PERSONAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 126, 21 February 1919, Page 4

PERSONAL ITEMS

Mr. W. H. Morton (City Engineer), who is, about to make a trip abroad, will joui-nev to Vancouver' by the Niagara. Ho will then l visit Seattle,-Portland (Oregon), and San' Francisco, and travel ward by way of the big centres of the 1 middle West. From New lork he will travel to Canada, visiting' Quebec, Oniario, and Montreal, taking steamer from the last-mentioned city to London. After a tour of the chief cities of the United Kingdom, Jlr. Morton will- visit the Continent, and pick up his homeward boat at Naples.' Mr. E. -Salmond, of the firm of Salinond and Spraggon, will leave t.or America- and England ; by the Niagara at the end of March.

- Lieutenant-Colonel Guy Powles, C.M.G., DS.O., who was with the IS; ew Zealand Mounted Division right through the. Pal-, estine campaign, has advised his friends that he sailed for New Zealand from Liverpool by the Ajana on lebruary 7. He should arrive here about the middle of March next. Mr. George Hutchison, the Wellington solicitor, will leave for' England by tho Ifuahine on Sunday next. At the Engineers' Conference, Mr. W. Ferguson, C.E., of Wellington,, was inducted as president by the retiring president, Mr. S. A. Moir, who described Mr. Ferguson as the father ot tho society. . Press Assn.

A Press Association message from Christchurch states :-The president of the Methodist Conference has been informed of the death from influenza of the Rev. Frederick Hands, chaplain with the forces on active service, and formerly stationed at Martoii. ,

The Acting-Prime Minister, Sir James' Allen, left for Hapier yesterday in order to attend the opening of a soldiers' me-' morial ward at the' Napier Hospital. He is (expected to reach Wellington again to-njorrow afternoon.

The Hon. D. H. 'Guthrie,. Minister of Lands, is expected to return to Wellington on Sunday. The Hon J A. M. Myers, Acting-Minister of Finance, will return to Wellington on Tuesday. 'He is to leave Auckland today, for Rotorua. -

Major-General Sir Alfred Robin, Commandant of the Forces, is paying a yisil to the Blenheim and Nelson districts.

Mr. H. B. Bower, until recently officer in charge of the .Ckristchurch branch of the Labour Department,. has arrived in Wellington, where he has been appointed to a position.,

. The death is announced of Mr. Peter Wilson, one of Hokitika's eldest and most respected residents, at the age of 79 years. The deceased, who was formerly "manager and latterly. a director of the Hokitika Gas Company, came to the Dominion from Lanarkshire, Scotland, over 55 years ago, .and'was engaged in the West Coast gold rushes of the early days. Major'J. Seabrook, of the Royal Air Force, son .of Mr. A. D. Seabrook, 'Of Auckland, 'has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Major Seabrook is at' present in a military hospital in England recovering from serious injuries received in an aerial collision m the East when he was in command of a flying squadron.

Mr. Glaumore Jenkins, the well-known tar distillation expert, is making a short stay in Chxistchurch prior to hie departure for Australia in connection with an important project for the improvement of roads in tho Dominion.

Mr. I- W. Raymond, formerly of Invercargill, who las been a prominent workrer in London in connection with the New Zealand War .Contingent Association, was seriously ill three months ago, but according to the "British' Australasian" of December 12 he had recovered and resumed his activities in the War Contingent Association. The illness —an attack of influenza—compelled Mr. Raymond to withdraw his candidature for the Carlisle seat in the House of Commons. At .the previous general election, Mr. Raymond lost this seat by only a few votes.

Mr.- John Brown, whb recently retired from the Agricultural Department, where he held the position of Director of Fields and Experimental Farms, lias been appointed science and agricultural master at tho Tiiuaru Boys' High School.

Mr. E. Northcroft, who has been appointed Chief Postmaster at Christchurch, was the recipient of a purse of sovereigns from the citizens of Napier at a function lipid in his honour. The chair was occupied by Mr. J. Vigor Brown, MJP-, who spoke eulogistically on Mr. Northcroft's career 6ince his cadetship in 1871.

Mr. J. M. Barker, of Canterbury, left Wellington yesterday for the Chatham Islands .in the steamer Stella-

Lieutenant-Colonel T. Mill, C.M.G., N.Z.M.C., has assumed the duties of Principal Medical Officer, Trentham Camp, vice Lieutenant-Colonel J. P. D. Leahy, N.Z.M.C-, who has been detained for special duty at the Trentham Camp.

Mr. Robert Burch, a respected citizen of Wellington for the past 45 years, died at his residence in Nairn Street on Wednesday. The deceased, who was born at Northam, Derbyshire, 78 years ago, served his apprenticeship there as a shipwright, and afterwards followed his calling at 6ea. He made several trips between England and New Zealand in the "Helen Denny (now a coal hulk in Wellington). In 187-1 he left that vessel and settled in Wellington, remaining here until his death. In later years, 'he was attached to the 6hore staff of the iFnion STeam Ship Company, until his retirement some sixteen years ago. His genial personality will bo missed by a large circle of friends. He leaves a widow, three sons, five daughters, and eighteen grandchildren. The funeral took placo yesterday afternoon at Karori. The Eev. Mr. .Page, of St. Mark's, conducted the service.