PERSONAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 306, 4 June 1915, Page 4

PERSONAL.

Mr. W. J. Avery, of Awakino, faoe been elected unopposed to fill the vacancy on the Mokau Harbor Board caused by the resignation of Mr Loo Jacob, who ia leading the district. Among the casualties reported to-day appears the name of Major IW. J. Hardham, who won his V.C. in the -Boer war. Major llardham, who was a Petone 'blacksmith, wen* witu the third reinforcements.

A cablegram from London states that General Moussy has been killed in action. Ha commanded a brigade inserted in the British lines at Ypres during the critical days of October. He led a miscellaneous force of cooks and gunners who fought like heroes. Mr. Louis Zala. a well-known South Westland sawmiller, has volunteered for the front. He i 3 making arrangements for the carrying on of his business as usual. Mr. Zala says he feels it his duty to offer his services, especially as Italy has decided to join Britain and her Allies.

Admiral Kato, of the Japanosc Navy, and General Kamio, of the Japanese Army, have been honored by the 'British Government with the distinction of the Order of Knight Commander of St. Michael and St. George (K.C.M.G.). The honors were conferred in recognition of their operations at Tsing-tao. Major J. E. Duigan, P.S.C., 1.G.5., has been appointed general staff officer, Auckland district, in succession to Major C. E. Macdonald, P.S.C., I.G.'S., who is now staff instructor of infantry at Trentham. Major Duigan will hold bis new appointment until the end of the war, and will have charge of the training of the Maori Reinforcement Contingent now being formed.

The departure of Mr. S. Burgess, of Hawera, for the front was referred to at the liawera Golf Club yesterday, when Mr. E. Welsh was farewelline the New Plymouth Club. He said that while some golfers were unable to go to the front they were quite prepared to continue inter-club matches. There were some men whom circumstances would not allow to go to the front, but lie was pleased to know that one of the Hawera Club's most enthusiastic members had enlisted. Mr. Burgess leaves for Auckland to-night, but he will return to 'iiawera on Tuesday next, and will leave that place for Trenthsm on June 14.

The death is announced of another old 9ett!er of the Wairarapa, in the person of Mrs. Hawke, sen., of Grcytewn. The deceased lady, Who was in her seventyninth year, came to New Zealand in 1840, in the ship Duke of Roxburgh, and settled in the Wairarapa in the year 1856, residing in Greytown till the time of her death. The late Mrs. Ilawke, who was widely esteemed by a large circle of friends, took an active interest at one time in the Methodist Church, and in a quiet, unobtrusive way was noted for charitable and sympathetic qualities. She leaves a family of ten sons and three daughters to mourn her death. Her husband predeceased her 20 years ago.

Herr Ballin, who according to a Copenhagen cablegram, has been removed in a serious condition to a nerve clinic at Frankfurt-on-Maine, is, in the eyes of the German people, perhaps the greatest German living. He is the directorgeneral of the Hamburg-Amerika Line, under whose management the company had tlecome the largest shipping concern in tho world. He has refused Government subsidies and frequently refused titles and honors, yet there is no more patriotic man than this Hamburg Jew. Ballin is as close to the Kaiser as any one of the German monarch's advisers. lie lias a remarkable brain for figures and details, and in every port throughout the world his agents are constantly gathering information upon which Ballin and the Hamburg-Amerika Line act.

The death took place recently at the Islq of Wight of Sir Clwrles Seely, father of 'Brigadier-General Seely, M.P., ex-Minister for War. Sir Charles came of a long-lived family. H|is father, Charles Seely, died at a great age in 1887. He was for many,years member of Parliament for Lincoln. His son, the first baronet, was born in 1533. He also entered Parliament, and represented Nottingham at intervals from 1869 until 1895. The late baronet was an ardent volunteer, and was colonel of the Robin Hood Rifles for eighteen years. iA few years ago he was elected president of the Isie of Wight Lifeboat Board. He had always taken a keen interest in lifeboat matters, and Briga-dier-General Seely, his youngest son, was formerly a member of the crew. In fact, he was presented with a gold medal by the French Government in 1891 for swimming oiit to a French ship with a line which was the means of saving nine o£ the crew. Sir Charles marriec, in 1857. a sister of Sir F. Evans, Bart., and had a large family. He is succeeded in the title and estates by his eldest son, Charles Hilton Seely, who was born in 185!), and represented Lincoln in the House of Commons from 1895 to IfMJCJ.

Queen Mary, accompanied by Princess Alexander of Teck, and attended by two ladies-in-waiting, paid an informal visit, during the last week in March, to the London School of Medicine for Women, and showed the very keenest interest in the work being carried out in the biological and chemical laboratories, and the anatomical and dissecting rooms. During the visit Miss Margaret Hastings Bridge, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.. Hastings Bridge, of ChristchurcTi, who is a senior student, had two interviews with her Majesty, first as the subject of demonstration, when, greatly interested, the Queen was shown the new bethod of testing blood pressure., and 'Miss Bridge's arm was bandaged and treated. Later, just as she was leaving the laboratory, the Queen was told that Miss Bridge, to whom she was speaking, was a New Zealander. She then turned back and had the young New Zealander presented to her, asked what part of the Dominion she came from, how long she. had been in England, and if she had completed her course. 1 A private letter received on Monday by an old friend in ITawera, says the' Star, shows that Miss Bridge's reply must have been in the affirmative, notwithstanding the circumstance (not mentioned to her Majesty) that she is engaged to be married to ail officer in the Gth (service) Nortliumberlandshire Regiment.