EMPIRE SOCIETY

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 32, 6 August 1929, Page 9

EMPIRE SOCIETY

ANNUAL RECEPTION

NEW ZEALAND GUESTS

(From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, 28th June. Among the 2200 Pellows and friends who attended the annual reception of the Royal Empire Society (formerly the Eoyal Colonial Institute) there was a very fair sprinkling of New Zealanders. Previously, the reception has been heia in the Natural History Museum among the .stuffed animals and birds from all parts of the world. This year the Imperial Institute, a more appropriate , venue, was chosen for the gathering. As the New Zealand Court had to be passed through by all the guestsin their progress from the main reception hall to the dancing-room and supper tables, the Dominion exhibit came in for a good deal of attention. The dioramas illustrating phases of New Zealand life were lighted up, and most people stopped to examine them with interest. • • . The guests were received by the chairman of the Council (Sir John Sandeman Allen, M.P.), and the.following vice-presidents and councillorsLord , Meath, Admiral of the Fleet Lord Jellieoe, Lord Gladstone, Lord Lugard, Lord Forster, Lord Morris, Sir Algernon Aspinall, Sir George Boughey, Sir Harry Brittain, Lady Davson, Sir Godfrey Lagden, Sir Charles Lucas, Sir Charles M'LeodJ Sir James Mills, Sir Benjamin Morgan, Sir Francis Newton, the Master of Sempill, Sir "William Wayland, Sir Archibald "Weigall, Sir Harry "Wilson, Sir Reginald Wingate, Colonel A. "Weston Jarvis, Mr. D. G. Begg, Mr. Ralph S. Bond, Mr. I. R. Burnand, Mr. B. Fairfax Conisgrave, Colonel E. "W. Lennard, Mr. A. Miehie, Major Hely Pounds, and Mr. George Pilcher (secretary). Although the dancing might be adjudged a concession to the younger members and adherents of the society, there was no indication that the more staid and elderly members and their friends did not thoroughly' appreciate the change. It was quite apparent that age to-day is no deterrent to an indulgence in. dancing. Most of the guests spent their time in the Exhibition Pavilion which was used for the dance, or in the immediate vicinity of it, where most of the buffet supper tables were located. In' the Central Court the band of the Royal Regiment of Artillery played selections. All the galleries were well lighted so that people, if they wished, could iudulgo in a serious" study of all the countries of the Empire. In addition, the Imperial Art Gallery was open where there was an exhibition of contemporary British Art. A NEW ZEALAND VOCALIST. In another part of the building (the Jehangir Hall) a concert was in progress from 9.30 onwards, under the direction of Mr. P. Havon Ibbs, F.E.E.S. (Melbourne). The artists included Miss Rosa Alba (Melbourne), Mr. Richard Watson (South ( Australia), Miss Stella Murray (New Zealand), and other English performers. Miss Stella Murray was in excellent voice, and sang "The Blind Ploughman" (Coningsby Clarke),... "The Little Snowdrop" (Stanford), and as an encore, "God Gave a Heart of Gold." A later item by Miss Murray was "Envy" (James Dunn). " Several trios were also sung by Miss Rosa Alba, Miss Murray, and Mr. Watson. Visitors from practically every part of the Empire were present. There ■v.ere a good many Indians and Indian ladies, and a great deal of interest was added to the 1 occasion by the presence of the Sultan of Zanzibar and his suite. Tho members of the suite seemed to be fully qualified in modern dancing. During' the evening the chairman made two presentations. It had been the practice, for somo considerable < time, he said, for the society to present a gold medal' each year to the writer of what was deemed tho best book of the year dealing with Empire questions, and after careful consideration, the committee appointed for tho purpose had unanimously selected the book on "Foreign Colonial Administration in the Far East," by Sir Hesketh Bell, G.C.M.G., some time Governor of Uganda, Northern Nigeria, Leoward Islands, and Mauritius. Sir Hesketh Bell, by his past experience alone, was well qualified to deal with questions of colonial administration, Anyone who had read his book would realise that lie also had that somewhat rare gift of appreciating what was best and what was worthy of imitation in colonial administration, generally. COMMISSIONER DAVID LAMB. A presentation was also mado to Commissioner David C. Lamb, head of the Salvation Army Migration Department. Tho chairman said that all students of the development of the British Empire must realise that migration had been one of the groat causes of its peaceful development into the wonderful Empire it was to-day. We were all aware at the present moment that it was the drying up of this stream which had so greatly increased our difficulties in this country. It was very fitting that, at their annual reception they should honour on» who had taken a very leading part in. tho last 35 years in Empire settlement. Commissoner David C. Lamb, of vAo Salvation Army, in October ncv \ would complete 25 years of persona service in this matter, and many ol his friends, some of whom were members of* their society, and others not yet so, had been anxious to give special recognition to these services and had accordingly subscribed a. sum which amounted, after deduction of. expenses, to £750, and ho had been aßked on behalf of subscribers to this fund, to present Commissioner Lamb that night with a cheque for this amount. After outlining Commissioner Lamb's services, lie said that he (Commissioner Lamb) had definitely, stated that he desired no personal benefit in'that matter. That cheque, therefore, would be applied by Commissioner iamb for increased accommodation at the Millfleld Children's Home, Southend, Essex. The home was strictly undenominational, and afforded temporary or permanent safe shelter for children who- might bo. orphaned or deserted, or whose parents might bo in distress from .sickness, lack of work or other unfortunate causes.