PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue 7383, 8 February 1902, Page 2 (Supplement)

PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

<From Our London Correspondent.)

LONDON, December 20.

Loyal subjects are just getting used to "God Save the King" and no longer "boggle over "God Save the Qu— ing." But there still seems considerable uncertainty as to the proper beginning of the National Anthem. "God Save our Gracious King" is what .the man in the street is naturally inclined to shout, but it would seem that he is -wrong. The first printed version of the Anthem' is found in "Harmonia Anglicana." published about 1743 or 1744, and runs thus —

God save our lord the King, Long live our noble King, God save the King. The words in Dr. Arne's autograph •score, sung at Drury Lane Theatre on September 2S, 1745, were — God bless our noble king. God save great , George, our King, God save the King.

Tn Queen Victoria's reign some loyal subjects preferred "God save our gracious Queen," others "God save our noble Queen." It is believed -that the "k'rect card" for the Coronation will be —

God save our lord the King.

School choirs, please note.

The Agent-General has obtained 155,000 salmon ova from the River Tay through the Tay Fishery Board. The ova have been sent to Howietown to be prepared for shipment by the ■Gothic in the middle of January. The Duke of Richmond has also given .50,000 ova from the River Spey. As the preparation of the ova for packing and shipment always involves a certain amount of loss, the net amount of ova resulting from the consignments from the two rivers should be about the 150,000 ordered by the Government. The Agent-General has been fortunate in getting so good supply from the best river in Scotland, as the Tay salmon are deemed by experts superior to those from other river?, and enquiries made in other ■ quarters proved that it would be impossible to obtain any ova from the other Fishery Boards, as it is anticipated that salmon ova will be scarce this year. Experts here seem inclined to think that further attempts to acclimatize salmon in New Zealand waters are doomed to failure, but perhaps the latest little lot may fare "better than their predecessors if made the subject of Mr Ayson's suggested estuarine experiments before proceeding- out on the deep.

Messrs Cadman and Smith left by the Karamea yesterday perfectly satisfied with the result. oi their mission and confident that before very long a flourishing iron and steel industry in New Zealand will be an established fact. Mr Cadman paid a brief visit to Sheffield this week to complete his arrangements there. I had the opportunity on Wednesday of putting the razors manufactured from Taranaki iron sands to a practical test and can bear witness from personal experience to the fine edge the steel takes. I trust that the firm with which Messrs Smith and Cadman have just concluded negotiations will be able to get together the necessary capital when the time comes.

Among the welcome invaders of your London offices this week was Mr Thomas Brown, of Christchurch, the local manager of the Westport Coal Company, who after an extensive "wallaby" east of Suez arrived Home late last month, bent on mingling business and pleasure in the manner usual to New Zealanders. Mr Brown left Maoriland in August last -and, after a visit to Sydney and trips to Brisbane and Townsville, joined the Himalaya at the former port" for ■Colombo. Thence he made for Calcutta, where he visited the Black Hole and did the usual "lions" of the -city, and next took the overland route to Bombay, doing Cawnpore, Benares and Agra en route. That part of the trip he enjoyed greatly, in spite of the heat, and he advises tourists with time to spare to take that roundabout route homewards. From Bombay Mr Brown made for Fort Said, and, crossing the Mediterranean thence to Brindisi, did the \isual Italian round, which comprises Naples, Rome, Venice and Milan, Avith other little places in between. A few days in Paris broke his journey to London, where he arrived on November 24th, and after doing a little business in town he went on to Edinburgh to see his daughter, who is studying there, and to meet other members of his family circle domiciled in and about Modern Athens. He came south again at the end of last week and, having 4 now transacted most of his business in the Metropolis, will hie him north agath for Christmastide. He will probably remain in Edinburgh until the eve of his departure for New Zealand by the Gothic on January 16th. Whilst "in Queensland Mr Brown had ample -opportunities of discussing the future of Federated Australia. Among the trading fraternity it seems he found that a good deal of dubiety exists as to the wisdom of Queensland having joined forces with her sister States, and one prominent public man, at least, who took a leading part in

advocating Federation Is now wishing that, he hadn't. Whilst in Bombay Mr Brown paid a brief visit 10 the Boer prisoners' camp at Mount Lavinia, where about 150 of our friends from South Africa are held in mild bondage. So far as Mr Brown could see, the unwilling guests of H.M.s Government were happy as sandboys, and far better ojf than prisoners of war could Aery well expect to be.

The numerous friends of Miss Lena Mendelson will be sorry to hear that her troublesome cough, the result |ol' the cold weather of the last fe'.v months, has become so serious as to necessitate a sojourn at Davos-Platz, whither she has gone, accompanied by her sister, Alice, whose wedding with Mr Burton will take place very quietly at the Alpine sanatorium.

Mr F. It. Woodhouse is standing tho cold very well, and has already been testing his voice in a few quiet concerts. He seems so fit that 1 trust we shall have an opportunity of hea" ing him in the Metropolis Irrfore long.

Viscount Kelburne, Lord Glasgow's eldest son. is en route for China 10 join the Alacrity, of which, he is flaglieutenaivt. He will probably be on the Chinese station for the next three years.

Mrs Howie, who was one of a number of colonial singers at Miss Bertha Bird's concert, will probably give a concert next February. The New Zealand bell-bird is looking very fit and none the worse 1 for the cold weather.

Dr. de Lisle (Wellington) who arrived by the Wakanui is working in the bacteriological laboratory of Guy's Hospital, with a, view to going up next April for the examination of the English Diploma of Public Health. After a, few weeks with his relations in the Channel Islands he will probably leave for the colony again next May.

