ABOUT PEOPLE

Southland Times, Issue 18818, 11 May 1920, Page 5

ABOUT PEOPLE

Mr W. D. Hunt arrived on a visit t* Invercargill last night. A Sydasy Press Association message states tbaH Miss Fanny Du rack, one of the chosen Olympic swimmers, was operated on for appendicitis. Mr W. R. H. Bligh, lecturer for the White Cross League, arrived in Invercargill last night, and will spend some time addressing the scholars in the various schools. Mr James McLean, assistant general manager of the Bank of New Zealand, left for London by the Corinthic. He has twelve months’ leave of absence. Mr J. A. Martin has retired from the Government service after 28 years’ service —2O years in the Treasury and eight in the State Advances Department. On severing his connection with the latter Department, Mr Martin was presented with a tangible mark of esteem. Mr C. M. Berkeley, advance agent for “Lightnin,” arrived in town last night to prepare for the staging of the play on May 20 and 21. Accommodation, principally through the activities of the corporation officers has been found privately for tho majority of the members of the company. Messrs A. L. Wylie, A. Inglis and A. McNeil (Education Board inspectors), Miss McLeod (South School) and Mr D. McNeil (Waihopai) left Invercargill yesterday for Wellington to attend the conference called by the Minister for Education to consider the grading scheme. Mr Murdoch, who is representing The Times and the Sydney Sun on the Royal tour, will leave the Renown after the Australian visit, and his place will be taken by Mr Long, of The Times colonial department. Mr Murdoch returns via Canada, where ho will attend the Imperial Press Conference. Mr John Anderson, who died at Fortrose on Friday at the age of 76 years, was widely known throughout the lower Mataura district. He settled in Fortrose in the early coaching days and has seen the coastal town diminish from a flourishing country township to what it is to-day. During his residence there he carried on a business as a butcher and baker.

A Wellington Press Association telegram states that consequent on Mr W. R. Morris’s appointment to be Public Service Commissioner, Mr R. B. Morris has been appointed Secretary to the Post Office, at a salary of £llOO per annum, and Mr A. T. Markmann First Assistant Secretary. A change has been made in the administration by a revision of the former system of separation of the postal and telegraphic sides. The head of the telegraph branch is to be directly responsible to the Minister. Mr E. A. Shrimpton, Telegraph Superintendent, will receive a salary of £llOO per annum.

Professor Newton, Professor of History at the London University and Secretary to the Imperial Studies Committee, Sirrived by the Tofua last week. Professor Newton is visiting New Zealand as the special travelling commissioner of the Colonial Institute, London. After conferring with the educational authorities, Professor Newton has decided to stay in Wellington until 13th inst., when he will proceed to Christchurch and Dunedin. After visiting the South Island he will go on to Auckland, and leave from there for Sydney. Professor Newton will not give any public lectures as was at first arranged, but will meet and confer with the Professorial Boards in the four University centres, and impart information regarding education in Britain, at the same time going into the subject of the co-ordination of University work within the Empire, especially in this matter of history.

Last night Sir Joseph Ward was entertained at dinner by a number of Christchurch friends on the eve of his departure for England (says a Press Association telegram ). Dr Thacker, M_P., presided, and several Liberal M.’sP. were among those present. The gathering partook largely of a social character. Responding to the toast of his health. Sir Joseph Ward said he believed the Liberal Party in New Zealand would again be returned to power with a genuine majority of the people behind them. In the past he had had and still had in his possession offers from leading public men at Home (not the present Imperial Government) to take part in Imperial politics, but so far he had refused all these offers. What the future held no one could say. Really all he could say was that his present intention after having a good rest was to come back to New Zealand.