PERSONAL IMTEMS FROM LONDON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13029, 21 November 1905, Page 7

PERSONAL IMTEMS FROM LONDON.

.[FIiOH OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] ';. London, October 13. '' Mr. J H. Withkford was a guest at the Sheffield -cullers- feast this ..week. ;■'.,. