NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10423, 22 April 1897, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Many of the men who have occupied a large share of public attention during recent years have risen from the humblest ranks. Henry Broadhursb, Under-Secre-tary of State for Homo Affairs, had a very hard up-bringing, and was a stonemason by trade. Ho wrought at the Government block at Whitehall, where in after years ho was second in command in one of its offices. Mr. Broadhurst, who is 68 years of age, entered Parliament in 1880. His motto is " Never be idle." He it a staunch Wesleyan and a champion of the Presbyterian Sunday. Bon Tillett, of whom much has been heard recently in New Zealand lost his parents at the tender age of eight, when he was employed on a Bristol brickfield. Before he was ten ho bad tramped all over Staffordshire, and afterwards spent) some years at sea. He finally settled down as a warehouse labourer, and during the great Dock Strike was made secretary of the Dockers' Union. He was made an alderman at the age of thirty-three. He is a preacher of considerable power, and is a total abstainer, and fond of cycling. Charles Fenwick, who was born in 1850, until 1885 was a miner at a Northumberland colliery. In that year he entered Parliament. He is a self-taught man, an abstainer, and a Methodist local preacher.

John Burns, in his youth, was a gentleman's servant, and afterwards a potman in Battersea. When following the calling of an engineer, lie made a political speech, though only sixteen, during working hours, and was discharged. At the age of seventeen ha wrote a letter to the Daily Chronicle, which manifested a wonderful grasp of the political .situation of the day. Soon after he became a recognised Labour leader. When out in Africa, in 1880, he suffered privations that would have shaken the courage of many men. On returning to England he worked as a day labourer, helping to pull down St. Martin's Workhouse in London. Ever since the. Trafalgar Square riots Mr. Burns has been much before the public. He is a man of great industry, and possessed with superior organising ability. He has organised nearly ISO trade unions, and been connected with over 50 strikes. He is an advocate of women's rights, local veto,, eight hoars, and the payment of members of Parliament, and is also a non-smoker and teetotaller, Joseph Arch, M.P., was a farmer's bo/ 65 years ago, and for nearly half a contury followed the calling of a hedger and ditchor. He is a member of the Primitive Methodist 'Church and a local preacher. An annuity fund of nearly £1300 has been raised for Mr. Arch by his numerous friends in the House of Commons.

J. H. Wilson, M.P., was a sailor lad, and spent some time in the American cattle trade. When running a dining-room in Middlesbrough, ho conceived the idea of a National Amalgamated Sailors' and Firemen's Union. This union has now a membership of over 80,000, and weekly subscriptions of over' £2000. Benjamin Pickard, M.P., was in the pits from the age of 12 to 31. _ His watchword in life has been " Lose no timo." He is a Methodist local preacher, and is never happier than whqn among Sunday-school children. Tom Mann, who was' born at Coventry in 1856, like others already was a coal miner. Ha came to the front daring the great Dock Strike, bat for years before had been carefully preparing himself for the future he had mapped oat. • He -was an engineer, and among , the first to advocate the eight hours movement. ' It' was. bis intention to become a minister, but he has now i given himself up to political life. '2 Jieir, Hardie, a "Morisonian" and 'a Good Templar, worked in the coal pit from the age of eight till 24. He is now in hit 40th year, and like many of his comrades is self-taught, and also a ■; preacher. .. He is regarded by many as on* likely to play an: important part in the; '« politic* of the'; future," , Mr. W. Allan, who is known in the House of Commons as the'Gateshead i Giant, is a native of Dundee, where he was; [bora in 1837. He studs 6 feet 4 inches,

and is built on * brood and massive principle. . Ha begin his career as an engineer at the ag# of 'eh, picking up his education »i best be could after work hours. When in the Royal Navy he was shipwrecked, and during the American Civil War assisted in several successful attempts at blockade-running, and was ultimately taken prisoner. He is an inventor arid poet. Id the large Works which he has established at Sunderland, and where he lias made a fortune, bis work* men hfwe an eight hoars' day. Only in the event' of a death or a resignation among the employees are new hand* taken on.

Even the worm will turn. The question of women's hats at theatres has entered upon an acute phase. During the performance of "Madame Putiphar" at the AthGnie Comique, Paris, a gentleman seated in the orchestra stalls coolly retained his headgear, and, when protests and cries were raised around him, he took no notice of them. An official having walked up to him with k polite remonstrance, he quietly pointed to two ladies seated in front of him with hats much higher than his own, and remarked chat so long as that was allowed be would continue to act as he had done. Allusion was then made to tho police commissary; whereupon the gentleman left bis place, and requested that his money might be returned. As this was refused he took his departure; bub he has lost no time in summoning the manager to appear before the justice of the peace, by whom the question will be threshed out. The document with which the manager has bean presented sets forth that there is no rule compelling men to remove their hats at theatres, and that moreover, it is idle to pretend that their headgear prevents the' other spectators from witnessing the performance, inasmuch n women's hats, which are now of ridiculously exaggerated proportions, are tolerated. Nor, it is added, does the difference of sex suffice to explain this unfair treatment, seeing that men are often in more need of a head-covering than women. Accordingly, the gentleman asks that the price of his stall shall be returned to him, and that 50 francs shall also be paid as compensation for his having been deprived of the pleasure of witnesiing the performance.

Our cable messages to-day contain soma interesting details of the progress of the war between Greece and Turkey. The latest news from the front shows that the Greeks have suffered enormous losses in the engagement in the Maluna Pass, and that they are now retreating towards Larissa pursued by the Turks who are raking their ranks with a heavy artillery fire. The Greeks in Crete have been notified by the Turkish Governor to leave the island withiu 14 days. The Greek Government have in consequence asked the Powers to withdraw their forces. President liruger is not, it appears, disposed to liberate the Pretoria prisoners Davies and Sampson in commemoration flf the Queen's diamond jubilee.