OUR LONDON LETTER.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 15 September 1908, Page 4

OUR LONDON LETTER.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) ' LONDON, July 31. Sir Westby Perceval, who will be remembered ns your former AgentGeneral, has just returned from a. visit to the East, which has included japan. Sir Westby has also acted as Agent-General fer Tasmania. The Rev. J. Cocker, of New Zealand, was one of tha speakers at No. 4 platform at the great demonstration in favour of the Licensing Bill on Saturday. Other speakers from the same platform were Sir Thomas Whittaker, Md?., Mr Richard Bell, M.P., Mrs W. S. Caiae, and the Roy. W. Mottram. I am just informed of the death at Torquay, on July 18th, of Mr Henry William Loe, formerly of Christchurch, and latterly of 24 Cleveland j Square. Mr Lee was in his 69th J year. j Tho Roy. Ernest W. J. McCoanol, vicar of Khandallah, Wellington, youngest son of the lato Frederick . McConnol, J.P., and Mrs McConnel, { of Blackyett, Ecclefechan, was mar- j ried to Miss Margaret Joan Long- j bridge, fifth daughter of R. Charles Longridge, Kilride, Knutsford, on July 22nd, at St. Cross, Knutsford, the Rev. Mr Armour, vicar, officiating. Mr G. E. Buller, the New Zealand artist, has four pictures on view at the exhibition held at the Albert Hall by the Allied Artists' Association. Ono of his pictures is a New Zealand landscape, with a view of Mount Pembroke. i Sir Thomas Brooke-Hitching has communicated with Mr R. P. Vincent, president of the Western Australian Bowling Association, expressing regret at tho abandonment of the projected tour of a British team in AuefcralasSa during the forthcoming Colonial summer. Mr Vincent, who played over a number of the London rinks when here last soason, had an interview with Sir Thomas BrookeHitching, who is a patron of the English Bowling Association, upon the team for Australasia question, when ho (Mr Vincent) expressed his belief that just as many of the Commonwealth and New Zealand bowlers who visited this country were business men who combined commercial matters with their pleasure in visiting the Old Couutry. thnt, especially] as there can never hp any ''gate" J to tho pastime,' a similar method ] might obtain in relation to any I bowling combination going out from the Old Country to Australasia. ] i I suppose nothing could havo t caused moro surprise than the sudden I , announcement that Mr Pemlx'r i Reeves had re-signed the most covet- ] * ed office the Dominion has to bestow. ' an announcement which has 'no 1 doubt already been communicated to you by wire. •- ! j The exchange of positions i.s a somewhat curious one; but Mr Reeves is an ardent social reformer, and takes a keen interest iv anything pertaining to tho economic con- * ditions of the future. Those who know the change whicli Is ooming over what was once known as the "dismal" science will agree L that hearty congratulations should be oft'ered both to Mr Reeves on his '■ new position and to the School of '■ Economics on tho appointment of jMr Reeves. Political economy is ' no longer, a purely abstract science, tho product of theorists who could . sit all day long in their studies and I elaborato fine-spun doctrines on final i utility and demaud price, on the balanco of trado and the marginal ' cost of production. In a statement to an interviewer [ hero Mr Reeves has said: — "I accept- , ed tho post of director of the London School of Economics because I am i very much interested iv it. It is not only an important institution . now, but I hope it will become very l much more so. I havo been in my j present position for twelve years, and I am sorry, of course, to quit i the New Zealand service. There - are great difficulties in the way of an 1 ordi vary representative of one of ' the great colonies retaining office . and at the same timo making a career in Parliament, or anywhere else in . the public life of this country. I resign my position on the most s friendly terms with my Government, I and, in fact, I have received a cable * messago from the Primo Minister of ' Now Zealand congratulating nic on 1 my appointment. That Mr Reeves, when free from , the trammels imposed by his present i offico, will mako a career in the public lifo of this country, no one can doubt who knows his meteoric Parliamentary career in tho Dominion, whero, at one bound, ho came to the front; in fact, so much so, that there j wero thoso who thought that Mr : Seddon was not sorry to soe his brilliant lieutenant depart for London. Of his antecedents in your country it is needless for me to speak. ' titfy will bo too well known to nni remembored by all; it only remains ; for mo to say that I am suro he has the hearty good wishes of those who have met him over your side, as ho has of his many friends and acquaintances over here. 1 .