PERSONAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 127, 22 February 1921, Page 4

PERSONAL ITEMS

The Minister of Lands (Hon. D. H. Guthrie) has returned to Wellington after a. visit to the Mokau district. He has arranged to leave -Wellington on Friday night for Picton, en route for Kaikoura. He lias some Departmental business to attend to, and he will unveil a soldiers’ memorial at Kaikoura on Sunday afternoon. He will proceed to Christchurch, and will be back in Wellington on Tuesday morning next.

The Minister of Industries and Commerce (Hon. E. P. Lee) has returned to AVellington, after a visit to the South Island.

Major-General Sir Alfred Robin, K.CM.G., C. 8., formerly Commander of the New Zealand Military Forces, has been posted to the retired list as from January 1, 1921. The, Minister of Public Works (Hon. J. G. Coates) is expected back in AA’ellington to-morrow. He has made a lengthy tour of the South Island. Mr. Hugh Oswald Murray Christie, aged 43, a stock inspector, died suddenly at Fairlie yesterday—Press Assn.

Cabled advice has been received that Mr. Alex. Caselberg has passed his final medical examination. He is a son of Mr. Lionel Caselberg, of Wellington. Lieut.-Colonel C. B. llarton, New Zealand Post and Telegraph Corps, has been awarded the Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers’ Decoration. The Rev. W. Shirer, 0.8. E., of Wellington, chaplain to the Forces, 2nd class, has been posted to the retired list, with permission to retain his rank, and wear the prescribed uniform.

"It is is with very deep regret,” says the annual report of the New Zealand branch of the Empire Press Union, "that the committee records the death in December last of the Hon. George Jones, M.L.C., who was a member of the committee. The late Mr. Jones was one of the best known of New Zealand journalists, and had spent a long, active, and honoured life in the newspaper world of the Dominion. His fellow-members of our union will miss his cheery voice and presence in their midst, and the committee lament tho loss of a valued friend and co-adjutor. Another member of committee who passed away during the year was Mr. Henry Weston, of New Plymouth, and in him also we have lost a greatly respected and valued friend. The committee has also to record the xdeath of Mr W. A; Parkinson, of the Hawera ‘Star,’ likewise a familiar figure at our annual gatherings, and a member of the New Zealand branch of the union from its inception, whose loss will leave a blank among his many friends in the newspaper world.” A Press Association message from Hamilton states 'that' Air. Robert J. Gwynne, editor of the "'Waikato Times,” died suddenly. He wr.s sitting in a chair when he pitched forward and died without warning He was one of the bestknown men in the province.

Air. G. A. Kissling, manager of the Kaiapoi branc'h of the Bank of New Zealand, has received notice of transfer to the Newton branch, Auckland. Air. G. T. Alurray, who for some years has occupied tho position of district engineer to the Public AVorks Department for the Auckland district, has been promoted to tlhe position of inspecting engineer, and has taken up his new duties in AVellington. He has been succeeded by Mr. A. J. Baker, lately district engineer in Dunedin, and formerly resident engineer at Taumarunui. On AVednesd.ay afternoon tho Auckland staff of the Department met tb bid farewell to Air. Alurray, and on their behalf Air. W. J. T. Wiggs, chief clerk, presented him with several mementoes, to remind 'him of his connection with tho Auckland office. Amongst those present were Air. H. Al. Skcot, Commissioner of Crown Lands for the Auckland district, who stateil that Mr. Alurray was an old brother officer of his some years ago, and lie congratulated him on his promotion. Opportunity m«o was taken of the occasion to welcome Mr. Baker,

The death occurred yesterday of Mr. Louis P. O’Brien, licensee of the Masonic Hotel, Cuba Street. The deceased had been ill for about two weeks at his seaside residence, the Esplanade, Island Bay. Deceased was the fourth son of the late Captain P. O’Brien, of Lyttelton, and leaves a widow and young family. Mr. D. W. Jones, who died at Papakura last week, was headmaster of the local school for 18 years. He was for a long time member of the Papakura Road Board, a lay reader, member of the Masonic fraternity and an enthusiastic bowler. He is survived by his widow and three sons. The youngest, Mr. AV. M. Jones, was Rhodes Scholar for 1914, served during the war, and is now at Oxford. The second son, Mr. E. C. Jones, is science master at Christchurch Technical School, and the eldest, Mr. S. C. Jones, is a teacher in Northern Wairoa School.

The death of Mr. George Mark, which occurred at the Wellington Hospital yesterday, removes another of New Zealand’s pioneers. Born in Edinburgh in 1842. Mr. Mark early in life emigrated to Australia, and after n few years spent in pastoral pursuits in Victoria, reached Hokitika in 1868 at the 'height of the gold rush. For a number of years he was actively engaged in mining in the district, and later assumed the ground management of the Golden Point mine, Queen Charlotte Sound. On' this venture ■ ’proving a failure he settled in Blenheim, where he was widely known and respected. In 1866. he married a cousin of Sir Frank and the late Chief Justice Madden, of Victoria. His wife predeceased him by two years. He leaves four daughters (Mrs. E. Clark, Wellington, Mrs. S. E. G. Boyce, Kent Terrace. Mrs. K. Lawson, St. Albans. Christchurch, Mrs. J. Kennington, Lower Hutt, five eons, three of whom are in Wellington and two in Blenheim, and eighteen grandchildren.