PERSONAL ITEMS FROM LONDON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12628, 8 August 1904, Page 7

PERSONAL ITEMS FROM LONDON.

■' . . [f»OM OtTB OWN CORRESPONDENT.] London, July 1. ■ : Mb. and Mrs. G. Prior. Donnelly had the honour of being received at Marlborough House by T.R-H. the Prince and Princess of Wales on Thursday. Mr. W. L. Bees has recently arrived in England. He travelled by way of Vancouver and Canada. The duration of his stay in this country is not yet definitely settled. Mr. and Mrs. Madill (Auckland) are on a visit to this country, partly on pleasure and partly on business, and also to see old friends and relatives, for Mr. Madill went out to the colony 35 years ago. It is stated that Mr. Walter Kirby, the tenor singer, who has been ill for some -time at Margate, is now fully recovered, ■"■. 4iud has returned to his old address in London, viz., 15 Elgin Avenue, Maid a Vale. Mr. John Davies (Manawatu) came Home by way of America. He voyaged in the s.s. Ventura from Auckland to San Francisco. Ha will return by way of Suez, reaching Now Zealand towards the end of November. Mrs. D. T. Stuart (Wellington) and Miss M. Stuart have just arrived in London, having come from Capetown, where Mrs. Stuart had been to join her daughter. Instead of returning direct to New Zealand, they decided to come on to London and arrived on Saturday. Mr. James Coates has arrived from Wellington, and I hear that he is looking remarkably well after his long sea vovage. The annual meeting of the National Bank (of which Mr. Coates is general manager in New Zealand) is to take place here next Tuesday, so his arrival is opportune. Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Coates (Waikato) and their two daughters were passengers by the Orient steamer Omrah on her last trip, and reached London after a splendid passage. Mr. and Mrs. Coates will return to the colony via Australia by the Orient line, travelling by the s.s. Qrontes about the end of September. . Mr. A. Macintosh (Bank of New Zealand, Wellington) ha 3 been staying in Hereford, and intends leaving shortly for Scotland by way of the English lakes. He will remain in the North for a little time, and then go across to Ireland. ' He has booked his return passage to the colony via Australia by the Orient-Pacific steamer Ortona. which is to sail from here on September 9.

Messrs. Ernest H. Rhodes and Francis Rhodes, sons of Mr. George Rhodes, of . Auckland, arrived in London recently, <j after a very interesting trip br way "of Australia and Suez. They intend to remain in the United Kingdom for some time, with the object of gaining experience in the building trade, and for the purpose of getting an insight into the wav in which things are done here.

Mr. J. Savage (Auckland) experienced a «ad bereavement after he had been in London for only a few days. His brother, with whom he was staying in Tavistock Square, died somewhat suddenly. Although the deceased gentleman had been ailing awhile, it was not realised that his end was near, and his death was a great ■hock to his brother and other members of the family. Mr. Savage and his daughter have remained in London ever since, looking after various matters, but next week they will go to Warwickshire for a change after their bereavement. From Warwickshire they will go on to Cornwall before returning to London. Mr. Savage looks wonderfully well, in spite of his sad loss, and he .tolls .me that the Homeward voyage worked wonders for him, giving him, quite a new lease of life.

Each week now there are a number of Lesh callers at the New Zealand AgencyGeneral, some of those who have left their names and addresses since the departure of the 'Frisco mail being: Mr. R. M. Simpson and Miss Simpson (Wellington), the Rev. C. Coleridge Harper (Palmerston North) and Mrs. Harper. Mr. N. E. Hawthorn (Wellington), Mr. C. J. Stanton Harcourt (Wellington), Mr. W. Lawes (Wellington), Mr. L. A. Booth (Wellington). Lieutenant Oliver Stub (late of Auckland), Mr. A. Metoalf (Rangitata), Mr. Joseph Barugh (Hamilton). Mr. James Muir (Auckland), Mr. P. M. Hansen (Auckland), Mrs. E. Lewis and Miss Lewis (Feeding), Captain Whitney (Auckland) and Miss Whitney, Mr. John Searle (New Plymouth), Dr. J. S. Purdy (the Hutt), Mr. A. S. Gresham (Auckland), Mr. James Coate9 (Wellington), Sister Emily M. Bearne (Wellington), Mrs. Harvey and the Misses Harvey (Wellington), Mrs. F. L. Branfield (Wellington), Mr. C. F. Napper, C.E

