PERSONAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 238, 6 April 1912, Page 4

PERSONAL.

Mr. de B. de Lisle, well-known in insurance circles, arrived in New Plymouth last night to take charge of the Government Insurance Department. The Hon. J. A. Hanan -had a great reception on hie arrival at VEnvercargill on Thursday. It was his first homecoming since his appointment as a. MinisA great crowd gathered at the station. The mayor and councillors welcolmed Mr. Hanan, and the pipe band played in hie honor. Mr. Massey, leader of the Opposition, will leave Auckland at the end of this week for Wellington, where he has some private business. He will go on south, having accepted an invitation to attend a banquet in honor of Mr. C. A. C. Hardy, former member for Selwyn, at Methven on April 10. Mr. Massey expects to be away from Auckland about a fortnight. Captain Haydon, councillor, ex-mayor, and ex-president of the Chamber of Commerce, was entertained by ,the citizens of Palmerston North last night, and presented with a gold medal. om< the eve of his departure on a visit to Europe. Mr. John Baillie, formerly of Wellington, and now owne'r 6>f the Baillie Gallery, London, arrived in Wellington from Sydney on Thursday. He arrived almost simultaneously with a collection of 400 pictures, worth £25,000, which he proposes to exhibit in the chief centres of New Zealand.

An interesting item in connection with Mr. Wm. Herbert Herries, M.F, who has left for England, appears in the English papers to hand. It is the proving of the will of Edward Herries, C.8., of St. Julian's, Sevenoaks, for £166,722. Of this Lieut.-Colonel F. S. Herries received £20,000, R. S. Herries the same sum, and the St. Julian's property and Ledhora, William Herbert and David Charles Herries get £SOOO each, while William Herbert is one of the residuary legatees, who would apparently receive about £20,000 each. The late Minister for Public Works (the Hon. R. McKenzie) was observed yesterday strolling along LambtonQuay straw-Jutted and clad in light colored tweeds (says Wednesday's Dominion). Apparently he is enjoying his ireleas* from the carking car.es of Ministerial life. Sir Jiae. Carroll is another! -left4 Minister whose public appearancee suggest that he is fortified in the cold shades of retirement by a comfortable apirit of philosophy. Sir Joseph Ward may also be mentioned l in this connection. Apologising yesterday to the officers of the Treasury Department for his failure to meet them on the previous afternoon, as had |been arranged, he explained that he had been playing golf for the first time in thirteen years. Having started, he played on, «md became so absorbed that he totally forgot about the Treasury and everything else i» Wellington.