LONDON LETTER.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 69, 23 March 1910, Page 3

LONDON LETTER.

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, 11th February. THE RACE FOR THE POLE. Dr. Edward A. Wilson, who accompanied Captain Scott on the Discovery, and is again to be a member of this year's Antarctic expedition, gave a lectuie on Monday on "Life in the Antarctic Regions." "What Captain JScott means to do," he said, "is to get to the South Geographical Pole. He means to make a straight, certain journey. When wo get there we may be able to welcome Peary. Other incidental journeys, will be made for scientific purposes, but the main thing this time is to br the t'ole. Everyono realises that the Polf* has to be reached by someone, whether it lxby Enelishmen <ir the repienentativesof any other nation, before other expedition?, can hope to tackle the many scientific problems which are awaiting solution all around the unknown limit of tin's great continent — a continent probably laiger than Australia, all under IOC." FUTURE OF THE NIMROD. Sir E. Shackleton, when in Dundee recently, made enquiries as to the feasibleness of sending tho Nimrod to the whaling grounds. He interviewed sev2ral of tho Dundee whaling captains as well as those interested financially in the industry. According to tho information received, it would require about £2500 to tit out tho Nimrod. The vessel is in a first-class condition for such a venture, and only require* oil tanks and whaleboats. ' IMPERIAL SCHOLARSHIPS. Mr. P. A. Vailc, of Auckland, lias received a letter from Sir Joseph Ward in connection with his scheme of Imperial scholarships. The proposal is that the Dominion should contribute £25,000 to the scheme, provided the Australian States would do tho same, in order to provide a nucleus for the foundation, which it is proposed in the ond to make a national institution. Sir Joseph's letter is an follows :—: — "Dear Sir, — Adverting to your scheme of Imperial scholarships, which formed the subject of your inteiview with me in August last, and which in vaiious ways you have so eloquently urged, I have to say that, in accordance with the promise made to you, as the result of the inteiview, tho matter was laid in due course before the Education Committed of the House of representatives. I regret, however, to add that owing to the extreme pressure of business due to the very exceptional circumstances of the year, the committee has been quite unable to find time to consider it during tho session. The subject will bo bioughl up next session. — I am, etc., J. G. Ward, Prime Minister." ROYAL COLONIAL INSTITUTE. No fewer than forty-five new Fellows were elected to the Royal Colonial Institute at this week's council meeting ; but no New Zealandcrs were among the number. Lord Crowe (Secretary of State for the Colontef) is to preside at the special banquet to Sir George Reid on his taking up tho appointment of first High Commissioner in London for the Commonwealth of Australia ; it will be hold on 15th March at tho Whitehall Rooms of tho Metropole Hotel. MISS ANDERSON HUGHES IN DUBLIN. Miss Anderson Hughes, of New Zealand, was in Dublin last week, rpealcing at various temperance meetings. She was the principal speaker nt the annual meeting of tho Dublin Women's Temperanco Association, and told the audiI encc about the great progress that had I been made in the Dominion along tern jperame linen. Under tho auspices of [ the Hibernian Band of Hope Union, Miss Hughes dclivcied a special lecture illustrated by lantern views and tab- ! leaux. Ten young ladies attired in the ! Manr; costume assisted in the proceedings. CITY LANDMARK DOOMED. "The Fortunes of War," an old City lardmmk, is about to disappear. The inn, which is famous from this? fact, that it markw the .«pot where the Great Fire of London reanrd, is a' the corner of Giltspur-slrcei and Cotk-lane, Smithfield, iind, painted in bold characters on tho wall, is the inscription ;—; — This is Pye Corner Where the Great Fite of London Ended. After Burning Night and Day from tho 2nd to the 10th of September, 1666. By many people the inn goes by the name of the ''Fat Boy," owing to the fact that on the outer wall is the gilded figure of a fat boy, "put up in memory of the late Fire of London, occasioned by the sin of gluttony." The "fat boy," it is stated, i» to be placed in the Guildhall Museum. MR. RHODES'S GIFT. Mr. R. 11. Rhodes'H donation for the establishment of a lectureship in military science at one of the university colleges of New Zealand is quite a new move, at any rate so far as the -British Dominions arr concerned. None of the universities of the United Kingdom orIreland has anything of the kind. The nearest approach lo it is the recent appointment of a professor of Military History at Oxford. When Mr. H. Spencer Wilkinson, M.A., was appointed to that position a few months ago it created quite a deal of interest. But military history ond military science are two very 'different things. The latter is quite a technical study, and i» reserved in Great Britain as the tpetial function of the military schools, and as the Hon. R. M'Nab lias Spent a great deal of time while jn England visiting these schools, I asked him for his opinion on the proposal. Though he had not heard of it before, ne considered the gift of Mr. Rhodes a very fine thing. "Nothing has struck me more during my visit* to those institutions," he said, "than the great difficulty under which our volunteer officers and non-commis-sioned officers in New Zealand labour through tho want of instruction of this kind. The military instruction given at Aldershot, at the Staff College at Camberley, and at Hythe was a revelation to me. and if a.-» a result of Mr. Rhodes's gift anything approaching that can b? given in New Zealand at otic of the educational institutions, he will deserve well of his country." Asked whether 'ho thought the sum staled would suffice for the purpose, Mr. M'Nab said he hoped that other* would follow Mr. Rhodes'* example. *o as to make '.lio Fchenic faiily complete. His start miylit be expected to kJhhv what could be ac oinpliiheil in tin. direction of trainim; officers, and if that was otae loalised in New Ztuland it would undoubtedly bo followed up. THE MAN FOR ORKNEY. Mr. J. Cithraii Wiuhhi, who ha° been conducting an arduous campaign in the Oikney and Shetland Islands, where, in fart, he hus fought four elections in the hht ten years, returned to London yenteiday, and wa# present at the unveiling of the Setldon Memorial in St. Paul's Cathedra!. Mr. Wason Etoyed in hi* constituency until after the polling, the result of which will not be declared until next week. Although bueily cngtgod in | «U«ndine ia hie arrears of correepon-

