OUR LONDON LETTER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 19 April 1907, Page 1

OUR LONDON LETTER

(From Our Own Correspondent.) . LONDON, March 18. Madame Clara Butt is now getting rapidly dyer hor trecen-t illness. Ai present she is staying at Bournemouth, where she saritif oil March. 2nd, for the first time since she fell ill. A grant of £1000 has been made bj the MerceVs' Company to the Imperial Institute for scientific research with re gard to tho cotton products of British colonies and protectorates. The money is to be expended under the direction of the Management Committee, sybject to the control of the Secretary of"State fo-.- the Colonies, and in acknowledging tho gift, the Earl of Elgin has expressed to the company his high sense of their timely generosity, adding that.it will undoubtedly prove of the greatest value to the Crown Colonies and Protectorates, and to the general interests of British trade. Tht Rev. Charles M. Sheldon, author of "In His Steps," will visit your colony in July. Captain Wynyard, who went out tr New Zealand as captain of the M.C.C team, arrived: on board the Corinthic oi 20th irist. He participated in th/ earlier matches, but returned an inva lid, in consequence of a mishap in thcricket field. He hopes, however, to be able to play next season. His im pression of New Zealand cricket is thai it is of a good all round quality. Mr D. J. Richards, who was 13t' wrangler at the Cambridge in 1904 has, lam informed, been appointee' Profesor of Mathematics at Otago Uni versity. Mr Charles Carter, the New Zealanr tenor, may be expected in Londor shortly with the MooHv-Mnnners Operr Company, with which he has been oi tour. Ht took the name part in "Lo hengrin" in which he met with grea' success. Mr William Dall, of Dunedin, shoulr" have ears of a ruby red just now. I is probably the London County Counci elections which have caused his wonder ful machine to be talked about ove here. It is, as you are no doubt wel aware, a machine that enables a voteto record his vot» by the simple procesf of touching a button. The result i; registered automatically, the machine entering the votes as they are recorded, and only requiring to be opened U show' the result of the poll. Captain A. P. Pentoß, of the Royal Artillery, who was Commandant of th< New Zealand Defence Forces from Oc tober, 1896, to October, 1901, has beer appointed to the command of the Scot tisji Coast Defence. This appointmen caries with in the local rank of Briga gadier-General. The gallant o cer has served in the Royal Artillery since Jan. 1875, and took part in the Afghai War, 1879-1880. Colonel J. M. Babington, C.M.G., oi return from special service in New Zea land, was presented to the King a' the last levee by the Chief of tho Gen eral Staff, in the absence of the In spector-General of the Forces. Miss Nita Long, the New Zealand so prano, who took part in the last Chappel Ballad! Concert at. Queen's Hall was one of many distinguished artists the others basing Miss Carmen Hill, Mi Kennerly Rumford (the husband o' Madame Clara Butt), Madame Su zanne Adams* Miss Esta D'Argo, Mi Ben Davies, Mr Gregory Hast, Madanu Edna Thornton, Mr Dalton Baker, th< Alexandra Ladies' Quartet, Miss Mar garet Cooper, Mr Fritz Kreisler, anr Mr York Bowen. "In Savage South Seas" is a nev book, anounced by Messrs A. and W Black. It is painted by Mr Norman H Hardy, and described by E. Way El kington, F.R.G.S.. author of "Adrifl in New Zealand," nnd contains 66 ful! page illustrations in colour and a map The size is. square Bvo, in cloth, witl gilt top the price is 20s. In this volume the most savage islands of the Southerr Seas have been described and illustrated. New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and the New Hebrides are principally touched on ; and the peculiar customs legends, work, and daily lives of the natives, the last remnants of savages : are graphically portrayed in words and pictures. A new Work on Australia and Nev. Zealand is announced' by Mr Edward Stanford for publication. It will form volume I. of "Australasia," in Stanford's "Compendium of Geography an<? Travel." The volume, which will b< provided with numerous illustrations, diagrams, and maps, is by Dr W. J Gregory, of Glasgow University, formerly Professdi- of the Melbourne University. The Oxford University Golfern gavr their best display of the term on Sat urday, 2nd inst., when they met strong team representing the Waltoi Heath Club, at Walton Heath. The home team won by 18 holes to 16; but if the Oxford captain, the Hon. C. K Druce, hafl been able to play, it i; possible that the Varsity would have gained their first victory of the season Mr C. V. L. Hoeman, and the New Zealand amateur champion, Mr Spen cer Gollan, had a close match. The latter stood 1 down with 3 to play, but eventually won by a hole. , An engagement is announced be tween Mr Ralph Chadwick, eldest sor of the late Samuel Chadwick, Yorkshire and Hawke 8 Bay, and Miss- Claudir