PERSONAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 December 1917, Page 4

PERSONAL.

Sub-Inspector Mcllveney arrived in New Plymouth lust night, on business connected with the Supreme Court sittings.

A well-known resident of Auckland. Mr. Henry .lames Lee, died on Tuesday evening at his residence, Pousonby, at the ago- of 80. He had been in failing health since July last. Mr. Lee, who was born in London, arrived in Auckland by the ship Portland in 1803. The Kaponga Dairy Cq. have appointed Mr. H. Foster, of the staff of Messrs Oreen and Colebrook. Ltd., merchants, Otorohanga, to the position of secretary to the company, rendered vacant by the death of Mr. J. B. Bonnie.

Mrs. Jas. Paul, of New Plymouth, has received cable advice that her son, SergtMajor Paul, who is inspector of British munitions at Winnipeg, Canada, has been injured. As the result of a shell falling and exploding, his ankle was smashed, as was also a big toe, whilst two other toes were injured. The Rev. W. A. Sinclair, president of the Methodist conference, has received cabled advice from Chaplain Luxford to the effect that Chaplain Sullivan has been declared permanently unfit for military service. Chaplain Sullivan is well known in New Plymouth, he having been assistant master in the Central School prior to entering the ministry of the Methodist Church. The same cable also reported that Chaplain L. B. Neale had been wounded in the thigh and leg, but that there were good hopes that the limb would be saved. '

While Mr. Will Dyson, the well, known Australian artist, wa9 sketching the artillery at the front a German high-explosive shell burst close to him and wounded him in the arm and leg (says a London cable messago to the Australian papers), His drawing-board and equipment were smashed to pieces. He was treated at an aid post, but declined to go to hospital, though his wounds were painful and he was suffering from shock. He has left for London. This is his third advonture. Once he was hit in the face, and on another occasion he was thrown down by a shell-burst. On Wednesday evening, by command of His Majesty the King, an Investiture was held at Government House, Wellington, when the Governor-Gen-eral presented to the Hon. Sir Jame3 Allen the insignia of a Knight Commander of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath; and to Sir John Denniston his LetterA Patent of Knighthood. His Excellency also presented the insignia of a Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George to the Hon. W. E. Collins, M.8., Mr. J. P. Luke (Mayor of Wellington), and Captain Hall-Thompson (Naval Adviser to the Government), and the Badge of a [Companion of the Imperial Service OrIder to Mr. W. E. Morris, Secretary of the Post Office.

On Wednesday, at Feildmg, Mr. W. E. Burley, who is leaving his position as first assistant in the secondary department of the Fcilding High School to take up the position of assistant agricultural instructor under the Taranaki Education Board, was the guest at two socia] gatherings. In the afternoon the Reaching staff were entertained by Mr. and Mrs H. H. Richardson at their residence. Mr. Richardson, for the teachers, made a present to Mr. Burley, and expressed appreciation of the valuable educational and characterbuilding work done by Mr. Burley during his four years as teacher in Fcilding. The pupils under his care were a credit to him and to the school. His departure was greatly regretted. Mr. Richardson wished Mr. Burley good health and good succss in his new work. Mr. fl. Fitzpatriek chairman of the School Committee, also referred to the splendid work done by Mr. Burley in drawing out the best qualities in the children. Parents of the pupils wore extremely sorry lie was going away. Mr. Burley thanked the staff for their gift. In the evening the pupils and old pupils of the secondary department pave Mr. Burlev a farewell social in the ' Parish Hall. Miss Clarice Boddy, for the pupils, presented Mr. Burley with some handsome silver and china pieces, and Mr. Burley made an appropriate reply.

In a case heard at one of the London (Police Courts recently, it was stated that a woman money lender had charged interest-which worked out at 425 per cent.

Directions were left in hi* will by Mr. Edward Halkyard, Wyndcroft, Alderle* Edge, Cresliire (England), that hi'a executors were "to employ three surgeons at a fee of ten guineas each, to exhaust every test known to modem science to ascertain whether he is, really dead, and if they are unanimous that he is. (hen he is to he huried in the usual manner, but should any doubt exist, then he In to be cremated."

