PERSONAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 May 1939, Page 4

PERSONAL

The Hon. P. C. Webb, Minister of Labour, left Wellington for the South Island last night. Mr I. N. S. Jones, of Nelson, is visiting Masterton, and’is staying at the Prince of Wales Hotel.

Staying at the Empire Hotel is Miss J. I. Hetherington, inspector of secondary schools. Mr F. R. Chitty, of Christchurch, who has been staying in Masterton at the Prince of Wales Hotel, returned home today. Mr E. Caradus, of Wellington, senior inspector of secondary schools and Miss Caradus are visiting Masterton. They are guests at the Empire hotel. - ‘ Mr. A. Campbell Pearce was re-elect-ed chairman of the Wairarapa Electric Power Board at its annual meeting at Carterton yesterday. Dr. M. H. Watt, Director-General of Health, who has been on a tour abroad, is returning from England with Mrs. Watt by the Tamaroa, which is due at Wellington on June 15. Messrs. A. Campbell Pearce, W. Howard Booth and H. P. Hugo were reelected as an executive committee of the Wairarapa Electric Power Board at its annual meeting at Carterton yesterday. Mr. R. I. Armstrong, of Masterton, is among the twenty-four candidates selected for short service commissions in the Royal Air Force, the names in connection with which were announced yesterday by the Minister of Defence.

Mr. G. R. Ritchie has been appointed chairman of directors of the National Insurance Company in succession to the late Mr. John Moloney, says a Press Association message from Dunedin. Mr. Edmund J. Smith has joined the board of directors.

Archbishop Averill arrived at Wellington yesterday from Auckland to preside over the commission on divorce and marriage set up by the Anglican General Synod in 1937. The commission is to report to the Standing Committee of the Synod in August. Dr. G. Jobberns, professor of geography at Canterbury University College, has been granted leave of absence by the college council. Dr. Jobberns has been awarded a Carnegie Corporation travelling grant, and will be away from September this year till June next year.

The death occurred at. her residence in Lady’s Mile, of one of Foxton’s oldest residents, Miss Christina Robina Duncan. She was aged 95. Miss Duncan was a daughter of the well-known pioneer missionary and first Presbyterian minister on the west coast, the Rev. James Duncan. She had a literary turn of mind and a number of her poems were published. She resided all her life in Foxton. She was one of a family of three, her two sisters predeceasing her many years ago. Commissioner F. H. Adams, who has spent the past, four years and a half in New Zealand as head of the Salvation Army, and who will leave for England next month, visited Palmerston North on Monday in the course of a farewell tour. Commissioner Adams, who was accompanied by his daughter, Adjutant C. Adams, was given a public valedictory gathering in the citadel at night, the guests of honour including the M.P. for Palmerston North, Mr. Hodgens, and the mayoress, Mrs. Mansford. Major J. H. Nelson, Wellington divisional commander, presided. The mayor in a letter expressed appreciation of the commissioner’s service and success in the administration of the Army. The death of Dr. Bertram G. Mitford occurred suddenly in Wairoa yesterday. Dr. Bertram had a distinguished scholastic career. He was head boy at Wellington College in 1918, and won the Turnbull and W. B. Rhodes scholarships. He spent two years at Victoria University College before proceeding to Otago University, where he passed his medical examinations. He then went to Britain, and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons. Edinburgh. Later he was senior resident surgeon at the Royal Sussex Hospital. Dr. Mitford returned to New Zealand and was senior house surgeon at Wellington Hospital for three years. He later went to Samoa as surgeon in the Government hospital there: He was in practice in Gisborne for about a year before going to Wairoa.