All Sorts of People

Free Lance, Volume IX, Issue 454, 13 March 1909, Page 4

All Sorts of People

Mi. James Marchbanks, M. Inst. C.E., the newly-appointed engineer to the Wellington Harbour Board, is just the stamp of man one would look at a second time on the street. He stands up to the six-feet mark, and one can see in the splendid-ly-developed frame the stalwart athlete of twenty years ago. In those far-off days no footballer was bettei" or more popularly known than Jamos Marchbainks. He was the flyer of his Southern district. Even up to recent years he had a strong hankering after the game, and was neyer known to deprive (himself of the treat of looking on at the best match set down for the day - James Marchbanks has a rather distinguished and scholarly face, wears a Vandyke beard and moustaches, and looks out on the world through glasses. There's a kindly expression about the whole face which inspires confidence, and speaks of good will. Mr. Marchbanks was born at Dunedin, and entei - ed the Public Works Department in 1878, after passing the Junior and Senior Civil Service examinations, do attended the Otago University, taking courses in junior and senior mathematics, mechanics, chemistry, metallurgy, and assaying. 9 • • In 1883 Mr. Marchbanks passed iLt New Zealand examination for surveyors obtaining a certificate under the Land Transfer Act. In 1884, he vas appointed Assistant-Engineer for the Otago district, and was in. charge or railway and tunnel works in North Otago, besides laying out the present Dunedin goods-yard. In 1885, he made the permanent location survey for the Manawatu Gorge railway. In 1890 .-c resigned from the Government service, and joined th© Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company asi assistant to Mr. Fulton, chief engineer and locomotive superintendent. In 1893, lie was promoted to the position of resident engineer, and in 1897 he was promoted to the position of chief engineer and locomotive superintendent to the company—a position he has held ever since. m Mr. Marchbanks is first, last, and all the time a hard worker, the kind of man who hates to delegate w°rk to another roan. He is just in his prime, at forty-seven years of age. He has one recreation, which has probably ooime down from past generations in his blood (he^s of Scottish extraction). That Teoreation is golf. Fe worships at ' the shrine at Trentham, and, through his hardest week's work, he can see fine drives and neat putts at the end of his toil. The new Harbour Board engineer has a family of six children. Before taking over the duties of his -position on Ist May, he will nave a trir> to Australia, and inspect the harbour works of the Commonwealth and the Dominion. • • • A private cable received from London last week by Mr. R. L. Hutehens, of Hawera, announced that his son, Master Frank Hutchens, aged sixteen years, has been made a sub-professor at the Royal Academy of Musio London., on the nomination of Professor. Matthay. This remarkable achievement at the age of sixteen years is regarded in musical circles as a, unique distinction, and is a record m the history of the Academy. Master Frank Hutchens will give occasional lectures at the Academy. It is only a couple of months since this musical boy wonder of Taranaki won the Hine prize at the Royal Academy of Music for the composition of a song. The words were taken from George Eliot's works. * • • Frank, who went to England on the advice of Paderewski, who bespoke great successes for him, has put up an astonishing record so far. Not long after his arrival at the Academy he annexed the Sterndale scholarship. A little while later he won the coveted Heathcote Long prize, and two bronze and two silver medals. Next, he won the Thalberg scholarship. In fact, his progress up the ladder of musical fame has been, by way of scholarships. • • • Professor Matthay, his teacher, has much admiration for him, and belief in, his great gifts, and never wearies in telling of his musical skill! and genius. Frank got a huge joke off on a Plymouth professor the other day. His cousin, Wilfred, a Plymouth boy, has jtist commenced the study of th© pipe organ. Whilst the budding Frank was staying with his cousin) at HSymouth recently, the new organ.