The Shaw, Savill. and Albion Company's Steamer Athenic left London yesterday on her voyage to New Zealand, and she will sail from Plymouth to-morrow. The Athenic, which is commanded by Captain Kempson, carries a very large number of passengers, considering the season of the —the best time for visitors to be in the United Kingdom. According to the official fist these in the saloon are Dr. G. J. Hall and Mrs. Hall : Dr. B. Stendahl and Mrs. Stendahl, Miss G. Standahl and Masters Stendhal (2). Major Nelson, Rev. H. W. Whittinestall and Mrs. Whittinestall. Mr. and Mrs. E. Branscombe, Mr. and Mrs. G. S. Hall, Mr. and Mrs. W. Llewellyn, Mr. and Mrs. J. Mi'b'gan, and the Misses Milligan (2), Mr. and Mrs. E. Mnlcock. Mr. arid Mrs. A. B. Smith and Miss E. Smith. Mr. and Mrs. C. R. Syfret, Mrs. J. B. Dunstan and Miss Dunstan, Mrs. M. Ewart and Master Ewart, Mrs. Fairbairn and the Misses Fairbairn (2), Mrs. H. Grierson, Mrs. A. Jenkins. Mrs. K. Lloyd, Mrs. Langlands and the Misses Langlands (2). Mrs. A. C. More, Miss E. Beecot. Miss E. H. Fergie, Miss M. Gray, Miss M. Jones, Miss M. Morrison, Miss F. Pilliel, Miss M. Resell, Miss H. Streiff, Messrs. A. Abbott, C. C. Andersea, A. J. H. Baass, P. Banhof, S. Bennett, Blomefleld. J. Beecot, J. W. Cntton, E. Colton. D. Causton, A. Everard. H. Fraser, D. H. Gillingham. E. Horsfield, E. Hutchins. K. Jenasen, W. H. Jamieson. J. Turr.bull, J. W. More, jun., R. Nelson, J. J. Nicoll, G. E. Owen, J. R. O'Connor, P. L. Smith, and W. Willis. Masters A. Bates. W. Edgley, A. Ludlow, G. Travis. Dr. J. C. Hines is the surgeon on board. The Athenic carries in the third-class no fewer than 210 passengers

Mr. James Muir (Remuera) came Homeby way of Fiji, Honolulu, and Vancouver. His steamer to Vancouver was the Miowera. which he describes as " a steady boat, but much crowded, and far too small for the summer traffic.'' Mr. Muir came by rail across Canada, proceeding from Montreal to Now York, and crossing the Atlantic.to Liverpool in the Allan liner Carpathia. His present intention is to stay in this country until the end of September. "There was'one thing that came under my notice during my journey, which I was very sorry to s«e," said Mr. Mnir. "On board the Miowera I found several New Zealand agriculturists who had taken final leave of New Zealand and were on their way to Canada to settle there. I also saw several Aucklanders in Vancouver who had left New Zealand and settled there, and .y they were mostly people with money whom our colony could ill-afford to lose. It is a great pitv that there should be an exodus of so valuable a class of New Zealand's ' population. On the other banc! (he continued) there is something else I should like to sav in another direction. I went H to see the Canadian thermal springs near Banff, in Canada, and T do not hesitate for one moment to say that they will not compare in the remotest degree with those in : • the Auckland province, while the arrange- , : ments for their utilisation in respect of m baths, sanatoria, etc.. are glaringly inferior •V to those of New Zealand. To give one in- ; , stance of this latter, the natural hot baths, of which there are very few. are used simultaneously by both sexes. This, •saiv:,',",;!::. :v ■■ . - ■-..:■ ■■■.:.: J, ? 1 ■■ ' . ■ ■■-•• ..-■-... '-. ..-..•■ •

of course, necessitated bathing in a special costume, which causes much of the beneficial .effects of the medicated hot water to be lost. But altogether the thermal springs of Canada are utterly insignificant as compared with those of New Zealand. Indeed, I do not hesitate to say that New Zealand could afford to lose as many ' thermal springs 'as there are in the whole of Canada, and yet continue to be the wonderland of the world in this respect. Let me say one thing more on another topic," added Mr. Muir, in conclusion. " While I was in Canada I took great notice of the paving of the towns, which is almost invariably in wood. Recollecting that this is a matter of considerable interest in New Zealand towns, I endeavoured to ascertain how the Canadian wooden pavements were found to answer in respect of durability. It seemed to me that they wore very badly indeed; after being laid down quite a short time the rain seems to get at the blocks and to start a process of decay which soon leaves their wooden-paved streets a whole series of ruts and cavities, making driving over them very uncomfortable. Mv decided opinion therefore is that' if the Auckland citizens are wise they will not pave their city with wood."