PERSONAL

Taranaki Daily News, 3 April 1919, Page 4

PERSONAL

'Mr £. G. Howard has bees aetata'. as the labor Party's candidate for tfc Christchurch South seat at the genari, election.

Mr W. H. Skinner retired from ttr position of Commissioner of ONMI Lands for Canterbury on Monday, 8 will leave Ohristchuwh to day to fcejfc up his residence at New Plymouth. Sir William Fraser, Minister of $&• lie Works, will leave WWllngtcto on Monday for Whaog&moinoß*, to proceed from there to the Ohura distriat He .

will be accompanied by the Minister of Lands (the Hon. D. H. Guthrie).

Mr Thomas Wilson Walker, who had been Town Ckrk of InvtrcargUl ikwt 1906, and a servant of the corporation for thirty-eight years, died yesterday, aged 58 years—Press Assooifttioa. At last night's meeting of t*e New Plymouth Borough Council, a motion of sympathy with the relatives of the Utt Mr J. B. Connett was moved by the Mayor, and carried in the customary manner.

Archdeacon Jacob, well-known in !&• wera, who has been on active serviw a$ a,' military chaplain, is expected In leave England on his return to TimAM. next month.

A Palmerston North message state) that Mr. Howard Morrah, local manage) of the Bank of Australasia, died yesterday morning after a brief illness, aged 54.

A cablegram has been received bj Lady Russell from Brigadier-General Si) A. H. Russell, stating that he is kftsn| for New Zealand early la April Ijy tit Arawa, via Panama. Mr. J. Brown, who for niany yean was chairman of the Taranaki fionnt) Council, and who has been chairman ol the Maketawa Dairy Company since iti inception, has purchased a property, in town and intends taking up his residence here shortly.

Mr. S. Rundle has received advice that his son, Trooper I* J., fiuftfle, who has been on active iervioe for three years and three months, is returning to New Zea« land by the Kaikoura, due to arrive in Wellington on April 17. Mrs. W. H. Bishop, of Bell Block, has reoeived advice that her son, Trooper W. F. Bishop, who has seen over three years' service in Palestine, wiM be returning by the transport XaUteura', which is due to arrive in Wellington about the 17th. inst. Trooper Bishop left with the 12th Reinforcements.

■ At the advanced age of 85 jests, theto died on Saturday at FaKuranga, Mr Rohert Andrew, one of the paMengeM who arrived in the Duchess ol Argyle ft* far ba:k as 1842. lie came witit Kf* parent*, and spent the greater part of his life in Auckland district. He witt for a short while resident in Melbowa*. and also was on the Thames, goldueldb) in the early days. Mr Andrew service daring the Maori War, A very well-known reaident of Wasganui in the person of Mr Alan Lees passed away oh Tvhjsday at the advanced age of 78 (the Chronicle report!f. The.late Mr Lees was one of Wiltg*nui's earliest settlers, landing is Wat lington in 1861 per ship Wild Duck. Be was born m IM. The late Mr h*** enjraged in farming in the Fordell,Wav> erley, and Upokongavo districts, a p«I suit he Rave up for a brief period while | he sought fame and fortune on the gold I diggings. • ' , ■

Mr. F. W. Okey, who for many years has bean a partner in US« wc)l-kn<JWn engineering firm of Okey and ftotio, hai retired, and Mr. Q. S. Miliar, late nun' ager of the Taranaki (tf.Z.) Oil Wall*, i Ltd., refinery, hag joined Mr. Boll© *l partnership. Mr. Miliar M*Ved Ms ap--1 prentieeahjp with one of the largest engineering and shipbuilding firms ot the west coast of Scotland, ana for many years held the position of construction engineer and chief draughtsman to tint Burma Oil Company at Sanfoon. Mr. Millar has also had construction expert. ence in the Mexican oilfields, and prlof to his arrival in New Zealand was oft the staff of a London constructional en> gineering firm. The new flfm will, b* known as Rollo and Millar.

The London Tiittea lvas the Mowinf account of the gallant exploit of Lieut Burnham Horner (eon of Mr and Mr* E. C. Horner, of Patea), which won for him the Military Cross: "Lieut. B. H. Horner, A/2loth Brigade, H.F.A., T.F. For conspicuous gallantry and good work during an advance. He reconnoitred the area of enemy hut*, coming under machine-gun fire at close range. He watched from Shell floles for four hours, and brought hack valuable information as to the enemy's disposition As a result, effective fire was brought to hear on the machine-gnn nests, the orews of which were scattered and many killed by shrapnel." Lieut Horner (says the Patea Press) will he in the Dominion shortly; as he arrived in San Francisco on his return to New Zealand on the 10th inst. Lieut. Horner is the first Patea boy to win the coveted distinction of the Military Cross, and will be heartily welcomed home by the citizen.?, who are justly proud of the honor that has been conferred upon him.

The death occurred, on 'Saturday nfglft of Mr -John Bigot Birch, a resident of ' ■i') years' standing in New Zealand (reports the Auckland Herald). ,The deceased was in his 73rd year, and was the second son of the late Dr William Birch, Barton-tmdcr-Ncedwood, Stafford- - shire, lie married tlio eldest daughter ;> of the late Dr. John J. Yoiilin, of Jer- ; : se y City, No.v York. After residing for some lime in America and Bombay, the deceased came to New ZtfthUUl 4if ';' IS7», and, except for n comparatively ; short reMideiie.? in Fiji—where he «M tit one time governor of the jail at Suva-* he had lived in this country et« aJncc. Mr Birch served in the old 'Armed Constabulary, and was with that force \\hen, in 1881. Te Whiti surrendered at Parihaka. For some time be waa,ensraffed in fruitgrowing at Henderson, and nftmvards at Avondak Rubscquentlv he went, into business in Auckland in the island fruit industry, and Inter ioined the local firm of A. Too- , mtn and Company, as manager Abont " eiirht years am'he retired. The deceased .i* survived by bin widow, two F. Birch, of Auckland—and one damrhter—Mrs Tlunstan, a resident of New South Wales.