PERSONAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 288, 31 August 1921, Page 4

PERSONAL ITEMS

Sir William Fraser, who has been recruiting his health in Napier, has to AVellington.

Judge 11. F. Ayson was among the passengers for the Cook Islands by the Marama. , Tho death occurred in Greymouth. on Monday evening of Mr. Samuel Ainsworth, a resident of tho West Coast for 54. years. He leaves a. family of three—the Rev. Father Ainsworth, of the Hutt; Sergeant AVm. Ainsworth, of the N.Z.R.A.j and Mrs. Bramiff, of Weiling ton.

“Our best thanks are due to OUT general manager in New Zealand (Mr. D. AV. Duthie) to Mr. Jolly, our inspector, and to our staff, both here and in the Dominion.” said the Hon. AV. Pe<mber Reeves, chairman of the National Bank at the annual meeting in /London. He added: “The position during the past year has demanded very careful Handling, and I can only say one and all have fullv responded to the calls made upon them. Mr. J. M'Lean, who has been well known ito you as our assis-, tant general manager in New Zealand, retired last May, after 48 years’ service with the bank. AVo have fully recognised the value of his long services, and ho carries with him our best wishes for many years of health and happiness in his retirement.

About forty members of the AVellington Rowing Club attended at the club house on Saturday night to say farewell to Mr. G. AVilson, who intends to take up his residence in Sydney. Mr. R. Craw'ford, president of .tlio club, made a presentation to Mr. AVilson on behalf of the club members,, ntfl. spoke of Mr. AVilson’e excellent rowing record since he joined the shed sixteen years ago as a coxswain. Last year he represented the club in the championship sculls at the championship regatta, rowing into thjrd ‘place. Several others, including Mr. T. Anyon, secretary of the Star Boating Chib, spoke of Mr. AVilson’s good sportsmanship, and the work he had done in tho interests of rowing. Dr. Pickerill, of Otago University, has received advice that the Belgian Society of stomatology has, on tho occasion of the twentieth anniversary of its foundation, and in recognition of the eminent services rendered by him io the science of stomatology, elected hint a "membro d’honneur.” The Belgian Society of Stomatology is tho premier association of its kind, and there are only a few '‘niembres d , honneur ,> on its roil*

According to a Suva dispatch in the "New Zealand Herald,” a recant arrival in Fiji is Mr. Thomas J. M Mahon, F.R.G.S., who is making his first acquaintance with the colony. Mr. M'Mahon has spent a week in the sugar districts on the west coast,_ and he says he is surprised at the evidences of so wonderful an industrialism. Ho feels sure that the people in Australia and New Zealand would bo surprised were they to see the virile closer settlement bv the Indians, who are found busy on farms of from I io 50 acres each, eomo growing / sugar cane, many maize, and rice and other produce. Some have goat farms with largo herds, komiu dairies, and some poultry farms. Everywhere ho had seen the Indians busy making money, and he was much struck with tho many evidences of comfort and even prosperity .'iintong these _ people, all of whom camo to Fiji without a penny of capital. Ho was sure they could never hope for such comfortable circumstances in India. Apart from the Indians, he was very much struck with the many evidences of achievement in the island of Viti Levu, including the capital of Suva. It was all so diltereut to what he had expected. He was sure Australia would sorely regret her carelessness in holding the trade of tie islands, which was fast slipping away into other hands. He saw a groat future for Fiji as a big distributing centre in the Pacific, and ns a serious rival of Australia and New Zealand for the trade of the AVestcrn Pacific. The death is recorded by Canterbury papers of Mr. Samuel Sparks, a wellknown southern settler. -Mr. Sparks was born on March 8, 1845. vt Wedmore, Somersetshire, and came of a well-known farming family in that country, whore at the time of his death he still owned land. The late Mr. Sparks arrived at Lyttelton on September 24, 1879, accompanied by his wife and children. Bo at once .settled on the Cashmere estate, and resided there to the time of his death. He (leveled himself almost entirely to doling and dairying, and was recognised as being one of the very best judges of cattle in the Dominion.