PERSONAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 104, 10 August 1910, Page 4

PERSONAL.

A London cable states that the King" and Queen have departed for Balmoral. The health of Mr. Coleman Phillips, of Carterton, is at present causing his friends some anxiety, Mr. B. McNaib was tendered a complimentary banquet in the Knapdale Public Hall by. the settlers of the district last Thursday evening, prior to severing his connection with the Mataura district to take up his residence at Palmerston North. Mr. William Irving presided. The toast of the health of the guest was honored with enthusiasm. 'Sir James Mills, of Dunedin, arrived in London by tli* Fmpress of Leland recently, having visited San Francisco, Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver on his way over from Ntw Zealand When the last .-nail Jett, hi# plans were somewhat indefinite, but he had' taken a house at 2! li.ine p.'acp where Lady Mills and Miss Geraldine Mills were also staying. The appointment of Colonel Daviea to the command of a brigade at Aldershot, the centre of active militA*y life in Great Britain, will give great satisfaction to New Zealanders, and especially to members of the defence forces (remarks the Christchurch IPress). Not only has no other New Zealander, if we are not mistaken, climbed so high on the military ladder, 'but we can recall no other case of a colonial officer being offered an important post in the British Army. Colonel Davies, it must be remembered, was not a member of that army, but an officer attached to it for training, and the War Office must have thought very ihigihly of his ability to appoint him to a position of great responsibility for which many British officers must have been eligible. New Zealsinders have long known Colonel Davies to be a very fine soldier, but, of course, our military world is small, and it comes as a very'pleasant surprise to find his services so highly rated in a larger sphere of activity. Colonel Davies is one of many able commanders who' have started in the ranks.