PERSONAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 November 1938, Page 4

PERSONAL

The Hon H. T. Armstrong, Minister of Labour, returned to Wellington from the South Island yesterday. The death occurred yesterday of Mr William Orr Smellie, a former mayor of Green Island, says a Press Association message from Dunedin. Mr and Mrs A. W. Charleson, College'Street, have returned from a holiday visit to Napier. Mr Charleson, who was lately indisposed, has made an excellent recovery.

The Hon R. Semple, Minister of Public Works, will leave Wellington for Auckland by the Limited express on Friday night. From Auckland he will proceed to the East Coast. On Monday Mr Semple’ and the Hon P. C. Webb, Minister of Mines, will inspect the oilboring operations in the Gisborne district. The construction work on the East Coast railway line, the hydroelectric development work at Lake Waikaremoana and the flood .damage restoration work in Hawke’s Bay, will be inspected by Mr Semple before he returns to Wellington on Friday week. Mr ■ Edward Albert Burr, who died in Wellington yesterday at. the age of 76 years, was well known in musical circles. Born in Foxton, he had many interesting memories of the early pioneering days in the district. Mr Burr was superintendent of the Christchurch Telegraph Office for some years and retired soon after his return to the Wellington office 15 years ago. He turned his hobby of violin-making into a business and spent a busy, happy 14 years at 30 Courtenay Place, Wellington. The little business grew and prospered and his workroom was a rendezvous for many musical people. Prominent New Zealand artists play his violins —Zillah Castle and Vivienne Blamires took theirs to London with them. Mr Burr leave a son, Mr E. A. C. Burr, and a daughter, Mrs O. E. Maysmor.