Artist,-" a sort of honorary titl% ranking with the "Director of DiVisional Entertainments," etc.. many of which have been created for the first timo in the history of wars. Mr. Welch was, when he lust wrote, quartered in a film old French chateau some distance behind the line, and was at work on two largo canvases representing the battlefields New Zealanders wot of. '