dence, he yet found time this afternoon for a short interview with your representative. . "To an early pettier in New Zealand," Mr. Cathcart Wa«m eaid, "the difficulties in getting about the Orkneys and Shetlauds, and the so-called hardships aro mere incident*, although much ib made of them by persons not accustomed to look out for themselves. It is a j unique constituency in every way. There are 8080 voters scattered abotat in two large groi/pe of inlands, many of which aie exceedingly difficult to get at. 1 may sny that 1 have visited every island ' where there are voters. A very interest- I ing island is North Ronaldshay, which I contains nearly SCO inhabitants in the* northernmost part of Orkney. The peculiar part about thus island to a sheep farmer is that there is a wall built round it a few yards from high-water mark, on which a flock of cheep of several hundreds can pasture on the seaweed, and nothing else, for the whole year, except a couple of month* at lambing time. In other parts' of Shet land after a storm, fheep and ponies travel long distances to browse on seaiveed. A certain variety of seaweed, carefully prepared, makes an excellent dish with pomrthing of the appearance of blancmange." Mr. Wafon always alleges that the unique hold he has recured on the Northern Islands if, largely due to the number of Orkney and Shctlanders in New Zealand. Mr. Wason's experience as a pioneer in New Zealand settlement has done much to make the %york easy for him. Among; his constituents aro many who have friends and relatives in New Zealand, who will be interested to hear that he is likely to be returned again . Asked for an opinion on the political situation, Mr. Wa*on said : "It U difficult to pee how the present impasse is lo be got out of without a further appeal to the country. Both parties profe.«-3 to be extremely desirous, of doing bo, but personally I think both will be glad of a rest, as it is vety difficult to forecast tho result of another election. Proposals aie suggested practically to abolish the House of Lords, and if these are insisted on, a further election rnupt speedily take place. A reasonable working compromise mis;ht well be made on the lines of a distinct understanding that never again will the Lords interfere with the finances of the country, and that the hereditary principal shall be co far abolished that as Tegards the rights of peers, to 'legislate, j they shall be elected in some form or i another, possibly by county councils and j "borough councils on the proportional system of representation, or by some other means. "