PERSONAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 9, 5 October 1918, Page 6

PERSONAL ITEMS

. Sir James Allen, Minister of .Defence, visited the soldiers , hospital at Hanmer yesterday. Ho is expected to return to Wellington on Tuesday. The Hon. 1). 11. Guthrie; Minister of Lands, left for Feildjiif? 'yesterday morning. He will proceed to laranaki 011 Monday, and' will return to Wellington on Thursday evening.

The Minister of Justice (Hon. 1. M. Wilford) stated yesterday that the appointment of Mr.'-F. 11: Levin as a Stipendiary' Ma , gistr , ate..,had been '.approved by Cabinet. Mr. Levin is thirtyfive years of age, and'was educated nt 'Nelson College, Canterbury ..College, and Auckland University College. Ho holds tiie degrees of M.A. and hh.li. Ho was practising the profession oi law in Auckland at the outbreak 0) war, and he enlisted there, three years a®'" After faping discharged fronrthe X'Z'.E.F. on medical grounds,' he re, presented the JMence Department »*• sitt-iuirs of the O.tago J])litju;j; Service Bonrci. Mr. L.-iiv.w.iKii, representative footballer : '.iuii younger, days.; Mr. G. H, Scales will leave for Lytteltou by the Maori to-day.

Advice ims been received that' Sapper J B. Taylor, eldest son of Mrs. AV. A. Doughty," Spring Hill, Bulls, was killed in action on September..lß. - .-The late Supper Taylor left- ; Xew ■ Zealand with the ■.Nineteenth Koinl'oro.'emenls, ami had beenon active 1 service nearly two years.

.The staff- oF Messrs.-A,-'H. Hislop; Limited, met oil Thursday, evening to. irako presentations, on.tho eve oi.their going into camp, to their Christcluirch manager, Jlr. ■ Peter Kennedy, and Mr. E H. Cunliffe, at the AVelliugtoii office ■ The stuffs-\ of the Wellington, Auckland, and Christcluirch houses _bi the company combined, and tho chairman, of directors'(Mr.. A. R. Hislop)., in- making the presentations on their behalf, expressed the hope that the recipients would both soon return fit and well to take up their'positions again, which he. said it had been,'decided-to keep open for them ■ further, the company had arranged to make up the salaries of employees on active servicv so that they should not suffer nanciallj on account of doing their duty to: King and Empire. .... . .

■ Mr. I. Salek has been hdvised that his son, Trooper Louis Salek, who enlisted in Melbourne, and who has of late been confined to the. Port..Rmd Hospital, was to have arrived at Sydney yesterday. Trooper Salek is a "Main Body. man. •-''■.■ ■ •■ ■ The remains, of- Lzekiel Kemp Read were interred at the Kaiori Cemetery'on Thursday. The Rev. J. H. Whitc>ofnciated at the graveside. Wreaths were sent from. the .Workshops Branch of the Public Works Department, the- Methodist ;■• Church; ■Brooklyn, tr*. shareholders, or .A\. .Campbell, Ltd., the., employees;of the same firm, and many-more. The chief mourners were -Messrs. George; Robert, Edwin, and Frederick Read,- Bombardier W. Read, 43rd N.Z.F.A., and Cor-, 'poral E. J: Bx-ad, <i6t!i Reinforcements, all sons of thp , deceased. -Messrs. N. Seddoii and A. E.,Maun (soiis-in-law). were also chief mourners! Four grandsons of "the late 'Mr.-'Read'acted as •"pall-bearers. • .■- '<" ■. .. • :•■

■ Armament Staff-Quartcrmaster-Ser-geant'C4. C. Bush, New Zealand Army Ordnance Crirps, has been awarded tho meritorious service medal. " ' •■' •

• '• Private Alan T. Spiceiy only son of , ■Sir. and Mrs.. Alan-Spicer,- of .14 Hay Street,, Oriental Bay, has been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for having, at Yprcs, from October 16 to 23, 191", "displayed the very greatest courage and the utmost devotion to duty." As Senior Battalion Runner, he "went forward previous to his battalion going into the line, and, notwithstanding heavy shell fire, reconnoitred the various routes, anclsubsecjuently he. guided chargb. over the" ground'. "From October 19 to" 23 he continuously cnrrietl messages foi'ward to the front line companies under •heavy ■■ shell firfi, always, showing the very greatest coolness and disregard of personal safety. His great courage and extreme devotion to duty were a-magnificent example to others.'Private Smcer left New Zealand with the Eighth Reinforcements, just, missed Gallipoli, and has served continuously in France as Battalion Runner.

