ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE

Free Lance, Volume XIX, Issue 1029, 17 March 1920, Page 4

ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE

nnHE Prince of Wales has a ready wit -B- and a neat way of making happy points in: his speeches. When on Australia Day he rose to reply to the compliments showered - upon' him by Sir. Andrew Fisher and Sir Tam Mackenzie amid' a storm of cheers and " coo-ees " , "the • Prince referred to " the wonderful "things which I know I am going to see in Australia and _ Now 'Zealand. , But," he hastened to add, apart from the wonderful things, it is particularly the people whom I am looking forward to seeing. (Loud , cheers.? As you all know, I have been closely .associated' with the Australian Corps and the New Zealand Division duringthe last five years. So it is impossible for, me to feel in any Vay a .stranger. (Cheers.) I know your soldiers, , and "through them. I feel that I know the Australians and New Zealanders. : I am particularly looking forward to seeing as many returned men as I. possibly can —niy old comrades in arms, , who were sometimes kind enough bo des-. cribe me as a ' Digger '-—(prolonged •cheers) —a compliment I very much appreciated and of which : I felt very proud. Sir Thomas Mackenzie; has spoken on the subject of a club or some . institution in which the people from the may meet. I can assure you that X am very keen about such a thing and shall always give it my utmost support. It is inferred that •%. forthcoming visit jnay do good. I -can assure; you that ft is going, to do mo an enormous amount of good." •(Loud cheers). , ' : ' -«• * * ■ * ■■■■. At the end of January the Prince of Wales had what he told the -'regimen-tal-sergeant-major ■ afterwards' was "a . real. merry: evening 5 ' . at the Welsh 'Guards' Sergeants' " smoker" -at Wellington Barracks, London: The Prince, who is a Colonel- of the Regiment, walked over to the barracks from St. James's Palace. He wore ordinary •evening dy ess - He entered the mess without aiiy formal .introduction just as it sergeant was singiiig, "Love me and the world is mine.''. The ..sergeant, paused, but the Prince said cheerily, "Carry, on," and the sentimental song, which • was loudly applauded, , •continued. Following the love song was a comic song about beer and the war. The Prince, sat at a. table between the commanding officer of the battalion and,R. S. M. Stevenson. According to .custom, he took beer with the sergeant-major, 'j.;; * . ; In the same week' His Royal Highness was the guest of the Pilgrims' •Club at a banquet at the Savoy Hotel, where he underwent the severe ordeal of shaking hands with not less than 300 •of his hosts. The Prince, in hisi 8-J minutes' speech, mixed humour with •epigram. very deftly: Correcting a point made by Lord. Desborough he said: " It would, be more correct to say I am domiciled in the British Emfire than in England." But the great laugh of the evening was - caused by his demure remark: "I am still receiving the most charming letters from people in the United States —not all; •of them from members of the fair sex." . * * -* * • Professor Rontgen/■ the_ Dutch sci•entist, who 24 years ago discovered the X-rays, and their power of- seeing through the human, body, has just retired into private life. He has ac*cep>ted no honours; he always looked work as ita own reward. Twenty yesirs ago the X-rays apparatus; was worked by a few electric cells such as are used for- lighting a toy lamp, and it was considered a marvel to i>hoto:graph the bones of the hand with half-•an-hour's exposure to the rays. To-day . installations .are being worked with -dynamos taking 20 h.p. to drive them. The human heart can be snap-shotted in a hundredth of a second, the contents of a watch can be photographed without even opening the case, and you •can see right 'through a metal casting, and photograph in a few minutes the interior construction of a three-inch •shell. * * * *• Dr. Cameron, of Wellington, who "has installed the X-rays in his surgery, can tell you a lot about the healing ■ virtues of the X-rays in consumption and other deadly maladies Which reminds us that news has just come of the death of Dr. Cecil Lyster, of the Middlesex Hospital in London, who "has fallen a victim to the cruel effects of the X-rays upon the exposed, body. He was a pioneer in_ X-ray investiga- • t-ion in relation to the treatment of •cancer, and -through' exposure to the rays before its real properties were "fully knowji, he himsel? contracted the

disease'. Yet he bravely prosecuted his researches until a few weeks before he died. -■■..,7'. 7\ .

