PERSONAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 June 1921, Page 4

PERSONAL.

To-morrow i s the Prince of Wales’ twenty-seventh birthday. Mr. J. Heslop. who recently sold hia residence at Eltham, has purchased a house in New Plymouth. During the absence of the Hon. E. P. Lee, who is shortly to pay a visit to Samoa, the portfolio of Justice and Police will be controlled by the Hon. W. Downie Stewart, and the portfolio of Industries and Commerce by the Hon. G. J. Anderson. After a lengthy residence in New Plymouth Mr. J. Paton, who was formerly manager for the New Zealand Insurance Company, left for Auckland by the Rarawa last night. Mr. and Mrs. Paton were farew’elled by a large number of friends at the station prior to the departure of last night’s boat train. A Taihape message says that Mr. A. Broadbelt, of Feilding, who owned considerable/ sawmilling interests on the Main Trunk line, died suddenly at Taihape yesterday morning. He was attending a meeting of the Rangitikei Sawmillers’ Association, and was entering n sawmiller's premises when he collapsed from heart failure. He was 75 years of ago, and leaves a wife, three daughters and one son. There passed away on Sunday one of Wellington’s best-known commercial men in the person of Mr. Arthur Edward Pearce. The late Mr. Pearce was for a number of years a prominent figure in the commercial life of the city. He was managing director of Levin and Co., Ltd., and had held the position of chairman of a number of leading companies. The deceased was a son of Colonel Edward Pearce, who left New Zealand some years ago. and now resides at Cheltenham, England. Bom at Wellington 59 years ago, the late Mr. Pearce, after completing his education, joined his father in business, and followed an active and successful commercial career. He is survived by Mrs. Pearce and, two daughters, one of whom is Mrs. F. 8. Hodson, of Messrs. Murray, Roberts, Ltd., and the other Mrs. D. Stout, wife of Dr. Stout, of Wellington.

The death of a very old and resident of Kohinui, Mr. George Thompson, occurred last Thursday. The deceased, while on a visit to Pahiatau, became suddenly ill, and was removed u# his son’s residence, where he remained in a critical condition till he passed

away. The late Mr. Thompson was born in New Plymouth in 185 b. He was married in Dunedin and removed to Kohinui, where he carried on farming up till his death. Ho was a hard-working pioneer of the old type, and carved out a home for his family 30 years ago in the dense bush which covered the country at that time. He was of a quiet disposition and won the respect of everyone who knew him. He leaves a wiflow and family, namely, Mr. George W. Thompson (Kohinui), Mr. Robert A. Thompson (Pahiatua), Mrs. H. T. Lowe (Kohinui), and Miss K. Thompson.

The late Mr. J. Cathcart Wason, Coalition Liberal M.P. for Orkney and Shetland, who died recently, had three Parliamentary distinctions (says the London Times). lie represented the most northerly constituency in the British Isles, that of Orkney and Shetland. At a general election the return of the successful candidate was the last to come in, and often it was so belated that the general election had almost ceased to be a nine days’ wonder. Standing almost Oft din in height, he was usually the tallest man in the House of Commons during his time, x But he wat noted, above all, for his strange and unprecedented device of relieving the tedium of waiting for a division—that of knitting socks. He w r as in the habit of retiring to the tea-room, or other quiet resort known to the Whips of his party, and there, taking out his knitting needles and his ball of worsted, made socks for himself while the talk went on in the House. Mr. Wason confessed that his original purpose in learning to knit was to commend aimself to the womenfolk of the islands of Orkney and Shetland, whose special handicraft is the making of stockings At his meetingi ho would occupy himself with knitting until the time came for him to speak But as he became proficient in the craft he found it a most soothing occupation for dull hours. A son of Mr. Rigby Wason, who was for many years M.P. for Ipswich, he was born in 1848 at Corwar, Ayrshire, and was educated at Laleham and Rugby. He spent some years farming in New Zealand, and was a member of its House of Representatives in 1887.