Price, of Wanganui, Miss Price is a) present in London completing her musical studies. At the East Ham Town Hall, on sth inst., Sir John Gorst spoke about New Zealand children at a meeting ar ranged by the Labour Representative Committee. Lady Warwick was another speaker. Sir John said that he had jus' returned from New Zealand, and hi found that. they had no poor children t feed there. He had not succeeded i. hearing of a single child not proper!, kept, and he had never in his life seen such a magnificent set of human animals as the New Zealand children This was due to the good general and special conditions of the workers/ in New Zealand, which enabled the parents to feed their children properly. Another lecturer' on New Zealand war Miss Isabel Napier, who was at Dundee on February, 28th, and there delivered a lecture on "New Zealand, the Land of Democracy," under the auspices of the Women's Liberal Association." Missing Relatives. I take the following from a weekly contemporary, relatives over here are seeking news : — Harden, Walter, last wrote from Bank street, Timaru.— Sister asks. Corkhill, Archibald C, last wrote from Wellington. Sister Blanche asks. Denis, Thomas, sailed for New Zealand 1877, was last heard of in 1890, when a driver on the railway. — Brother William asks. Stevenson, Henry, went to Australi? or New Zealand about 1866. Nieces Jane and Emma ask. Price, Enoch, blacksmith, of Llanr-

gonidr, Breconshire, left Brisbane for New Zealand, Christmas, 1900. — Sister, Mary Price, asks. Lamb,, George, wife or children, left Chumell, Leeds, for Australia, August 1880, last heard of at Auckland.—Sister Emma asks, <li good display of New Zealand produco will be on view at the Irish International Exhibition to be opened in May. Mr Cameron, of the Prcduco Department, Has no definite details at the moment, but we May be sure Dublin will have everything of the best that the colony can show. The idea of the Exhibition took root four years ago, when an industrial conference was held in the Irish capital, and it was unanimously decided to hold an International Exhibition as the best means if acquainting the world, in the first ->lace, with tho extent and. variety of Ireland's industrial, . commercial, and irtistic output, and with the extent and oromise of her partially developed relources; and, in the second place, of stimulating, commerpinl development and promoting industrial education, by invitine all nations to exhibit' their products both raw and finished. A sum of £200,000 has been e : ther subscribed or promised, and the rite in Herbert Park, has been presented to the people of Dublin by the Earl of ""embrolce. in commemoration of the coming of age of his son, Lord Herbert. The bnil'liß^s an of great extent and excentionallv beautiful design. Their architectural" features are in tho main ■lorenbino, but many deviations have Seen made to harmonise, os far as pos■ible. with the actual of the site. The principal building is a huge xtagonal court, from which foiir wing 'railding radiate, and th^s. court ir. sur•nounted by an octagonal dome IFO feet ligh. In those winK buildings v i'l be housed all sorts of British and foreign tidustrial exhibits, the last \v»ik m commercial progress, and a speaking ontrast with tip exhibits in th? entrance Half, which win be devoted to -•ollections of Irish historical objects and curios. Beyond the central building '.here will be, to the left, a Palace f Art. in which will be shown cobctions of the fine arts cf Ireland and ither nations. There will be a Palace of Industries — a machinery hall 00 yards long — and the Canadian Government is going to tremendous exoense to equip a worthy paviHoti to display the products of the Dominion. Other Governments, foreign and cololial, are organising exhibits, and the orogramme promises tRe widest variety Soth of various historical, artistic, and industrial object lessons and of those lighter forms of entertainment which are familiarly associated with such exhibitions. There will be, of course, a central 'ake, which is being excavated, and on .■'hirK will ride pon^olas and electric launches, and probably miniature war /essels will do battle for the benefit of the numerous visitors who will, unioubtedly, come from aiT parts of the globe. In the Hu|S concert hall, in .hich a specially built organ 1 is being nstalied, there will ue almost continuous concerts, and some of the "reatest artist in the world, and most ■ f the famous bands, have been retained. But it is, perhaps, the Irish Village Section that will be most interesting to Yew Zealanders. Th>re will be shown Irish cottages, -and riiod&S of what Irish cottages ought to be, a model of v village hall, which is a thing badly leeded in most Irish villages ; lastly. hough by no means least, there will 'ie shown a typical wostern village street, alia a village green, where ight-fnoted colleens wil ( l recall the zest of the "Kerry dancing," so fancus in song and verse. In my last I