PERSONAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 January 1920, Page 4

PERSONAL.

Mr. Trevor Simpson, of the literary staff of the Auckland Herald, is visiting New Plymouth.

- A cable from London savs that at the Spen "Valley by-election Sir John Simon (Liberal) was defeated. A cable from London says Sir C. G. Wade (High Commissione'r for New South Wales), who lias accepted a Judgeship of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, sails by the Osterley.

The Tauranga correspondent of the Auckland Herald states that the Eev. W. H. Rattray, who has been vicar of Katikati for the past four years, has announced his resignation on the ground that the high cost of living has caused his expenses to exceed his income.

A record in Parliamentary life is held by Mr. W. T. Jennings, M.P. He was a member of the Legislative Council for ten years, resigning "the position to contest the Egtuout seat in the House of Representatives. He won the contest for Egmont on two occasions, the Taumarunui seat in three electoral contests, and has now won the Waitomo- seat with a majority of 377 votes against two candidates.

The death is announced from Dunedin of Mr. Alexander Burt, one of the founders of the firm of Messrs A. and T. Burt, engineers and ironfounders, aged 7i). The late Mr. Burt was born in Stirlingshire, Scotland, and was brought up to the engineering trade in Glasgow. He went out to Melbourne in 1858, and two years later was attracted to Otago by the rush to the gold diggings, Gabriel's Gully. Tn the following' year (1862) he settled in Dunedin, and with his brother, the late Mr. Thomas Burt, established the engineering works which are so well known throughout New Zealand. He was formerly a member of the Duni'iim OUv Council, and of the Otago Harbor Board. He took a keen interest in technical education, and was for many years president of the Dunedin technical Classes Association