PERSONAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 51, 5 February 1916, Page 4

PERSONAL.

] A London cablegram reports that ] Madame Melba lias been gazetted Lady of Grace of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. Air J, G. Anderson. B.Sc., an expupil of the Invercargill Boys’ High School, and the Otago University’s nominee for the Rhodes Scholarship this year, has been appointed science master at the AVanganui Collegiate School. An Auckland telegram states that Air A. E. T. Devore, .of the legal firm of Devore, Martin and Prendergast, died on Thursday, aged 72 years. He had been ailing for some time, but bad been absent from tile office only ten days. Airs A. C. H. Collins and Airs R. George (of New Plymouth), are daughters of the late Air Devore. Trooper Fred Topi, who lias been mentioned in despatches, is a young Alaori of high rank, who is well-known amongst the Natives of the South Island. He is a grandson of the Hon. T. Parata, M.L.C., and also of the late All' John Topi, bettor known in Southland in the early days as King Topi, of Ruapnke Island. Trooper Topi, who is about 30 years of age, left with the Otago Afonnted section of Hie Alain Expeditionary Force as a private, and it is understood has since received promotion a« corporal. He participated in the first landing at Gallipoli, and up to recently wa s on the peninsula. He has been wounded, and is at present a private guest in London, residing with a New Zealand family which takes a very practical interest in the Natives of this Dominion. He has recently had an operation. which proved unsuccessful, and, according to latest advices, is about to undergo another.