Advice has been received by Mr. W. ■Pidgeon. of Little "Hirer; and late of Okain's liay, that his eldest son, Henry, :hns. s been killed .in...action in .France. Deceased left for the front about six months ago, ami it is stated that ho was in the firing-line only three days bot'ore he was killed... Before leaving for the-front he was married to' Miss Ida Mason, daughter ot Mr George Mason, of Okain's Bay. Mr. \V. Pidgeon has now*lost two.soijs at the front, Hector having died of wounds oiv Gp.llipoli. .

1 Mrs. Mary Scott, one of Wellington's old identities, died at her residence last evening at ''tlie; advanced, age'of 82. The deceased lady, who came out to Haw Zealand in "the late 'fifties, was the relict of the late Mr. William Scott, well known in Wellington business circles "some thirty years ago. She. is survived by two sons —Mr. J. D. Scott, Napier manager for .Messrs. Ross and Glendiuing.. and Mr. W. D. Scott, formerly Auckland'-manager'for Messrs. Keinptliorne .and Prossor, Ltd., and now in camp—and three daughters —Mrs. James Davidson, of Kajkbura, Mrs. John M. Wilson, of Wellington, and Miss Agnes' Scott.

A' young Aiicklander, who lias earned rapid promotion in the wa ris Major A. G. Hiinnan, second sou of: Mi\ C. 11. liinman, of Mount Eden. He enlisted at the age of '23, when the-war broke out, and entering camp as a private was promoted ( to corporal. : Hp left with the Maiii Body as actingsergeant in the Auckland Mounted Rifles. He went to Gallipoli with his unit, and remained there until he was shot through ■ the face- After being four months in- hospital he was discharged, completely-cured. He w:\s engaged as a machine-gun instructor,'and subsequently was granted a commission. Siuce then he has been through the campaign in the vicinity of the Suez on the Sinai Peninsula, and iii Palestine. ,From.the beginning of the present'year ■he : has been in command of the New Zealand Mounted Machine-gun Squadron, and news has just been received that ho had .been promoted .'to the rank : of major, andplaced in command of all tho_ machinegun squadrons operating in his area.

Advice has been received by Mrs.' Dumper, of Devonport, Auckland, that her second son, Sergeant. A. J. Dumper, has been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. Sergeant Dumper, who lias been woumltd,. left A'ew, ; Zealand with the Main Body.' , ' Two of bis brothers'are also on active service.

Advice lias been received of the death of wounds at Brockenhurst on September 2G of Lieutenant AV.\G. Gibbs, of Gluu Oroua. He was a wellknown .Hid popular teacher of the Wangamii Education Hoard, i'.ud was hcadr master of the' Glen Oroua School for nine- years. The late soldier enlisted with the Ninth 'Reinforcements;- Entering camp , as-a n.c.0., he gained a commission and left with the Twelfth Reinforcements. He was through most of. the severe- fightingoii'ine' Western front, having reached Franco with tho first of tho New Zeahinders. Ho had several narrow escapes, -having'suffered from shell-shock on two occasions and being wounded in . l Jie ■ licek at La Basso Ville. His death was somewhat unexpected, as, although'haying'boon advised that lie was dangerously woi-.na-ed on September 14, liis relatives had received three .cheery cablegrams i.rom' liimsnlf. ''He leaves one'son; who is at. present at W'nnganui College/ - ■

—t 111 ' ■ ,■ 1 The death occurred in Masterton ihfe' week of an old identity in thepereon of Mr. William Betty. The deceased, who waseighty-one years of age, was for many years overseer to the borough. His family include Messrs. W• Betty (Wellington) and It. T. Betty (Foxton). .Second Lieutenant Evan Gibb Hudson' (killed) was the younger son or Mr. Harold W. Hudson, secretary and a director of L. D. Nathan and Co., Ltd., Auckland. ( He was a civil engineer by profession, and was educated at, King's .College, and the Auckland University. Gollpy'o,"! eiilisting ou the completion of'-his-course.