It may not be generally known that the late Lord Plunket (our former Governor) belonged, to a family which has given three bishops- to the Anglican Church in -Ireland. His , father was Bishop of Meath, and later Archbishop of Dublin, his uncle was Bishop of. Tuam, - and his brother is the present ' Bishop of Tuam;' Two of Lord ' and Lady Plunket's children —-a' boy > and a girl—were born in New Zealand. . The boy received the Maori name of " Kiwa" and the girl (who died last year) the Maori name of " Mahine.'' ■ It is related of the late BrigadierGeneral Pretheridge, of the Australian Forces, that when ,he was; v acting as Administrator at Rabaul after the Germans were kicked out, he, once .officiated as padre for the Sunday service to the troops, the chaplain being ill. On - that, occasion he preached the shortest' and most pointed sermon art record. He gave out the text:" Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, : do ye also to them." Then he closed the Book, and looked thoughtfully . at the troops in front, of him. " Well, boys," he slowly, " I-can't improve on that." : •» ' .* Sir Henry Lionel _ Galway, Governor of South Australia, departed for Blighty m the Huapehu last week-end after having had a real goqd time on the Wellington bowling greens. He was given a rousing send-off in the Wellington Club', pavilion. Responding to the toast of his health. Sit -Henry said he loved the bowling green because ■: of its sociable atmosphere and its freedom from ceremony. As Governor he was obliged to maintain the" dignity of his office, but on the bowling green he was merely a man amongst, other men,' all animated by the spirit of sport and camaraderie. . ?' * ... * ' * ; -- Sir Henry ought to reach, the Old Country in a very pious frame of mind. He travels Home in the company of three Bishops and a large assortment of parsons of plain and fancy religions. "His successor in the -Governorship of SoutE Australia is Lieutenant-Colonel ' , William Ernest George Archibald Weigall, M.P., for the Horncastle Division of Lincolnshire, whose term starts on April 18. Colonel Weigall, who is 46 years of age, served in South Africa, and in the recent European war he was for three years Inspector A.R.G. Services, Eastern Command. In 1910 he married the Baroness von EcSSardstein, who,' in spite of her German name, was an English-woman, the only daughter of the late Sir J. -Blundell Maple. » ; , * * « For some time past the habitues of the Wellington Police Court have been quietly taking stock of . the hew ''Beak," Mr E. Page, and the verdict is eminently favourable to his Worship. He is .a shy man, and doesn't 1 venture much into the limeligfrfc with magisterial jokes and lofty obiter, dicta, for the press reportersi. But he has acquired a reputation for thoroughness in his work, fairness. in decisions, and a willingness to help the lame-dogs of society whenever he can. His most conspicuoua idiosyncrasy is his politeness. He ushers convicted persons into gaol for a month so- pleasantly that the convicted ones must be pardoned for mistaking the nature "of their sen- - tences. * - * -S- ' Comparisons are odorous, but- not always. Sometimes thev are interesting. Compare Mr Page with c< The Dook," as the irreverent are wont to style Mr W. G. RiddelL The latt-er is cold and formal. Garrulous witnesses he cuts

.-Very short with. " That'll; do—stand down," Mr Page also cuts them short, but his"" That will do, thank you. Mr So-and-So," conveys the impression that his Worship would' havie liked to have heard more, if it. hadn't been his busy. d&y. Mr Page's sentence manner is unique.. Addressing the accused, he says: " I think I will- convict you. I think I will sentence you to' a month's imprisonment-."' v' ; .■» ■■■■ * . ;■■■ ■. ; Irank D. Thomson, the urbane and genial Chief Private Secretary of Premier Massey, doesn't reckon he. is more • superstitious than others, but the; rusty horse-shoe which hangs on the wall by hisi roll-top desk, rather tends ' to ; place him t under suspicion. However, that rusty horse-shoe (which now. bears a small silver plate' on its rim) has a rather: curious history. Imme- : diately after .the general election which brought the Massey party into power . that small rusty hr>rf<eshoe arrived per post at the Premier's office m the Government; Buildings," and too, 'it a very auspicious, moment. It was delivered just one hour before. Mr Mas.sey .andv his colleagues were sworn 'in by the Governor-General as His Maje&vty's Ministers. *. • *k- • -7f •. • • Inside the parcel was a note in a feminine hand: ■, " Wishing you luck on your assumption of office,", and another line intimating that the sender was a. firm well-wisher residing: in-the deepest depth of the North, Island backblocks. That is not all. The day after the last general when it - was certain that the Massey Government had come back from the .polls with a thumping majority, another note from that feminine well-wisher in the back-blocks arrived for the Priflie Minister : " Glad ,to see," it ran, '' that my old horse-shoe still brings . you good luck." ■ «•: ■■ What about the silver plate on tne horse-shoe ? Well, that is the work of Joe; Henrys, the - well-known turf handicapper. : Having business' to do one day at the Premier's office, Joe's quick eye lighted on the horse-shoe hanging, from its ribbon, and, as a believer in. luck himself, he >inquired its. histo'ry. When he ■ was made wise oh that liead Joe begged- a. loan of the horse-shoe and took it away with him. A few days later he returned with it and handed it over with a _ silver plate on the . rim inscribed with the words, " Good Luck." ' -* . •» * ' Gerald Patterson, the present holder of the world's tennis championship, is a nephew of Melba. Rather remark-' able that one family should have given to the world its greatest singer and its greatest tennis player. Gerald is young enough to be Auntie Nellie's grandson. He is only in his early twenties. Which is not bad for world's champion. * -s- -aThe vagaries of public opinion have rarely been so peculiarly demonstrated .as in the last French presidential > election. For this high office 1 both"' Clemenceau and. Deachariel; were candidates. The " Tiger," as Clemenceau was popularly known by his admiring countrymen, was fresh from his great war triumphs as the saviour of his country and of the cause of the Allies. The moment seemed. propitious for making him President. To the surprise of the world he was beaten in the election by Deschanel, whose campaign was taken in hand by the .Briand group and vigorously conducted. Clemenceau all through was indifferent. If the people wanted him—well and good, they could have him. If not —he shrugged his shoulders in his characteristic -way and said that it didn't matter to him - which way it went.

