PERSONAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 170, 24 December 1914, Page 4

PERSONAL.

Mr. 11. I>. Skinner, a New Plymouth old boy, lias joined the Expeditionary Force. Before, the scholars of the Palm, eiston school, where he is teaching, left for the vacation they met and presented Mr. Skinner with a purse of sovereigns. Mr AV. 11. Armstrong, of Messrs. West'on .uvl Weston's staff, was successful in obtaining his "final" at the I'iccnt iaw examinations held in New Plymouth. The death occurred at Oiristchurch on Sunday last of Ca,ptain Meikleham, who for many years was on the commercial stall of the Press, and in that capacity wis well-lcnown throughout the Dominion. He was 70 years of age, and spent his earlier years at sea. At a meeting of tile University Council yesterday, says a press message, Dr Alexander Murray Drenan, M.8., Cili.B., F.R.C.P. (Eilin.) was unanimously ajpjcinted to the position of Professor of Clinical Pathology at, the University of lOtago. Dr Drenan is 30 years of age, is at present assistant to the Professor of Pathology in the University of Edinburgh, and was the most brilliant scholar of this year at Edinburgh, lie ii to have the option of coming either in June or in December next. Mr. John 14.. McKay, who died at South Wyndham last week, afc the age of 80 years, was one cif the most respected residents of the district. He was born at Lintrathren, Forfarshire (Scotland), and arrived in New Zealand by the ship Wave Queen in 1803, and eleven years later settled at South Wyndliam. Mr. McKay was a very old member of Alma Lodge of Oddfellows, in which he became initiated in 1883, and always retained his connection with it. lie was also a member of Lodge Mokoreta (Masonic) for a considerable time. His chief recreative taste was angling. He was one of the, two who took out the first trout.fishing licenses issued in the district, and his enthusiasm for and skill in the "gentle art" was such that he was a recognised authority on the subject. He is survived by four sons and a daughter. At a meeting of the New Plymouth Iligh School Board on Tuesday, Mr 11. V. Searle, of Dunedin, was selected to I fill the. vacancy caused by the departure ! of Mr V. J. Hall, M.A., who volunteered I for the front. Mr Searlc, who has al- | ready the degree of B.Sc., sat for 1113 M.Sc., (Honors) in November. He was educated at the. Waitaki High School ' and has had a distinguished career, winI ning various scholarships while at the school. He left here after winnig a Junior University Scholarship and proceeded to Otago University, where he won the Sir (leorge Orey scholarship for science. Latterly he has been assistant demonstrator in science at the University. Iri all his years, he has obtained high honors each year, and in addition is a fine athlete, having lieen chosen ill a team to represent Otago at the University tournafents. Mr Searle takes up his duties here on February 4. The choice of a principal for the ti Iris' High School, in place of Miss C. D. (iraut, M.A., resigned, was held over till the I 2!Uh inst., to enable several of the applicants to interview the board in per-