PERSONAL

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 301, 21 December 1939, Page 6

PERSONAL

In accordance with the wish expressed by tho King that Govcrnors-Gcrera! and Governors should not attend race meetings during tho war period-, Lord and Lady Galway will not be present at either of the meetings at Auckland this summer. Their Excellencies will bo in residence at Government House, Auckland, for several weeks, but the Governor-General anticipates that during January he will bo travelling frequently between Auckland and Wellington. Mr. and Mrs. W. Quirk, late of the Empire Hotel, Timaru, have arrived in Palmerston North and have taken over the Hotel Majestic. Lieut.-Coloucl C. J. Pierce, «)£ the Waikato Mounted Rifles, relinquishes tho command of the regiment on being seconded for duty with the Special Force, states a Gazette notice issued last night. Mr. F. E. Graham has been elected chairman of tho Christchurch Stock Exchange. Air. H. Kitson, who has been chairman for six years and did not seek ro-clection, has been elected vice-chair-Mr. A. B. Robson, who for 19 years has been chief clerk and accountant at the Hamilton office of the Public Works Department’s electrical branch, has been transferred to Whangarei. He will be succeded by Mr. R. Agnew, of Wellington. Mr. Hector Bolitho, the well-known author, has been given a commission in tho Royal Air Force and has been appointed to a post on the Directorate of Intelligence at tho Air Ministry, London. At a meeting of the executive of the local Returned Soldiers' Association reference was made to tho departure of Mr. J. B. Stewart on transfer to Dunedin, and it was decided to place on record appreciation of the services rendered by Mr. Stewart to the association as a member of the executive. The death has occurred of Mr. James McQueen Murdoch, a well-known resident of Levin. Though he had not enjoyed normal health for some time, his passing was not expected, and it came as a shock to his family and friends. Mr. Murdoch, who was 70 years of age, had resided in retirement in Levin for the past six years. Prior to that ho was headmaster of the Linton School for some years. He is survived by a widow and adult family.

Mr. L. M. Hobbs, of the Westport Technical High School, has been appointed by the Palmerston North High School Board of Governors as woodwork instructor at the Technical School in place of Mr. D. E. Dredge, who has retired. Following several years in the woodwork trade, Mr. Hobbs has had over ten years’ teaching of woodwork subjects in tho technical schools at Hamilton, Ashburton, and Westport. Mr. Hobbs has been a provincial representative both in hockey and in tennis. As a filling conclusion to an important year of activity and also as a farewell to members of the company who arc going overseas with the first echelon of Uio Hpccial Force, a gathering of B company of tho Wellington-West Coast Regiment was held on Tuesday evening. There was an excellent attendance. Lieutenant J. Coley was in the chair and proposed the toast of the King, while that of members of the regiment with the Special Force was sponsored by Captain Neilson. Pianoforte and tap dancing items were given by Mr. G. Dawson and a community sing was conducted by Corporal R. Rees. A feature of tho evening was the showing of a number of cinematograph films of physical culture.