PERSONAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 June 1939, Page 4

PERSONAL

The Hon W. Lee Martin, Minister of Agriculture, returned to Wellington from the Waikato yesterday.

Mr. and Mrs. Berge (Hastings) are visiting Masterton and are staying at the Prince of Wales Hotel. The Hon P. C. Webb, Minister of Mines, will return to Wellington from Christchurch today. The Hon P. Fraser, Minister of Health, returned to Wellington from the north yesterday. Father Patrick O’Reilly, of County Cavan,' Ireland, arrived at Auckland from England by the Rimutaka this week. He will be attached to the Roman Catholic diocese of Auckland.

Three years ago Mr Ray Trewern, then on the staff of the electricity department of the Wellington City Corporation, tried his fortune as a tenor singer at the South Street (Ballarat) competitions, and came out champion singer and gold medallist of this trying test. Mr Trewern has returned to New Zealand to fulfil engagements north and south.

The ninety-fifth birthday this week of the Rev W. Raeburn, retired minister of St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Wairoa, was marked by the presentation at his home of a congratulatory address by Mr T. Lambert, in the presence of a gathering of residents. Included in the gathering were many old members of the Presbyterian Church and representatives of the Catholic and other denominations. Believed to be the last of the New Zealand Company’s pioneer settlers who landed at/ Nelson in 1842, Mrs Mary Pratt, Remuera, died on Tuesday night in her ninety-ninth year, says a Press Association message. Born in Edinburgh, Mrs Pratt sailed from London for New Zealand with her parents in the following August in the ship Lord Auckland. Her father, who was Mi - John Smith, knew only that he was bound for a future settlement to be called Nelson. Its site had not then been finally chosen. After 62 years in Nelson Mrs Pratt went to live in Auckland.