The following is a striking forecast of the air raid menace by Dr. Samuel Johnson in Chapter VI. of "Rasselas" (written in 1750): —If men were all virtuous I should with great alacrity teach them to flv. But what would be the security of the good if the bad could at, pleasure invade them from the sky? Against an army sailing through the clouds neither walls, mountains, nor sens could afford security. A flight of savages might hover in the wind and light with irresistible violence upon the capital of a fruitful region. The secretary of the Taranaki Head Centre of the Royal Life Saving Society yesterday r.pplied to the Taranaki county Council for a refund of the toll moneypaid on the occasion of the trip made by three of the Society's members down the coast for the purpose of giving demon* Orations of life saving methods and instruction to school children. He stated that the application was made "because of the humane nature of the work we carry out and in view of the fact that personal sacrifices are made by our members in carrying out this honorary work." Members all recognised the justness of the claim for consideration but as there was no legal authority to refund toll the request had to be refused with regret. The spoil of dry weather has had the effect of causing all the roads in the Taranaki County to more or less break up. Application- of clay Winding by the foremen is preserving the metal considerably hut with the fast motor traffic prevailing nowadays the blinding does not last long and has to be constantly replaced. Early next year, however, will see the inauguration of modern methods «f road-making in the Taranaki County, for in January half a mile of tar-sealed road will be "laid down in the Omata Riding, just outside the borough boundary. This was decided on some tw 0 years ago, but various circumstances have prevented it from being carried out. It is hoped that its success will he such that the Countv members and ratepayers will both see the wisdom of going in for a comprehensive Rchomo of tar-sealing throughout the county and so come into line with the progressive local bodies of South Taranaki.

A discovery of great value for testing with certainty whether a person is dead has been made by Dr. Sliiro Tashiro, Professor of Physiology at Chicago University. As described in the Lancet, it is too technical for 1 the layman's understanding, but a doctor explains that the test is made by crushing a piece of muscle and comparing it with a piece of uncrushed mußele. If the person Is alive the crushed piece gives off more carbonic-acid gas than the uncrushed piece, as a result of the stimulation produced by the \injury. Dr. Tashiro claims that this test can be applied within a few minutes, or at most within one or two hours of death. There are, of course, other tests with which every doctor is quite satisfied, but this will be extremely valuable, as proving local death of the tissues after general death has occurred. There is life in the tissues for some time after death, and proof of their death sets all doubts at rest.

Forgotfulnass was the prime cause of an accident which might have been attended with more serious consequences than wore actually the case. The occurrence took place on a recent evening just outside a railway station not a hundred miles from New Plymouth. A lady passenger had alighted from the train and, being met by another lady and a little girl, the three drove away in a gig, When only a short distance from the station the lady traveller evidently discovered that she had left a package in the carriage of the irain, and the horse was turned around and sent In hot haste back to the station. On approaching the .entrance to tho station tho animal stumbled and fell, and the two ladies were precipitated somewhat unceremoniously on to the roadway. The little girl, who was seated in the centre, managed to save herself by holding on to the front board of the gig. Fortunately neither of the ladies sustained any serious injury, and the forgetful one gathered herself up quickly and was just in t'mc' to secure the missing package before Ihe train left the station. Several men who saw the accident quickly caine to the assistance of the ladies, and when repairs to the harness—which Inn! ieceived only minor damage—had been effected the ladies made a fresh start for home, doubtless resolved on a mora ■watchfnl care over luggage in any future travellings.

The privitege of reserving seats when travelling long distances by main line trains is a great convenience to the public, and is Well worth tho modest sum charged for the concession. Tho system, needs to to vorkud with a little more care than was the case in an instance brought under the notice of a representative of the ''.Daily News" recently. A gentleman travelling from Palmerston to Wanganui boarded tho mail train at the former station, and, selecting the through carriage for Wanganui, secured an apparently ' unoccupied seat in the secondclass compartment. Just as the train started the new-comer in tne carriage was much surprised by another traveller who demanded tho occupied sent, claiming that he had paid tc reserve it. As the seat, according to the Wanganui gentleman, bore no sign indicating that it had been reserved he declined to vacate it until the guard's assurance was given that the protesting passenger was entitled to the seat. The annoyance to 'the new passenger then was that o'taar seats which might have been secured had been occupied by other travellers, and 'he was forced to take a Beat in a "smoker," a carriage in which he would not have preferred to ride. In the absence of a reserved ticket on the seat tho passenger could easily l.'ive avoided any risk of losing his s?at by the simple common practice of placing some of his belongings on the seat liefore leaving the carriage, and he would at \he same time have been spared the unpleasantness with the unsuspecting gentleman who innocently occupied a seat to which another passenger had first claim. An incident similar to the above, involving the loss of a seat, was witnessed only on Friday last—though in this ease the seat had not been reserved—in a train travelling between Stratford and New Plymouth. Walter Henry Harvey was last night reappointed registrar for the borough of Now Plymouth for the collection of (loan tax