pupil was to meet his piospective tea/cher, a prominent organist, at the Plymouth Congregation aJ Church, to make final arrangements. • * • These two young vagabonds conceived I>he idea of palming off Frank as the would-be pupil, easily done in view of the fact that Frank resembles his uncle more than Wilfred does. Frank's •wearing of Wilfred's college cap completed the "trap," into which the innocent professor speedily walked. After playing a solo on his fine threemanual organ, the professor pressed his would-be pupil to try something. Frank seems to have fairly staggered him. His letter goes on: "The Professor commenced to walk about as if he couldn't understand it. I played two pieces, after which the Professor remarked that I was the most remarkable boy he had ever heard aaid commented on my temperament. . . We were nearly splitting our sides with laughter, and at last I told him. His face was a study." • - « Here's a rather curious item from the "Bulletin": — "George fitheradge is down, with a serious attack of appendicitis in Auckland. His friends are anxious. Maoriland is recognised as a deadly country for actors. The numbers dying there are out of all proportion, so much so that one manager says 'I always feel when I see a steamer leaving for Maoriland with a company aboard that there should be black plumes on the masts and funnel.' " • * * Coming from Australia, where suicides and deaths amongst actors during recent months have been fairly numerous this is distinctly funny. Who is the manager who farewells the New Zealand-bound vessels with such gloomy forebodings ? We should like to see his list of actors and actresses who have been dvins off in such numbers in this country. • • • There's a paper published at Bathurstj New South Wales, called "The National Advocate." One of these has hit us posted from Wenrtworth Falls, where Mr. John Holmes, of Wellington, has been startling the natives clean out of themselves. It isn't so many months ago since Mr. John Holmes was in Melbourne, giving invitation lectures on "New Zealand, Nature's Favourite Cheeild" ; "New Zealand, God's Particular Breathing Aiea," "New Zealand, and the Devil's Punch Bowl in the Otira Gorge," and all that sort, of thing. And now Mr. John Holmes, of Wellington, turns up hale and hearty in New South Wales, headed by a brass band. • • • There's something sporting about the way in which "The National Advocate" has treated our Mr. John Holmes. For instance, he's got about four different headings in the paper. They are good samples. The first reads: — "Additional Show Attractions." That's an interview with Mr. John Holmes, of Wellington. This is immediately fol-

lo^ed, without any apparent excuse, by anothei heading : "Jonah and the Whale." The editor or Mr. Holmes has, however, marked both headings for our edification. The next heading is "Export of Flour; Trade with New Zealand." This is the interview proTo judge from the columns of" the paper, Mr. Holmes has made no end of a splash m those parts, and just about twenty-four reporters have been chasing him from the bathroom »to the dimng-roo>m of his hotel, to ask his opinion upon the birth-rate in God's Own Country, the productivity of our soil, the immediate prospects of an earthquake in Wellington, and a dozen other prime subjects. Mr. Holmes, who was .run to earth at the Royal Hotel, BathuiiT'St, had a good deal to say with regard to the prospects of export trade in flour between New South Wales and New Zealand. • • • As a one-timo trade commissioner for God's Own little corner, he could, of course, discuss fluently various trade prospects. As a consequence, New South Wales is going to ship flour to these parts good and large in the close future. Mr. Holmes did the reporting staff to death with figures about our trade, so that none of them was able to follow him to the seclusion, of the Blue Mountains and Wentworth Falls. Finally, he admitted that his special mission to Australia was more directly connected with the introduction of the Holmes and Allen patent trolley head for electric tramcars, of which his son, Mr. Garnet Holmes, is one of the fortunate inventors. Tne Rev. J. Dawson, of Wellington, has found during the past week how short is the step between joy and sorrow. Oni Tuesday evening iie and his family, with the exception or one son and daughter, were surrounded by hosts of friends and weax-wishers who were congratulating him upon his splendid ministry of twelve years in the Webbnstreet Primitive Methodist Church. He was made the recipient of an illuminated addiess and a goodly purse of sovereigns. It was a most happy and auspicious occasion, and his radiant joy on that evening was quite natural. • • • Thursday afternoon brought the sad news that the youngest of his two sons, John Cliff Dawson, a lad of nineteen years of age, had been drowned at Shelly Beach, Ponsonby, Auckland. The deceased had gone with his sister for a short holiday to the Northern city, and was to have returned next day to Wel'dngton. He was of a bright, genial disposition, musical, and gifted in many ways. At George Winder's, where he was employed, he was held in very high esteem. He was am indifferent swimmer, and met his death by drowning whilst bathing, having got out over his depth. The Rev. Mr. Dawson and his wife and family are the subjects of very deep and wide-spread sympathy in their sad bereavement.

