PERSONAL NOTES FROM HOME.

Evening Star, Issue 12766, 20 March 1906, Page 2

PERSONAL NOTES FROM HOME.

C6nKESPONi)ENT.j LONDON, February 9., The Hop. , P. Reeyes visited Liverpool on Tuesday afSemobn, the dailyiopdning ceremony-at the Colonial Products Exhibition now on view in St. George's,, Hall,, Subsequently Mr Reeves expressed ! h&'spil, ‘ wjell satisfied! with the Now Zealand Court.' It is, in' his opin-, ion, the best in the Exhibition, and it has the best situation. In the course of his speech on Tuesday, Mr Reeves said that if we wanted' to improve the material relations between ’England and her. colonies we must keep what the colonies could produce before the eye and in the imagination of the British people, and no better means of doing that could be chosen than exhibitions of that character. Referring to the greatly developing trade of New. Zealand, he said . figures shortly to be published' that the total external trade of New Zealand last year amounted to £2B,ooo,ooo.—(Applause.) He ventured to hope that the figures for New Zealand for 1905 would, show something that had never yet been, surpassed, probably not equalled, in the way of trade between Great Britain and her great dependencies. Detective J. A. M'Grath, of Wellington, arrived by the Rimutaka last week, having come to London to identify and escort back to New Zealand Samuel M‘Shane, a tailor, who is under arrest charged with larceny and receiving stqlen goods at Wellington. On Monday last M ‘Shane was brought up at Bow street cu remand, before Sir A. De Rutzen. It was stated t hat in December last the prisoner \yorked his passage over from New Zealand to this country as a stoker on board the steamship Paparra. During the voyage it was alleged that he handed a lady passenger threo gold watches and chains to mind for him, and she, suspecting that something was wrong, gave them to the captain. It was discovered subsequently that the articles formed part of the proceeds of a robbery at Wellington in Loncember last. The prisoner was ordered to be sent back to New Zealand for trial. Detective M'Grath and his prisoner will return to New Zealand bv the Rimutaka, which sails on February 22. Meanwhile the detective is visiting friends in Ireland. Mr J. Mackay, M.A., of Midhuret, Taranaki, who is on a holiday in London, has crossed; swords with Bishop Welldon rm the education question. A meeting of clergymen was held last week, at which Bishop Welldon is reported “to have spoken strongly against the State giving only a secular education, and pointed to the ill effects of such a system in the colonies.” It is to the latter sentence that Mr Mackay takes exception. In a letter to the New Liberal paper, th© ‘Tribune,’ ho Writes :—“As a colonist of New Zea11.id of over forty years’ standing, and as i ■'<■• intimately connected with primary and i ;■ solidary education there during the whole • • that period, I feel justified in asking his lordship to give particulars of the ill effects ho refers to. Education in New Zealand lias been ‘ free, secular, and compulsory’ for about fortv years, and, so far as I know, no ill effects—physical, intellectual, moral, or religious—have made themselves manifest. I make this statement after forty years’ experience in responsible positions as against his lordship’s experience gathered during a flying visit.” 'Miss Louie Bing (Christchurch), who came Home towards the end of last year, has been visiting in. various parts of England. and has afro been to visit friends in Frankfurt. Vienna, and Buda-Pesth. She ■ returned to London a few days ago, and 1 1 e now left again to pay some visits in France. Mrs Lutferell, of Christchurch, will join her there, and will afterwards accompany her to Scotland, and the lakes. They have together for the colony in March or April by direct steamer. Miss Bing was suffering from nervous breakdown when she left New Zealand, but her health has improved wonderfully since the voyage Home. Dr Mason, Chief Health Officer of New Zealand, who has been on a visit to England and the Continent during the pastlew months, i& returning to the colony by th“ Gothic, which leaves Plymouth todav. Lieutenant E. J. English, R.N.R., chief officer of the Gothic, will not be returning to the colony this voyage. He is remaining in Engla-pd for a spell of naval training at Portsmouth. Mr Metcalfe, who used to bs second officer on the Gothic, will go out as chief in- Ida stead. Mr F. W. ImiEs (Christchurch), who arrived by the Rimutaka last week, has come to England to pain experience in electrical engineering, and his present intention is to stay in this country for a year or two and (then visit Canada and tine United States. Mr Tunes is at present staying with relatives in London. Amongst the Gothic’s passengers, sailing for New Zealand this week, is Miss D. Fitch, the new kindergarten mistress for the Wellington schools. Callers at the High Commissioner’s Office this week:—Mr J. A. M‘Truth (Wellington), Mr F. W. Innes (Christchurch), Mies T'. Kerr (Christchurch), Mr and Mrs Thos. Dysiirt (Invercargill). Mrs Bradley and Miss Ella Bradley, late o' To Aioha, are amongst the recent arrivals from the colony, having come by the Oniha on her last voyage. They are visiting England for the sake of Miss Bradley’s hj alth, which improved wonderfnlly during the. voyage, and they intend to stay a month in Liverpool and some three months in. Ireland.