. Paul Deschanel is the son- of a famous savant, - who was exiled by Napo- ■ leon. The boy was, born in exile and poverty, and has his own efforts •to : thank ior his success in life. He has been • a prolific / writer,: both' of books and of press and .review articles, and has received high honours from learned societies. In 1896 he was elected President of the Chamber of Deputies, and held the - office with several breaks until- 1912,- since when he • has had an interrupted tenure: >,v:;-*He has a .very beautiful and talented wife. By birth an American, whose saloons were famous in Paris, she was the daughter of the French multimillionaire, <v-Rene Brice. * , *' * As for Deschanel himself, he is described as an aristocrat to his finger- . tips. For years he was the bestdressed deputy in the Chamber, and easily -the most elegant speaker:. The . President of the French Republic • is not very much more than •• a -head, and his< powers are not nearly so great as those .-of -the American President, but then the French have had such bitter experience of autocrats in the past, that they are- not likely toi give their President any, more rope than he already has, although there is a movement on foot to enlarge hi 4 authority.

In the- American Labour world the authority of Samuel Gompers, President of. the American Federation of Labour, has been challenged by a rival for the ■ leadership-—Warren S. Stone.Gompers stands for the non-Socialistic principles that have hitherto guided the movements Stone wants. to make the'worker a partner and 'a profrtsharer in industry. Much will depend on the result of the challenge, for if Stone wins the whole aspect of the American labour, - movement • will be changed, and Capital will bo invited to " come across." The physical differences between Gompers and Stone are striking: Gompers is shoTt; Stone is a six-footer. Gompers is a' septuagenarian; Stone is in the prime of life. But the extraordinary vitality: and influence of " OJd . Sam " is going to prove a mighty obstacle to shift. "

Samuel Gompers. is_ British 'born, and used to work in a cigar factory.: 1 : He was .only fifteen years old when he started out to organise the working man. ,He became President of the American _ Federation in 1882, and though his leadership, has. often been challenged, he has never been unseated. _ He is. the best-known labour leader in the .world, and you should what he thinks -about: Socialism :■ liconomically," he said to the Socialists once, .''you are unsound; socially, you. ,are wrong ; industrially, you are an impossibility. ..

The' ex-Duchess of ' Westminster, after a brief spell of liberty from the b 9 n <* s of . matrimony, severed - with .Publicity in the 1 newspapers in : the Davoi-ce Court, has gone' into douagain, this time as the wife at Captain J. Fitzpatrick Lewis, of the tioyal -Air iorce, .whom she. nursed at a- French war hospital after he had been severely wounded in an air duel. • Q ® wedding was a very quiet, almost a.furtive, affair. It took place- at the registry office, and only, about three people were " m the know:" The parties arrived ,m cars and left separately, afterwards going to the South of France for the honeymoon.* JLhe ex-Duchess was a daughter of Mrs Cornwallis-W est, and there were three children of the Westminster union ■tiie youngest, the iieir to the dukedom' dying; at .the age of five. The' Duke has no present intention, of re-marry-f teirv presumptive is the Duke,s uncle. New .Zealand " Diggers -Wish Mrs Fitzherhert Dewis every happiness, for die was very good to them t placing her home and motorcar, at their disposal.

+ , Sh ?rl ly 1 ? a ]? n ? to tr JL hiß luck on the. boards V is_ Mr W. W. Crawlord, well-known in Wellington artiste circles, where for " manv years lie has been a . leading light. He has recently been secretary to the "Wellington - Orphans' Club, /and was <: member of the Savage Club;: the Charley s Aunt Club, and other festive organisations. Now he is going into musical costume comedy under the J C Williamson banner, and his Wellington friends are arranging a bumper farea? 5 £ n oo 1S - to take place on March 23, m the Town Hall. An imposing array of concert talent has been organised for the occasion, and a firstclass entertainment is assured.

'Tisn't often y<ra hear of a Government servant chucking his job just- because he doesn't like it. The superintendent of the Australian Jolimont institute for the education of : returned soldiers in the art of viticulture one day took his hat off the peg, lit a eis;aretfce,_ and leaving, a- note pinned to his blotter: "Fed up; good bye/' sbrolled put of the office. And he didn't commit suicide either. We expect he was a returned digger himself, and had got a bad attack of the wanderlust-.