PERSONAL ITEMS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 12 May 1925, Page 4

PERSONAL ITEMS

Mr Wm. MeConchie was last evening utianimouslv elected chairman of the Nelson Technical School Board of Managers.

Mr A. A. Mac Nab, late Major, D. 5.0., N.Z.E.F.. who left Wellington with the Samoan Force, and saw long service at- the front, had the M.A. degree conferred bv proxy at Cambridge (Christ College)* at the March term. Before returning to New Zealand Mr Mac Nab was the holder of a Kitchener Scholarship, which later he relinquished u take a N.Z.E.F. one. He took his L.L.B. and If.A. of Cambridge, and was ca lied to the English Bar (Gray’s fun). Mr Mac Nab was educated at Nelson College, and was a student at Victoria College, Wellington, when he left for active service, and is _ now practising his profession in Blenheim.

Tiie death occurred on Saturday, at the residence of his daughter, Mrs George Noble, Dourc Avenue, Newtown, Wellington, of Mr George Prince, a very (.Id higlilv-esleernod resident of Wellington, and one of the best-known bowlers of the Dominion. The late Mr Prince, who was 76 years of age, had not been in the best of health for sometime, although two years ago he made a good ireovery from a severe attack of pneumonia, contracted while on a visit to Sydney. As a howler Mr Prince bore a ’.cry high reputation, and he was always looked upon as a redoubtable skip The late Mr Prince, whose wife died two years ago, leaves a family of three sons and three daughters—Messrs Arthur Prince (Christchurch), George Prince (Auckland), arid Harry Prince (Hamilton), and Mrs Noble, widow of the late Mr George Noble, Mrs W. Sinclair, and Miss Prince, all of Wellington. As a mark of respect to the deceased, the Newtown Bowling Club’s ling was flown at half-mast on Saturday. The Right Hon. Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, Chancellor of the Exchequer, whose Budget last week has provided much food for thought, is the eldest- -son of the late Lord Randolph Churchill, and grandsonpf the seventh Duke of Marlborough. Mr Churchill is in his 50th year. . During the South African War lie acted as war correspondent and is the author of -several books. He entered the Army in 1895, and saw considerable active service, and in 1916 lie commanded a battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers. From 1914 to 1918 he was Rector of Aberdeeit University. He first entered Parliament as member for Oldham in 1900, and from 1906 to 1908 he was Under-Secretary for the Colonies; 1908-10. President og the Board of Trade ; 1910-11, Home Secretary ; 1911-15, First- Lord of the Admiralty: 1915, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster; 1917-19, Minister of Munitions; 1919-21, Secretary o? State for War and Air; and 1921-22, Secretary for the Colonies.

Captain Roald Amundsen, the Norwegian explorer, is about to make the first attempt in history to reach the North Pole by air. The attainment of the Pole has only been achieved on one occasion, namely, by Lieutenant Peary, the American Polar explorer, and that after 400 years of unceasing effort on the part of numerous explorers N, m various countries. Peary himself had n ado two or three prior attempts to reach the Pole when lie finallv set outfrom New York in July, 1908, on the Roosevelt under the command of Captain Robert Bartlet. A number of Eskimo were picked up on the way to Cape Sheridan. Peary eventually reached a point- 140 miles from the Pole reaheed a point 140 mils from the Pole to which advance parties had cleared the trail. From there he went forward accompanied by Henson, a member of his expedition, and four Eskimo. The ice improved as he went on. and he accomplished as much as 30 miles in one march extending over a 12 hours’ day. On April 6,1909, the Polo was reached. The new American Ambassador to Britain (Mr A. B. Houghton)) was transferred from a similar post to Germany in February. Before going to England lie spent a holiday in Switzerland. At the time of his transference the Berlin correspondent- of the Manchester Guardian wrote: “Mr Houghton’s departure is genuinely regretted here. He had a profound insight- into the character of the German people and German affairs and yet sympathetic as this insight was, he always preserved the greatest detachment and objectivity. His generosity was thoroughly American. It was lavished without display. Probably no one other than he himself was aware of its full extent, lie had exceptional strength, simplicity, and goodness of character He shunned the limelight. Mr Houghton eared little for public speaking, and on the few occasions when his duties compelled him to make a speech at a reception or banquet he -showed himself an accomplished orator, expressing himself in language unique for picturesque turns and telling metaphors. lie has become almost a legend in Germany, and in the three years and more during which he was Ambassador in the German capital he acquired a prestige, unapproached by the representative of anv other countrv.