PERSONAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 56, 11 February 1916, Page 4

PERSONAL.

The Rev. E. J. Harvey, of Franklin, will spend the week-end in Stratford, and is staying at the Vicarage with the Rev. C. Howard.

Mr R. B. Hamilton, of Manutahi, made a handsome donation of £SOO to the Wounded Soldiers’ Fund, a cheque for the amount having been sent to the Patea Patriotic League.

Captain W. H. Hawkins, formerly M.P. for Pahiatua, who enlisted for active service recently, has been drafted to the Fourteenth Reinforcements, md is in camp at Trentham.

Mr R. McMillan (representing the Independent Cable Service of Australia), Mr Barraclough (Reuter and Times and Sydney Sun Cable Service), and Mi- W. G. Conley (manager of the Sydney Morning Herald), will attend flic conferences of newspaper proprietors at Rotorua next week.

Mr J. G. W. Fear, of Willis street, Wellington, has received a letter from Sir Thomas Mackenzie, New Zealand High Commissioner in London, stating that his son, Clutha Mackenzie (who lost -both his eyes in action), “is

daily regaining strength and takes his mishap in, a most cheerful spirit.”

Mrs Jane Squire, an old resident of Stratford, passed away at the residence of her brother, Mr Mulree, Miranda Street, at an early hou'- this morning, at the age of 77 years. After the death of her husband, 18 years ago, Mrs Squire came to live with her relations in New Zealand. Mrs Squire leaves three sons and a daughter, of whom Mr J. Squire and Miss Squire are residents of Stratford.

Mr G. M. Thomson, ex-M.P. for Dunedin North, was in Stratford on 'Wednesday and Thursday, being the guest of Mr P. Thomson. On Wednesday Mr Thomson, who was shown through the school by Mr Tyrer, spoke in the highest terms of the good work done by the headmaster and staff. Mr Thomson said that excellent work was done at the school generally, and the Stratford School had a Dominion reputation.

Mr G. Hogben, C.M.G., has received a letter from the Rev. J. Clark Gibson, Wesleyan chaplain with the 13th Division, relative to the death of his son, Sergt. George H. Hogben, of the Main Expeditionary Force, who was killed in the great offensive at Anzac in August last . “He. lies buried,” says the chaplain, “in a cemetery overlooking the Aegean Sea, with the islands so full of sacred associations in the distance—Samos, Thrace, and Mitylene.”

Several officials of the Post and Telegraph Department will retire at the end of the financial year. They include Mr F. D. Holdsworth, Chief Postmaster at Auckland (48 years’ service); Mr W. McHutcheson, Chief Postmaster at Dunedin (50 years’ service) ; Mr A. W. Mann, Chief Postmaster at Westport (40 years’ service); Mr P. P. White, Chief Postmaster at Thames (46 years’ service; and Mr W. Dommett, senior telegraphist at Timaru (40 years’ service). Consequent upon Mr A. J. Talbot, Superintendent of Telegraphs at Christchurch, having been appointed to Wellington, and Mr H. P. Wyatt, assistant in Wellington, having been appointed to succeed Mr Talbot, several changes are being made in the service. Mr G. Treweek, Superintendent at Nelson, becomes assistantsuperintendent in Wellington, and is being succeeded at Nelson by Mr A. W. Oxley, Superintendent at Invercargill. Mr A., W. Downon, of Palmerston North, has been promoted to be senior mail clerk at Gisborne, and Mr J. Louisson, senior exchange clerk at Palmerston North, becomes officer-in-charge of the Wellington Telephone Exchange.