PERSONAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 December 1919, Page 4

PERSONAL.

1 Mr. J. F. Strang, solicitor, of TauI marumii, formerly of New Plymouth, has decided shortly to commence practising in Hamilton. Among the passengers by the Bremen, which is now on the water for New Zea-, land, there is quite a little party of Hawera people—Mrs and Miss Grant Cowen, Captain Sellar, and Captain Caplen.-'-Star. Mr. J. G. McGregor, one of the chief telegraphists at New Plymouth, has been appointed postmaster at Awakino. Mr. McGregor is an efficient and popular officer, who will be greatly missed from New Plymouth.

The Taranaki men returning by the Kigoma, due at Wellington, on January 6 are: Major R, C. Brewster, M.0., New Plymouth; Captain S. C. Allen, New Plymouth; Lieut. P. J. O'Dowd, Lieut. C. Street. New Plymouth; 2nd lieutenant H, F. Willis, Stratford; N. G. Thomason. ■ The death is announced in the Wanganui papers of Mr. J. W. Baker, father of Mr. J. H. Baker, of Hawera. The late Mr. Baker was' a highly respected settler, who for many years farmed near Fordell, and took an active part in local public affairs. For a considerable period he was a member of the Wanganui Education Board, and was not the least distinguished of the long line of capable men whom that Board has had the good fortune to have in the chair. The late Mr. Charles Baker, who for over forty years was actively connected with the building trade in Ashburton, has left £IOOO to the Ashburton Technical School, with a request that the money be used for the instruction of students in woodwork, more especially in the branches connected with the building trade. In his eighty-ninth year Mr. Judah Myers, head of the firm of J. Myers and Co., Ltd., warehousemen, Wellington, died on Wednesday. The late Mr. Myers' long span of life embodied an ndventurous career before he finally settles down in Wellington. He was born in London, and could actually remember being held up as a child to witness the street pageants in connection with the coronation of the late Queen Victoria. At the age of nine years he came out to i Australia with his parents, who settled in Melbourne. It was in that city he was married in 1856. Seven years later the gold-rush attracted him to Otago, where he had considerable experience on the goldffelds. In 1805 he went to Nelson, which promised then to become a centre of much importance, and was for some yeans in business there, and on the West Coast, when the latter territory was perhaps more in the public eye than it is to-day. In 1879 he came to Wellington, and founded the business which, under his care, and with the able assistance of his sons, has grown in magnitude as the city and province have progressed. He is survived by his widow, five sons, and four daughters. The sons include Mr. M. Myers (of the legal firm of Bell, Gully, Bell, and Myers), and Messrs John and Solomon Myers (of the 1 firm), anil one of the daughters is Miss 1 Phoebe Myers, well known in Welling- 1 ton educational circles. I

The death is reported of. Captain Mercer, M.C., British representative to the forces of the King of Hedjaz, who went to organise a food system fpr British subjects in the Mecca pilgrimages and for the amy. Soon after the outbreak of the war, Captain Mercer, who had been sheep-farming for some years in New Zealand, went Home to rejoin his regiment. For a year he was stationed in Ireland (accompanied by his wife), then in France and Palestine, and-later in Egypt. Captain Mercer was appointed to Eedjaz about two months ago, and planned to leave for home in January. He owed his position in Jedda to his knowledge of Arabic. Captain Mercer was at the taking of Jerusalem, and saw a great deal of active service. Mrs. Mercer and her boh are on their way to New Zealand. Mrs. Mercer is the eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Patterson, of Manaia.