PERSONAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 February 1939, Page 4

PERSONAL

The Hon F. Langstone, Minister of Lands, is expected to return to Wellington from the South Island toddy. Mr N. Bruce, 1 recently appointed deputy-superintendent of the Masterton Fire Brigade, commenced duty today.

In connection with the University of New Zealand examinations, E. C. Coddington and Hazel M. Pettit, of Masterton, have passed their final B.A. degree. Mr B. T. D. Hume, manager of the Masterton branch of the Commercial Bank of Australia, Ltd.,' is under notice of transfer to the bank’s head office in Wellington, and will leave shortly to take up his duties there. Mr S. V. Playsted, manager at Dimboola. Victoria, will succeed Mr Hume. The appointment of Major-General J. E. Duigan, C. 8., D. 5.0., as Chief of the General Staff of the New Zealand Military Forces has been extended by Cabinet for a further year, it was announced last evening by the Minister of Defence, Mr Jones. Ma-jor-General Duigan’s term of service is due to expire on March 31, and the extension will date from the beginning of April.- He has held his present appointment since April, 1937.

The retirement from the Public Service on superannuation after nearly 45 years’ service of the Secretary to the Treasury, Mr G. C. Rodda, was announced last evening by the Minister of Finance, Mr Nash. His successor will be Mr B. C. Ashwin. M.Com., A.R.A.N.Z., who has been Assistant Secretary to the Treasury since 1935. Mr Ashwin’s appointment will take effect as from today. By virtue of his office of Secretary to the Treasury, Mr Ashwin will have a seat on the directorate of the Reserve Bank.

Mr Rupert Harvey has been appointed examiner in New Zealand this year for elocution for the Trinity College of Music, London. Mr Harvey studied for the stage under Georgiana Foulis, and made his first appearance in London in 1908 with Sir Frank Benson’s company, and later with

Laurence living. As a dramatic producer his work includes plays of every description, both at Home and overseas. He has on many occasions acted as judge at dramatic festivals and elocution competitions. He has wide stage experience, having taken leading parts in all Shakespearean plays. Mr Walter Lawrence Scott was created a knight in the Indian section of the New Year .Honours list, according to advice received by his brother. Mr Colin Scott, Takaka. Sir Walter will retire shortly, and is likely to return to New Zealand to live. Sir Walter was born in Rangiora in 1880. and was educated at East Christchurch School. Christ’s College, and Canterbury College, gaining his B.A. degree in 1901, and B.Sc. in 1902. He was appointed assistant rpagistrate and collector for East Bengal and Assam in 1905. Before being appointed a member of the Governor’s Council in Assam in 1935 he occupied various official positions in Assam. The death occurred after a short illness of the Rev Frank Rupert Jeffreys, formerly a leader of Presbyterian social work in Auckland. .Mr Jeffreys was born in Dunedin 60 years ago, and was educated at the Otago Boys’ High School and the Presbyterian Theological Hall. His first ministerial charge was St Andrew’s, South Canterbury. Soon after the foundation of the Presbyterian Social Service Association in Auckland in 1914 he was appointed agent in charge of the work. Before long he and his first wife, a trained deaconess, began to take orphan and neglected boys into their home, and this led to the establishment of the present Presbyterian Boys’ Home in Onehunga. For five years Mr Jeffreys acted as probation officer for Auckland in a voluntary capacity, and later held the official position for seven years. He resigned in 1928 and. after living in retirement for some lime, established a bookselling business which he conducted till just before his death.