PERSONAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 25, 19 June 1914, Page 4

PERSONAL.

Mr f. Black, consulting engineer to the New Plymouth Borough Council, will arrive on Monday to confer with the tramways committee of the Council.

The death took place yesterday of an old settler in the person of Mr E. J. Joblin. Ho tame to the Dominion over fifty yeais ago, working in Canterbury, and about twenty years ago shifted to the Strathmore district. For some years past he had resided in New Plymouth. Some of the Ohristchrurch papers stated on Monday tdiat Mr T. Ji. Cresswell, principal of the Rangiora High School, iliad teen "temporarily appointed, for six months, Assistant InspectorGeneral of Secondary Schools, Dr Anderson, who held that position, succeeding Mr u. Hogbcn as Inspector-G-eneral of Scibools." Mr Hogben, when he was approached by a Dominion reporter, said that the statements were without foundation. He was still Inspector-General, and Dr Anderson was Assistant-Inspee-tor-General of iSchools (not of secondary schools only). The Inspector of Sec-' «iidary Schools is Mr T. H. Gill, and the position to which Mr Creaswcll lias been temporarily appointed is that of Assistant-Inspector of Secondary Schools. While it is true that Mr Hogben's retirement from the position of Inspector-General is in prospect, no date has yet been fixed, and the question of selecting his successor ihas therefore not been raised.

An old and highly-respected resident of Karon passed away on Monday in the person of Mr George Henry Davies, a son of Dr Davies,' one of file early missionaries, a gentleman who came out to New Zealand as a physician and eventually became a clergyman, assisting in spreading the Gospel in the Bay of Islands and at Opotiki. The widow of Mr Davies> is stm alive, toeing 94 years of age, and resides with one of her sons in Napier. The late Mr George Davies was. born 70 years ago at Waimate, Bay of Islands, and received his education at Waimate and at the Churchi of England Grammar School, Auckland. In 1872 ho joined the Government service in Wellington aa a native interpreter, after having acted in a similar capacity in the Bay ot Islands for a numbcT of years. He became translator when Mr T. E. Young was created a Judge of the Native Cand Court, and when Sir Donald McLean was Native Minister he frequently accompanied him as private secretary. 111-health compelled hun to retire from the Civil Service in 190 G.

Dr Godfray, superintendent of the Waipukurau Hospital, passed away in his sleep on Saturday morning. The Napier Daily Telegraph says that Dr Godfray, who was tinmarried, saw service in the South African war. He was engaged in Hie trouble in the Orange Free State in April and May, 1900, and the Transvaal in May and June, 1900, including actions near Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Diamond Hill. Ho saw operations in the Transvaal, east of Pretoria, July to Novemlber, 1900, including actions at lleit Vlci and Rlienoster Kop (where he wasi severely wounded), find in the Transvaal west of Pretoria, July to November, including an action at Ziliate Nek; also operations in Cape Colony south of Orange river March flnd April, 1900, and.Transvaal in January, 1901. He held a Queen's medal wilili five clasps. He held the rank of -major, and at the time of his death was medical officer to the 9th (Wellington East Coast) Regiment. Dr Godfray was an eye specialist, and was looked upon as a very clever doctor. He had been superintendent of the Waipukurau Hospital for a great many years, practically since it* foundation, and the news of hist death will come as a sad blow to a very wide circle of friends he has made, not only throughout the provincial district of Hawke's Bay, hut in different parts of jSew Zealand. As a military man he was respected by all. and in medical matters he was considered an authority.