King Edward, opening ihe Imperial Parliament the other day, said that his recent visit to Berlin "had strengthened the amicable feelings essential to our mutual welfare and peace. Melbourne "Punch" remarks: "But Dreadnoughts are to be built, guna forged, and men enlisted with even more than former zeal" : — And if the casual man should ask If forging arms will never cease, They tell him that we need the guns And men and ships to keep the peace. Peace does not bear a palm leaf "now, She scorns that vegetable trine — A bomb is smoking on her brow, And on. her arm she sports a rifle! • • • Governor-General Lord Dudley^ of the Australian Commonwealth, will go down to history as the cricketing Governor, unless he takes to football or skating this season. A week or so ago he visited Prince Alfred College, Adelaide, and, the formalities having been got through he went out to the cricket field, and found the first eleven at practice. His Excellency made a humorous compact with coptain Ken Steele, who was bowling, that for ©very time he was bowled out he would ask for a day's holiday for the boys, and would deduct one for every four he hit. When the practice was over, the G.-G. owed the boys about ten. days' holiday, and it is said that he tried! to compromise with the "head" for a week. But all that he could squeeze out was one day. • • • The newly-elected president of the New Zealand Methodist Conference is the Rev. Thomas Fee. Just as well for the Methodists that one, Shakespeare, has impressed upon us the notion that there isn't much in a name. Otherwise a cynical public might suggest that the Methodists have keen regard for the dross that perisheth. They certainly couldn't deny that this year they have set their Fee above everything else. ♦ • • Fiora Perth, Western Australia, comes the news of tne bowling success of Mr. J . P. Lane, one time manager of the Citizens' Lie Assurance Society in this city. J. P., the well-known. Kelburnite, played off for the championship of the Glaremon/t Club, in, Perth, which is tiie creme de la creme of bowling m the Western capital. He had come through his sections with eight wans and one loss, and, of course, was pitted for the blue ribbon, of the capital. The upshot of the "go" was that he won by 31 to 21. There was a demonstration ia his favour at the finish, and the "Perth Daily News" says that: — "In Mr. Lane tihe club has secured a first-class representative, and members are looking forward with sanguine anticipation, of adding the State championship to the honours list." * * * Blew home to Wellington, from "furrin parts" last week Mr. Edwin Spragg, son, of the head of our "Hansard" staff. Edwin is now a pastmaster at globe-trotting, sight-seeing, hairbreadth escapes, nerve-straining adventures, and all that sort of thing. Before he moved out into the world he moved a pen in the Ocean Accident Insurance Company, but the pace was altogether too slow for Edwin-. He conferred with himself, and decided to "trot the planet." So he set out for London, determined 1 to pay his way and make holiday as he went. He has come home now, after the adventures of nine months, which have covered all sorts of experiences, from sleeping in a London bathroom to carrying a swag over three hundred miles of Queensland territory. • • * ">|~ Edwin Spragg, who has a No. 1 sized sense of humour, and is as wiry as you find 'em, left Sydney in June last for London, by the Orontes. He put in nearly six months in England 1 , and was for some time employed at the New Zealand court in the Franco-British Exhibition. According to the traveller, the crass ignorance of most of the yisitois to the Exhibition on the subject of New Zealand beat all the bands that ever tuned up for a fair. Many of them waited on Mr. Spragg at various times to ask if he knew Mr. Josiah Snooks, of South Melbourne, or Mrs. Joe Brown, of Charters Towers. Thi>y knew it was somewhere near New Zealand. Also, he was asked mr numerable questions about "snakes in New Zealand," whether there were any taxes or rates to pay, and dozens of other similar questions. * * * From London he came to Australia, on board the "Orient," having saved enough cash to see him through the trip, though he landed in Sydney with about l^d in his pocket. He came from England third-class, and tells the story of a stowaway on board, who went boldly to the saloon and had his dinner the first night at sea. Then he went and turned into a spare cabin. Of course, he was quickly discovered as a stowaway, was examined, and bundled into the third-class. Here he found blankets in. plenty, but no bedsheets. Next night they found him