referred-io the article in the "Daily Chronicle", "Industrial Arbitration in New Zealand," Mr beeves replied to it, and, in fact, his •eply was in that paper's hands when lews came of the strike of the slaughtermen in Wellington. The neame the further news, that the hie'a.t companies 1 had conceded the increase demanded on j he pay awarded under the Arbitration J "lourt agreement, and uleti followed | lie rable that it was the intention oi i the New Zealand Government to prosecute the strikers under the Arbitration Vet. Mr Beeves .therefore, recalled the letter, and his reply will comprehend the question on the new basis. Last week Mr Reeves delivered a lecture to the South London Ethical So-' ■ioty on "The Labour Laws of New Zealand, and how they work," when he > nade the remark that they did not' ■laim that they had established a' Utopia in New Zealand. Under any conlitions the lot of labour was hard, and it was impossible under the present capitalistic regime to make the life of the worker a rosy one; but they had rid hemselyes of the baser features of the 'ifo of the poor. It was not possible in New Zealand to-day for the slum land!ord or the sweater grow rich by fattening on the poor, and he contended that in this, New Zealand had solved a problem which yet awaited solution in the Old Country. This, it seems to me, is a sufficient answer to our friend of the "Daily Jhronicle." Ths Arbitration Court has fixed a certain, scale of wages which they consider fair and just. The men ;tvike. It does not follow that the Arbitration Court is a failure. A pro;ecution will follow. Means will ie taken to enforce obedience to the Court. One would not say that Courts of Justice are a failure because thieves Still exist. A strike injures not only the strikers and the strikees, but many trades who have no lisputc at all, and the public generilly, and any workable scheme that will remove this drastic method of set--hing disputes is to be commended. , A patriotic movement is on foot for the formation of a great "Imperial Guard," to be composed of representatives from picked regiments existing in the priuncipal colonies and dependences of the Empire. The idea is that% the. .■ contingents should be affiliated to the King's Colonials, who are themselves an outcome of the war in South Africa. The,project originated entirely in the colonies, hut it has been taken up enthusiastica'ly by members of Parliament associate! with the Dominions beyond the Seas. . The King's Colonials form one oi

the regiments of th^ Ihjiperujl yeomanry, the Prince of Y-'Jjeing .^-the Honorary Colonel: TheyVwe^r a 'blue uniform, with scarlet -'and black plume. ■■ '-..', ' It must not bo -taken, howeve^.that this is a finished sehemerrslthongn'it is hoped that the proposals-- relating io^ it may be discussed at trie' y cSming Gon r ferenct! — it has hardly,. left 'the "idea" stage yet. But all admit it io be a grand and noble aim, and one that wo all hopq may become'a; fact before the present year _c6mfi« : .to : am end. , . The words of Mr J;v Ay "' "Young.X of Wanganiai, . are : reoalled'-.to. me. as- I read the figures' -cf- the/ emigrants to Canada ' last year. ' ■ ->? While speaking highjy of the efforts of the High Com-, missioner and his^able starf to make known and poDulatise New Zealand, he thought something- more, fliigh't be done, on the lines of Canada', -to .make.-emi-gration to your beautiful country more , popular. TJndoubEedly.'r-the heavy passage money,' compared;, with- that ; . of Canada ,is the greatest block unfortunately a""pormajjent : ono. Tha figures may be of .interest on your side, and < I give them bplpte-':— - ■-. Emigrants from Xfifited, JCingdom to : Canada,... ..'....... 98,257 - Emigrants from ' t/hited States to Canada... ..-.;..'-... ...... 68,781 Emigrants from the Continent of Europa to VGanadal ...... 58,674; A tremendous total of 216,000 souls were booked to Canada.' during laSJ,-;." year alone, .and. of this, number nearly half were from the Pnite-d Kingdom. But Canada has. made most strenuous efforts to get population,; • She has established several^ emigration offices in the principal par^s of /the City, and of the large towns.;.. She' has flooded the ftnlrifry with illustrated .irterature painting in plowing colours the beauties and possibilities of the ,Do!niai'on,vand emigration agents fiay.fi : esta4!>3hed them"selves in London. and several of the larger towns, v:''i give all .information and undertake ■ fird smtable}.work on" arrival ; the ';••.. st of'thes^ of course, is the Salvation Army, wh^'have rent out thousands free, r«Lying -upon receiving back thoff-eipenses from.. the. emigrants. .- when they lwvs seitled', and 'begin to earn money. ' .. . . "V Still. I remembef. the, Words of Sir -. John Gorst, when!^hej.JWturtied from your colony,. E(e was 'simply, charmed with "God's Own^ Land '-'i and its peoplo. His great regret- was t hat. he was; i inable to spend the. remainder of his life there. ;.. : .