ABOUT PEOPLE

Southland Times, Issue 21095, 29 May 1930, Page 6

ABOUT PEOPLE

Mr J. S. Baxter returned to Invercar* gill by the express last evening.

A London cablegram announces, the death of Lady Mollie Patey, wife of Admiral Sir George Patey. Mr J. W. McEwen was last night'unanimously re-elected chairman of the Wellington Harbour Board.—Press Association message.

Mr Ramsay Howie, travelling secretary of the New Zealand Christian Students’ Federation, is at present visiting Invercargill. Mr Howie proposes to establish a branch of the movement in the A cablegram received from the Trinity College of Music, London, announces that Dr. C. Edgar Ford will examine the elocution candidates in the South Island of New Zealand, in place of Mr. Alexander Watson, as previously stated. »

A British official wireless message states that Lord -Ashton, whose death was announced yesterday, was a wealthy manufacturer and reputed to be the richest man in Britain. He distributed large sums to charities, mainly in his native Lancashire. |

Older residents of - Invercargill will be interested to hear that Mr Robert Murie is still in Africa and at present interested in mining properties in Rhodesia. His nephew of the same name, who is at present at the Hotel Deschler, was with him in Rhodesia for some time after the war. A tribute to the lifetime of service given by Sir Joseph Ward to New Zealand was paid at the annual meeting of the Southland County Council yesterday. The chairman (Councillor F. -Trapski) moved “that the members of the Southland County sincerely regret the retirement under medical advice of the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, and the members sincerely hope that in his well-earned rest, Sir Joseph will have many years of life and good health and enjoy them.” Councillor C. Robertson seconded the motion which was carried unanimously.

Brother Basil celebrated his golden jubilee as a Marist Brother at Auckland on Thursday night last. He was the first director of Sacred Heart College, Auckland, and is now senior adviser to the Order. Born in County Clare, Ireland, in 1853, Brother Basil came out to New Zealand as a youth, teaching on thh West Coast, and in Otago for some years. Later he made his first real acquaintance with the Marist Brothers in Wellington and in 1879 he entered the Marist Novitiate at Hunter’s Hill, Sydney. He was appointed to the staff of St. Joseph’s College, and quickly made his mark as a brilliant teacher of mathematics. After a short visit to New Zealand, Brother Basil opened the Marist Brothers’ School at Bendigo, and later was appointed director of St. Joseph’s College. He was called to Europe in 1597, and on his return went to Auckland, taking charge of the Marist Brother’s School, Pitt street. Five years later he was largely instrumental in founding and opening Sacred Heart College. He became its first director, but retired from teaching about 20 years ago.

Appreciative reference to the valuable services to the farming community of Mr W. Alexander, late agricultural instructor in Southland, was made at the annual banquet of the Winton Agricultural and Pastoral Society last evening, when the occasion was taken to make a formal presentation of an illuminated address to Mr Alexander, who is now resident in the North Island. In a letter apologizing for his absence from the function,. Mr Alexander said that the Winton Society’s banquet that evening was the first he had missed during a period of ten years. The presentation of the address was undertaken by Mr D. H. Mclrfan, who paid a fine tribute to Mr Alexander’s worthy work in his various capacities in the interests of the farmer generally and said that his departure was a serious loss to Southland. In acknowledging on Mr Alexander’s behalf, the illuminated address, Mr A. C. Perrin returned thanks for the expressions of goodwill underlying the tribute, and assured those present that in Mr Alexander Southland possessed an ardent advocate in the north.

Mr. Charles N. Cotterill, manager of the Bank of New South Wales in Christchurch, is to retire from office on June 30, after having completed 4S years’ service. He is to be succeeded (states an exchange) by Mr. Camden Garrett, at present relieving as sub-manager aj the head office in Sydney, Mr. Cotterill joined the service as a junior in Napier in May, ISS2, and was later transferred to the inspector’s office at Christchurch. After having been stationed at Dunedin, again at Christchurch, and then at Lawrence, Napier, and Masterton, Mr. Cotterill was appointed relieving manager at Hastings, and in February, 1912, he was appointed manager at Feilding. Managerships followed at Timaru and at Napier, and in March, 1923, he became manager at Christchurch, where he has remained ever since. Mr. Garrett’s record of service dates back to 1890, when he entered the bank as a junior. He has had a varied experience as a branch manager in large country centres in New South Wales and at the southern branch at Sydney. Last year he wlis promoted to the rank of subinspector, and is at present relieving as sub-manager at the head office (Sydney). Mr. Garrett comes of a well-known New South Wales family, and is a brother of Mr. Tom Garrett, late public trustee for New South Wales, and a former international cricketer.