Mr Harry Rountree (Auckland) is anxious that his native city should commemorate the Aucklanders who have fallen in the South African war by the erection of a monument at the junction of Upper Queen and Grey streets. He is sending out by this mail a very spirited design as his suggestion of the form the memorial might take. A typical New Zealander is represented as standing over a wounded Regular comrade and keeping off the foe by a revolver. The wounded man's rifle with fixed bayonet, helmet and expended cartridges lie by his side, and raising himself painfully on his el now he. takes a draught from the water bottle which the New Zealander hands down to him. The figures which symbolise New Zealand coming to the aid of the Mother Country might well represent an incident at New Zealand Hill, when Maddocks and his brave boys came in the nick of time to the rescue of the Yorkshires. Mr Rountree's idea is that these figures in marble should stand on a square pedestal of black marble or some similar substance, which would be approached by- steps. On the sides of the pedestal would- be placed the names of those comme:~orated.

Of Mr W. H. Webbe's (Auckland) bulky but surprisingly inexpensive " Pianist's Primer and Guide," published by - Forsyth Brothers, the "Times" saj-s: "So far as such a compendium can be tested in a short time, the information Is wonderfully accurate, practical and up to date, and the whole book is a treasure House of useful things." The "Times" thinks it would have been better in the fingering of t*"e copious examples to adhere to one system and that which is obviously the better of the two.

Among the recipients of the Royal Red Cross from the King's hands at the investiture held at St. James's Palace last Tuesday was Nursing Sister J. W. M. Williamson of the New Zealand Nursing Service

Australian and New Zealand papers are asked to note the death in her 78th year of Mrs Mary Anne Bennett, second daughter of the late Mr Samuel Kidd of Kelvedon, Essex, v a nd of Boulogne-sur-Mer. Mrs Bennett died on 13th December at the residence of her son-in-law, Mr Thomas Baker, of 8, Albert Terrace, Edinburgh.

Mr , H. W. Richards, organist of. Christ Church, Lancaster Gate, who has been conducting musical examinations in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, for the Associated Board of the R.A.M. and R.C.M., returned home last Wednesday.

Miss Ada Reeve made another hit last Monday night in the name part of Kitty Grey, on the occasion of its 100 th performance at the Apollo Theatre. In a new song " Why," by Paul Rubens, she scoresv a big success.

• A much needed political reform, viz., the carrying over of all uncompleted bills that may have reached a given stage from one session to the next was the. subject of an address delivered last night by Sir Edward Clarke to the Parliamentary Pro-

cedure Committee at the Hotel Cecil. This proposal, ,he said, was made as long ago as IS4B by the late Lord Derby, it would effect an incalculable saving of Parliamentary time, obviate underhand and discreditable obstruction, ensure the passing of Bills in a well-considered form, and enable the House of Lords to take a real and effective share in public legislation instead of as now having either to accept a bill or waste altogether the time the House of Commons had spent upon it. Sir John Cockburn opened the short discussion, that followed and testified to the thorough success of "carrying over in the Legislature of South Australia. Mr George Beetham of New Zealand also joined in the gencvwl chorus of approval of the proposition.

"While the red deer of New Zea'and have so increased and developed a 5 io enable that colony — in the view of the "Westminster Gazette" — to offer the finest red-deer shooting in the world, there has been a gradual deterioration of the red deer in t3i« Highland deer forests. Inis is ascribed mainly to the continuous inbreeding of years, and the introduction of the repeating rifle whk'h allows the stags to be cleared oft* before they have had time to produce fine heads. The remedies proposed are the influx of new blood and further restrictions on the numbers shot. The King is sending- several stags from Windsor and Balmoral, and his example will probably be largely followed. The credit of the introduction of red deer into N?w Zealand is given by the "Westminster" to the Prince Consort, who half a centur" ago presented the New Zealand Government with the animals, which may yf»t become as serious a scourge as the rabbits or the Californian weed.

Of the fresh batch of 2000 Yeomanry which, with the new contingents of Canadians, Australians and JS'ew Zealanders, is to take part in the final rounding up of the Boors, the roost effective corps ought to be that which Lie\it. — Col. G. J. Younghusband. C.8., lately in command of the Third Imperial Yeomanry is raising. The corps is to be composed entirely of old Yeomen and Colonials who have already served in Soath Africa. Every effort will be made to giox-p in troops and squadrons oiticei:; and men nccording to their counties. Tne regiment will be m ibiUso" 1 at Shorncliffe and sail directly its complement is complete. O^or 100 men have already joined, «.nd Mieir example is expected to he speedily followed by other veterans anxious to "be in at the death."

Mr Bennett Burleigh, in a reienfc letter from South Africa, tells this story: "In one of the kloofs of ••he Slhngapies, three Boers were being ln;i>ied by a squadron of West AusttalW'ns. The horse of one of the burghers was f.hot. Afoot the burgher waited for the first trooper. When within five paces of him the Boer levelled his rifle and shot the Australian through the lungs, bringing him to the ground. Then the brave (?) enemy dropped his rifle, crying to the man's comrades, 'I surrender, you see! You must take me prisoner!' Could they? Did th**— make him other than the prisoner of death! Later on the other two Boers were caught, the third, who tried much the same sort of villainous trick, being disposed of."

Mr Soames, M.P- for South Norfolk, is making a trip to Australia and New Zealand, on the . advice of of his medical attendant, returning to England soon after Easter.