PERSONAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 5 December 1907, Page 2

PERSONAL.

Mr. Sutton lias been re-elected chairman of tlie llawera Hospital Board. | The Rev. F. CI. and Mrs. Evans have reached Fremantle. on their return, voyage, and will come direct to Mew Zealand. Mr. Fred. li. Smith, a famous Y.M.C.A. lecturer who was in Australia in I'JO-1, is to visit New Zealand next year. He is one of the International Committee of the Y.M.C.A.

Miss M. A, Tra.sk, of the New Plymouth Hospital nursing stall, whilst taking her, annual holiday, contracted typhoid fever at Palinerston North, and is at present an inmate of the hospital there. A telegram received on Tuesday night stated her condition was improving. Sir Joseph Ward left Auckland for Wellington, via New Plymouth, by the Rotoiti yesterday. Yesterday morning Sir Joseph proceeded to the Veterans' Home, driving out in a motor ear with Mr. Alfred Kidd, M.11.R. The veterans were briefly addressed by the Premier, who afterwards made a call at Government House.

At Eltham on Tuesday night a banquet was tendered to Mr. James Boddie, who is leaving for To Kuiti. He intends going in for sheep-farming. Mr. Boddie has lor the past twenty years or more been Eltham's public man. He was chairman of the Eltham-Te Kuiti Rail-

way League, which was formed to secure for Kltliiim tlie terminus of the Taranaki branch of the Main Trunk line. Uc it was who got the Kawhitiroa road opened up, and that road is to Eltham what the Ohura road is to Stratford. As Eltham's member on the Hawera County Council he got its streets and footpaths formed and lighted. He led the agitation and supplied the facts and figures which resulted in forming the Eftham borough. He unsuccessfully contested the Mayoralty, but eat as councillor for some time. He was also ,i member for some years of the Hawera Hospital Board. Mr. Boddie, few other energetic men, pulled the Kltham County Bill through. Other institutions in which Mr. Boddie has been well known in Taranaki are the Farmers' Union (of which he was provincial president), Taranaki Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Association (first chairman of directors), Kltham Bacon Company (chairman), Kltham Dairy Company, Kltham Chamber of Commerce, and the Kltham Bille Volunteers (first captain). He lias alwavs evinced a keen business fom.ight, was perhaps the best public speaker in Taranaki, and, as Mr. Swadliiw remarked at the banquet, a veritable walking encyclopedia of knowledge of local government. Apart altogether from his public life, Mr. Boddie has often proved a good friend to folk iir need of advice, and has made a large circle of friends throughout the district. His loss will certainly be much felt in Eltham. On Tuesday night the Mayor (Mr. fi. y< T - Tayler), on behalf of town and country settlers, presented him with | a handsome gold watch and chain.