PERSONAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 241, 5 July 1919, Page 6

PERSONAL ITEMS

Mr. J. H. Clunson, Mayor of Auckland, leaver Wellington to-day .by the Tofiia for .San. Francisco. He will be away from' New Zealand for about four months, "* The Meritorious Service 51'etlal has been awarded to SUifi'-Sergeani-Msijor A. J. Cheater, who lies held the Expeditionary Force rank of captain for a long timo as assistant infantry instructor in Trcntliam Camp.

Mr. C. A. Jeff cry, who has been on active service for almost two years and a half, has resumed duty us private secretary lo the Hon. .A. M. Myers, ActiiigM inister of Finance and Minister of Cur. loms. Mr. J. S. Hunter, who has boon secretary in Mr. Jeft'ery's absence, will be' attached to the Coal Trade Depart' ment for a while.

.Major J. Evans, M.C. and bar, who is returning as ollicer commanding' troops on the transport Clmpra, is a son of Mr 11. II Kvans, of <!!> Malai lioad, iliiiaitai. He. is an old Mount Coot School boy, and wa.s at one time a prominent forward in the Oriental football team, and an enthusiastic swimmer. Ho left as a second lieutenant <in the Mounted 'Rifles draft of the Sixth llcinforcomonK- ami after service in Egypt, joined the New Zealand infantry in France. He served mi the Western front throughout the 1011', fi'lT, and" I9IS campaigns, receiving the Military Cross for bravery in Ihe Battle of Passchondaele, and the bar for the lasl engagement in which the New Zoalanders fought. ■ He wits promoted major some eight months ago. Mr. Augustus Marshall has been appointed licceiver of land Ivevenuelor the Marlborough district. • Messrs. W. 11. Macintosh and Waller Ryder have been appointed members of the. Horowhenua Lake Domain iiuaid. The liev. 11. C. Balrt will be a passenger for London by the Port lieuisuu today. Mr. Males is going to attend the Meteorological Conference to lie held in London and Paris. The. ilealh of Mr. C. K. Hyilou, „f Waligaiiiii, is announced. The deceased was l>2 years ot age, and was born tit (ircat Yarmouth. Mr. flylton came out to New Zealand ovei forty years ago, and for practically the whole of thai time had resided in Wanganui. for considerably over thirty years he was Public Librarian. In later years ho was also 'Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages. He leaves a.'widow and grownup family of a 6011 and two daughters.

TAHITI ARRIVES WITH TROOPS * NAIiHOW ESCAPE FROM COLLISION By TelegrapU-Prcss Aosociatlon Auckland, July j. 'The transport Tahiti airived this morning with a big contingent of New Zealand soldiers. The vessel arrived early, and remained in the stream, the troops being brought ashore by ierry steamer. 'f'he Tahiti left Tilbury Pocks on May . 27, and had an uneventful trip across the Atlantic. When the vessel was a few !] days out from Colon she hud an exciting ~ escape from collision during a log. The fog had then lasted for about, a week.' ? One night, about eight o'clock, the siren !.' of another vessel was heard blowing tile !' customary fog warning?, but Ihose on the Tahiti were unable to locate the diree- i l lion from which the signals were coming. Eventually the Tahiti stopped her engines '' altogether, and two ir three minutes •!' later another vessel loomed up in till , fog and passed across her 'Bows, perilous- ' ly near, at full speed. The Tahiti's helm' was put hard over and she cleared the ' other vessel's stern. . ? At Colon and all the way through the \ Canal the American residents turned out : and gave the New Zeahinders a rousing ~ welcome. The men on the transport had many complainls to make about rhe t;ii«l- ' ily of (lie food given lliem during the j latter stages of the journey. They staled that practically since leaving Colon they ■ • had no vegetables or fresh meat, the j meals for the most part, being confined to , bully beef and canned mean.?, or peas. The tea was said to be undrinknble on , many occasions, and the bread was sour 1 about every lliird day. ( [The Tahiti is due at Wellington about j 2 p.m. on Sunday, ami is bringing abc.it , 300 soldiers.] i DItA FT I'KOU: EGYPT. ] ' Advice has been received by tho De- I fence Department thalvtlie transport I'li- i maroa, with returning craft No. 271 on i board left Egypt for New Zealand on < .lime .'!(). She lias 1002 tloops on hoard— I the first to be evacuated for New Zea- I land for a period of several yionths. The . Uiimuroa is expected to arrive in New I Zealand about August Sor 10. Two other i transports, (he Pilsnu >.ud Innsbruck, are 1 due to. leave with New Zealand troops ( shortly, and it is hoped they will be i able to bring back the u'liolc of the. men i ■who are still in Egypt. A wireless message has been received i from the Puahine, with returning draft : No. 260 (.895 troops), stating that she < will probnblv arrive at Wellington at I fi p.m. on Monday next. .She may be : later, however, as the weather is unpromising.