ABOUT PEOPLE

Southland Times, Issue 18856, 23 June 1920, Page 5

ABOUT PEOPLE

Bishop Richards, of Dunedin, is at present on a visit to Southland. Mr F. O. V. Aitcheson, Native Lands Court Commissioner, arrived in Invercargill by the express from the north last evening. The Hon. John Topi Patuki, M.L.C., and Mr Adam Hamilton, M.P., were passengers by the express yesterday on the way to the opening of Parliament. Mr John Amadio, the eminent flautist, is at present in London. Mr Amadio was to have toured the Dominion this year as a member of the Cesaroni Concert Party, but, owing to the great demand on all passenger accommodation, was unable to secure a passage in sufficient time to allow him fulfilling the engagement. Promotions in connection with the local postal staffs are announced as follow: — Mr J. J. de la Hunt, postal staff, Gore, has beeh promoted as a cadet to Christchurch; Mr A. E. O'Neil, of the Invercargill staff, has been promoted as a cadet to Dunedin; Mr J. C. Sefton, of the postmen’s staff, Invercargill, will become a cadet in the local office. Mr A, D. Gunion, who has been appointed by the New Zealand Repatriation Department to assist in the repatriation of all returned soldiers in the South Island suffering from chest complaints and particularly from tuberculosis, is at present visiting Invercargill. He will remain here for a few days, and will be glad to -hear representatives from any soldiers suffering from chest complaints who require assistance in regard to pensions or other matters affecting repatriation. While in Southland he will make his headquarters at the local Repatriation Office. Miss Lillah McCarthy, the actress, was married recently in London to Professor Feeble, of Magdalen College, Oxford- The wedding took place at the Presbyterian Church, Bryaaston square, Marylebone, and the bride wore a dress of royal bluer satin, draped with black Chantilly lace. Among the guests were Mr and Mrs Asquith, and Mr G. Bernard Shaw. Miss McCarthy is known to New Zealanders, having visited betc as leading lady to the late Wilson Barren. Her first husband was Mr Granville Parker, the producer and playwright, whom she divorced in November, 1917. Mr Barker married in October, 1918, Miss Helen Gates, the New York poet and authoress. Mr Albert Frederick Porter, an old resident of Birkenhead, Auckland, is dead. Mr Potter, who was 89 years of age, had been a Baptist minister in Nova Scotia, but relinquished his charge on account of lung .trouble, and chartered a vessel to brieg a paity of Nova Scotians from Halifax to New Zealand. The vessel was wrecked in Jackson's Buy on the West Coast of the South Island and most of the party settled in the vicinity. Mr Porter went to Auckland about 40 years ago, and had resided i t Birkenhead ever since. He was a member of the first Birkenhead Borough Council in ISSS and sat until 1896. His grandchildren included Mr Nello Porter, formerly of Wellington. The death occurred at Wanganui on June 10 of Mr John Thomas Harrap, in his 92nd year, a colonist of long-standing and well known in Christchurch. The late Mr Harran, who. of recent years, had resided at Wanganui, arrived at Lyttelton in 1860 by the ship William Miles and was the first lessee of what is now known as Hagley Park, Christchurch, which he partly cleared and drained. For a number of years he was clerk and surveyor to the Spreydon and ILilsweil Road Boards. Mr Harrap was predeceased by his wife ten years ago. Out •if a family of 12 the surviving members arc Meisrs J. T. Harrap (Wellington), J. W. and F. Harrap (Christchurch), A. C, Harrap (Nelson), and Mesdames R. Triggs (Wellington i . D'Arcy Preston (Oldacre), Jmnes and William Low, and Miss Harrap (Wanganui.') Mr J. D. Gray, Under-Secretary for External Affairs and Mr D. G. Clark, Com-mi.-.-ioncr of Taxes, returned by the Navua on Monday from a visit to Samoa in conic i lion with the classification and organisation of the public service, as a result of the" coming into operation of the civil government on May 1 last under the Samoa Con--tiii.iion Order. In discussing with a repot ter in Auckland the change of affairs in Samoa. Mr Gray, in an interview, remarked that despite the fact that the civil administration had practically to start de novo, the new machinery was beginning to run very satisfactorily. ’‘Considering the handicaps and difficulties encountered we found conditions at Samoa quite satisfactory,” he said, adding, ‘‘Samoa is not going to be a white elephant for New Zealand. VvTi<n the labour question is satisfactorily will'd, so that normal production and development are -unhampered, Samoa will ne.-I no economic apologists. There ie every prospect for a most prosperous future for the group.”