PERSONAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 69, 26 July 1913, Page 5

PERSONAL.

Cr. A. Coyne was granted leave of absence from Wednesday's meeting of the Whangamomona County Council on account of sickness in his family.

Mr Robert Betts Peat, district manager of Railways, Kaihu section, died at Dargaville.

Prince Arthur of (Jonnaught's wedding! will be on October 15th, in the Chapel fioyal at Saint James, with the Prince of \Wies as best man and Princess Mary, bridesmaid.

Mr W. Narbey, Lieutenant of E. company Territorials, leaves Eltham for Opunake next week, having secured a position with the Eltham-Opun-ake carrying company. Mr Narbey, who is a first-'elass rifle shot and ardent footballer, will be much missed .in 'sporting circles in the town says the Argus.

Mr John Cagney. an old resident of .the Oamaru district, has just died at the age of seventy-four years. Mr Cagney was born in Ireland, and went to Otago nearly half a century ago, settling at Oamaru. He was for eight years a member of the Borough Council, and generally took an active part in public affairs.

Mr Wm. Monkhouse, who will be remembered .as a Stratford resident and member of the Taranaki Education Board, and who went Home with his family about six year 3 ago, writing from Worcester, asks to be remembered to old friends at Whangamomona and on the Education Board. Mr Monkhouse has a small farm, in Worcestershire, where he has been interesting himself in educational affairs'. Ho finds the country people of the Old Country very conservative on some subjects, as an extract from his letter shows:—"l have just been having a bit of a fight here over a school site. i They want to build a school costing over £3OOO on a bad site; a site that was actiially rejected for cottage building as undrainablo by ordinary means, and is quite unsuitable. Tho real reason is that the property owners want it well out of their way, all fearing that the proximity of a school may depreciate property. I have been doing my best, but I fear that vested interests are top strong and' that the welfare of *the children has to take second,place,'' '■';.

A Pukengahu. correspondent .writes: —On -Thursday,,evening;, a most successful smoke concert was, tendered to Messrs 0. Robson, and J. .Browning by the suppliers of ; the Robson Road creamery. The, function was ( hebd at the residence of-'Mr JT. Kelly. \\A#-a token of appreciation the' guests', of the evening were, presented each, with a handsome silver mounted pocket book. Mr E. T. Kneebone, in a well chosen speech, made the presentation on behalf of the suppliers arid wished t!ip departing guests every success in their new homes.

Mr P. O. Webb, the newly-elected member for Gi'ey/, vffk born "on N - vember 30th, 18&4,'at Rutherglen/an agricultural, wine-growing' and mining district of Victoria. He has been in the Labour movement since he was sixteen years of age. AVthb age of 21, he came to ; New Zealand, and' Went to the Denniston colliery. He did not stand for office among the Denniston miners, hut found himself discharged over some trouble with his employers, and he states that after ah ultimatum by the miners, the management gave way, and reinstated him. About 1908, he'went to the Blackball mine in the Grey Valley, and here again he claims that he was victimised along with six others. The Blackball strike resulted, and reinstatement followed. He succeeded Mr Robert Semple as president of the State Miners' .Union when Mr Semple became organiser of the Federation of Labour. Mr Webb then became the first elected president of the Federation of Labour, and still holds ,that post; pending the Federation's absorption in the United Federation of Labour evolved by the Unity Conference. In 1911 he polled 2539 votes in Grey against Sir Arthur Guinness's 3677.