PERSONAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 January 1939, Page 4

PERSONAL

A former secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Mr W. C. Robinson, died in Wellington yesterday at the age of 64. Mr Robinson joined the Department of Agriculture in 1895. and in 1901 was appointed to the permanent staff, taking up the position of Registrar of Brands in Auckland. In 1929 he succeeded to the position of Secretary of the Department, and held that office till his retirement in June. 1938. because of ill health. He is survived by his wife, three sons, Messrs L. R. Robinson (Christchurch), C. W. Robinson (Dunedin), and G. R. Robinson (Wellington), and one daughter. Mrs K. C. Akers (Wellington). The death occurred at Wellington yesterday of Mr Frank Locke Hartnell, aged 64, who was well known throughout the Dominion for his work for the Returned Soldiers’ Association and national rifle shooting. He was also one of New Zealand’s leading croquet players. Only last week Mr Hartnell won the North Island open croquet championship and. with Mrs Morgan again as partner, retained the doubles championship. The death occurred at Rotorua recently of Mr W. Whitly. who, wjth his wife and daughter, was a former resident of Pahiatua. As an officer of the Salvation Army for several years, holding the rank of captain, he did splendid work and was greatly liked by the residents. He was an old English reservist, and on the outbreak of the Great War readily responded to the call to the colours. He saw service in Egypt and Gallipoli. The family afterwards made their home near Rotorua.

The Hon P. Fraser, Minister of Education, left Wellington last night for Auckland, where today he represented the Prime Minister and the Government at the State luncheon tendered to the High Commissioner for Australia in London, Mr S. M. Bruce; the Premier of Ontario, the Hon M. F. Hepburn; and the Ontario Minister of Public Works, the Hon C. A. Campbell, who arc passing through Auckland en route to Australia. Mr Fraser will spend the weekend in Auckland and return to Wellington on Tuesday next.

A former Dominion Analyst and Chief Inspector of Explosives, ■ Dr J. S. Maclaurin, D.Sc., F.C.S., died in Wellington yesterday at the age of 75. ,Dr Maclaurin, who retired from the Government service in 1931, after 29 years’ employment, had a distinguished career. He came out from England with his- parents at an early age and was educated at Auckland Grammar School and Auckland University College. He joined the Mines Department in 1901. In 1909 he took over the administration of the Explosives and Dangerous Goods Act. He is survived by his wife, two sons —Drs Colin and William Maclaurin—and two daughters. Mr C. G. S. Simkin has been appointed lecturer in economics at Canterbury University College. Mr Simkin, who is 25 years old, will take the place made vacant by the resignation of Mr G. Lawn, now economic adviser to the Reserve Bank. Mr Simkin entered the University of Otago in 1933 as an arts student. There he gained the Macandrew Scholarship, which is awarded annually to the best stage HI economics student at the university. He graduated as bachelor of arts and received the Diploma of Social Science, and a senior scholarship in economics. In 1936 he received first-class honours in the master of arts degree, and was placed first in New Zealand.

A former Pahiatua resident, Mr Thomas Willis, of Sydney, died recently. Mr Willis, who was born in Cornwall, England, 64 years ago, came to New Zealand in 1911, settling on the West Coast, where he was mining for a number of years. In 1917 he went to the Bush district, being engaged on road work at Kohinui and subsequently farming there. In 1921 he went to Lower Hutt, where he was employed on the Power Board, and later, in 1927, he went with his wife and family to Australia, where he remained up to the time of his death. Mr Willis will be remembered in the Pahiatua district as a keen breeder of dogs, who exhibited regularly and with considerable success at neighbouring shows. He was also a keen Soccer player and in this respect did a good deal of coaching during his residence in Wellington. Mr Willis, who was married in England, leaves a widow in Sydney, and four daughters, Mrs A. H. Ellmers (Kohinui), Mrs A. N. Grimstone (Wellington) and the Misses A. and N. Willis, Sydney.