PERSONAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 December 1943, Page 2

PERSONAL

Tributes were paid to the late Mr W. D. McDonald, Stock Inspector, at a meeting of the Wairarapa Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union yesterday. Reference was made to the courteous consideration always given by Mr McDonald in the course of his duties. >

After an absence of about nine weeks from official duties caused by sickness, the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, attended at his office in Parliament House yesterday for several hours. It is the intention of the Prime Minister to take things quietly for a start, gradually resuming his full office duties. For the first few days he proposes to spend a part of the day at his office and to deal with any other business requiring his attention from his homo at Northland. The Rev Father Michael Griffin, administrator of the Catholic parish of Kilbirnie since 1936, died suddenly, after admission to a private hospital, yesterday morning. His death came as a shock to his parishioners, as he was in normal health during Sunday, when he attended to his religious duties in the usual way. Father priffin was born at Invercargill in 1893 and attended the Convent School and Marist Brothers’ School at Invercargill. He was ordained in Ireland in 1917. Colonel George Barclay, 0.8. E., whose death is announced in a Press Association message from Dunedin, began his military career nearly 60 years ago when he joined the New Zealand Volunteers. He was born in Scotland in .1866, educated at the Tokomairiro Grammar School, and joined the Railways Department as a cadet in 1879. He held various positions in the Otago and Auckland districts, retiring in 1919. In the Great War he served in Egypt, Gallipoli, France and Belgium, and was mentioned twice in dispatches. Among a party of sick, wounded and other personnel of the Second N.Z.E.F., who returned recently from the Middle East are the following from the Wairarapa: Lieutenant Garth S. Roydhouse, Carterton; Sister Georgina C. Ward, Church Street, Masterton; Private Edith A. Thornton, Park Road, Carterton; Driver John B. Brockett, Tauherenikau; Private Esmonde H. Doherty, 35 Albert Street, Masterton; Private Elector Manihera, Greytown; Corporal Roderick J. Montgomerie, Grey town; Corporal Lambert M. Roach, 20 Cambridge Terrace, Masterton. Among a party of returning prisoners of war is Lance-Sergeant Leslie G. P. Whyte, Masterton. The death occurred on Sunday at Lower Hutt, of Mr Andrew Duncan Thomson, formerly a stipendiary magistrate in Wellington for some years. Mr Thomson, who was 79 years of age, was born in Napier. He entered the service of the ’ Government as a cadet in the Justice Department in 1872. He was five years later clerk of the court at Feilding. tie qualified as a barrister, and in 1903 he was appointed a stipendiary magistrate, serving both in Palmerston North and Wellington. Ten years later he was appointed Assistant Public Service Commissioner, a position he held till his retirement in 1920. He was an outstanding footballer, and the song “On the Ball" was dedicated to him.