in the saloon berth agam, tucked up in bed. When haled before the skipper, he pleaded as his justification tie tact that there were no sheets in. the thirdclass, and he couldn't sleep comfortably -between blankets. * * * Edwin made for much-boomed Queensland when he reached Australia. Here he picked up a young schoolmaster, who had grown weary of nis books and cane, and together they tramped the Northern State of the Commonwealth, "with their bundles on their shoulders." To make ends meet they took jobs at navvyung on the Tailway. But within a week they were filled with disgust at the sight of a pick and shovel. The business lacked excitement, so they threw it up. Their next work was waggon loading on dairy farms, and this saw them through close on their three hundred miles. Edwin, is loaded in both barrels with yarns of adventures. He kept a complete diary, and if the Wellington public aren't careful he'Tl be giving a series of lectures on his travels. • ♦ • Stated that "Plain Bill" Wood, the defeated Government candidate for Palmerston North at the late election., is not to be allowed to dodge the cal--erum in those parts. The popular blacksmith has received several deputations, petitions, and all that fort or thing requesting him to sta,nd as mayor of the meanwhile gubernatorial town.. The thorny seat of mayoralty isn't an unknown discomfort to the aforesaid just "Plain Bill", and he is sagely "thinking the matter over." Meanwhile, "Jimmy" Nash, the present progressive mayor of the Square cvty, is probably doing the thinking act also, and weighing chances. * • • An aeronaut with an unpronounceable name (it is spelt Sebphe) had a unique but unenviable experience at Melbourne a couple of Saturdays ago. He had been giving an exhibition of going aloft in his balloon but when he dropped he landed in the Zoo, and narrowly escaped dropping into the laTge open tigers' den. Sebphe thanked heaven for his escape, which is selfish of him. as the tigers were bitterly disappointed. They regarded the man on. the parachute as a godsend, and are still looking anxiously towards the sky in hourly expectation of another. * * * Of course, you've heard of Mr. J. B. Hine, M.P. You simply couldn't nelp hearing of him. He's the Opposition member up Taranaki way, who wiped a Minister, to wit the Hon. Mr. Hogg, clean, out the other day. Raised such a dust as he drove past the Ministerial waggon or coach and four that the Minister wasn't seen along the road. Some of the papers say that Mr. J. B: Hine, M.i\, didn't get an invitation to somebody's birthday party, or afternoon tea or something in that line. Meanwhile, Taranaki is bubbling and sizzling about breaches of etiquette, affronts, "tturning^own," and a dozen other tokens of ill-will.

Poor Mr. Hogg! That a Hogg should have been led as a lamb to the slaughter seems aspaiadoxical as ludicrous. But he's got one consolation. His chief sinned more wittingly before him. It was m this self-same district a couple of months before the late election that Sir Joseph Ward, passing through Stratford in a motor car, only raised his hat to the city fathers. (Ur was it that he merely waved his hand t We think he did the hat trick.) Taranaki went to market then, and the cables around this terrestrial globe burned night and day with the heat ot their insult. Nor did they forget it at the election. Taranaki assured the world, when the Oppositionists were returned, that the public up there "hadn't forgotten Sir Joe's hat-raising incident." We could easily advise the Prime Minister to join the cult of the hatless. But we're quite at a loss to know what to advise in Mr. Hogg s case. Taranaki, and Mr. line, will need some platcating. But what form should it take? "4^Mr. Coleman Phillips, of Caxterton, has been kind enough to senil us a copy of the "Moral Lessons" which he has drawn up and had printed at his own expense in convenient form for hanging up in school-rooms. The "Lessons" aire really maxims, arranged in groups to suit the various standards from No. lup to No. 7. Although many people may think Mr. Phillips is like Don Quixote — tilting at windmills when he sets out on the evangel of "One people, one Church," it would be hard to find any who could deny very high praise to these moral axioms. They are drawn from every source, and reflect the wisdom of all ages. They form a rule of conduct reaching to the loftiest ideals. No one faithfully observing this code can fail to be a lady or gentleman in the truest, noblest sense of those much-abused terms. Unquestionably, Mr. Coleman Phillips has performed a Teal public service in drawing up these "Moral Lessons," and they ought to be hung up and brought* into daily use in every school throughout the Dominion. • « • Mir. C. Hall, M.P. for Waipawa, has been saying things about _ the press and pressmen at Dannevirke. Mr. Hall said these thing® at a banquet, and he forgot, amid those genial influences, that even a worm will turn. In this instance the worm, the Danaievirke "Press." reared right up and hissed violently. Seems to have assumed the dimensions of a self-protect-ing snake. After confessing its inexpressible grief and surprise that Mr. Hall could say that pressmen wirote "under the influence of money," the "Press" makes some wholesome confessions. » • • It says: — "Pressmen may perhaps write under the influence of drink ; they may write under the influence of partisanship, anger, jealousy, ambition, love, hatred, cussedness, or thoughtlessness, but to say they write under the influence of 'money' is posi-

tively awful. Why, there is hardly a journalist in the country tiha-t knows what the ordinary -sordid term 'money' means. The poor journalist may be desirous of earning a few bob, but he is above the ordinary in the matter of smartness if he can get the weatiheir side of a politician." The confession shows something like versatility mi the Dainnevrrke journalist, who apparently can write under any possible condition but the "financial" one. Anyhow, Mr. Hall must by this time have recognised the enormity of his mistake.