NEW ZEALANDERS ABROAD

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 429, 11 February 1909, Page 8

NEW ZEALANDERS ABROAD

. PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON. ;•■ London, December 31. The Hon. W. P. Reeves has been appointed a member of the.Royal Commission which is to examine schemes for securing a; more fully representative character for popularly elected legislative bodies. Tho : chairman of the' Commission is' Lord Richard Cavendish, younger-brother of the Duke of Devonshire. .. Mr.: Addison J. Nowbquld, of Napier, who arrived'.-here some three \ months ago, has been . staying with relatives 'at Darlington. He is now in' London for a month, after which he goes to Torquayj and then to the South of France,' returning to' England in the'spring; He expects'to go back'to New Zealand, about November. '~,. ' : .

The Hine Prize,; which Mr. - Francis Hutchens has won at. the .Royal Academy of Musioj : is awarded for the "composition of'a song. The value of the prize is £12. • The verses .which the' candidates; were on this required ! to set to.- music were, by George Eliot. The competition was open to both sexes, the age limit'being 17: years. Mr.'-L..-S. Humphries, of Wellington, has arrived in London on. a business trip, after spending six • months ur Canada and; the United States en route. . Mr. Humphries has paid a. short visit to Yeovil,',whence he left for New Zealand in 1841; Going again to America on December 26 for a few Weeks, he intends: to return to England, and may do a good deal, more travelling in. the interests .of his company.' ':■ -' :: ;'. - Arrangements'are being made to celebrate :next year the- centenary -of, the '.birth of' George Augustus Selwyn, the first Bishop of New Zealand, the founder of the Melanesian Mission, and subsequently;"-Bishop of Lichfield. 'April '5, 1909, will anniversary of- Selywn's birth,. but;.for.various reasons if has; been decided to defer.' the commemorative, servioes. and -sheetings until on or about St; George's Dayj" April 23. All monetary offerings, in connection 'with the centenary "celebrations. are-to be .divided be--tween the endowment -fund of SeKvyn - College, Cambridge,- and-the'•-,building fund : .of the . Pattespn.' Memorial' Wing" of St. John's-College, Auckland, New Zealand. ; Mr., and Mrs; T. _S.-Tankard, of Christchurch, ; will return to New Zealand' early in the New, Year..: At present, they "are -in America." .They spent the past .summerih the : United' Kingdom, and-Mr.-Tankard took the; opportunity : of studying the : most > - recent methods;of physical culture., .-,-Crossing the chahriel to visit Paris, their steamer, was run into by a torpedo-boat at two, o'clock in the ■morning—an alarming experience, for: which, however; no one was:'any. the .worse.: They, spent a fortnight in Paris/,and afterwards visited Holland, Belgium, Southern Germany, Lucerne, Como, Milan, the'Riviera,'Venice, and ■-.-Naples, -sailing from"-.Naples for: New York. .They will retnrnto New. Zealand by the Vancouver ro.ute. : ':■.:-'■■ ;.-,:.-. ■•■.':'■

Recent callers at the High Commissioner's .office:' Mr.- W.- S. Cederholm' (Wellington), Miss. Doris' : Roskrnge (Wellington), Mr. D. R. Caldwell (Auckland), Mr.'L.,S. Humphries (Wellington), iMr.-ahd -Mrs. 'Overton Smith and,family and Mr. C. Overton Smith (Auckland), .Mr.' Collie (Wellington), Mr. K Blyth, Mr. W. P;'-M. Buckley (Christchurch),' Mr. L; F. Ayson (Wellington), Mr..E;':Tuke (Auckland)j -Mis 3" Florence Naden -(Auckland), Mr. Addison John Newb'buld (Napier), Mrs. R. W. Sinclair, Miss-E. Sinclair, and Mr. R. W. Sinclair (Wellington),-; Mr. W. ffi Bird (Wanganui), Mr.. Douglas A. M'Gilp (Auckland), Mr. James C. Henderson (Mif-" burn,' Otago), Mr; J. H; Coates (New Brighton; near Christchiirch), Mr. L. S. Flyger, and Mr. J. -W. Kendall (Auckland).' ;, ?^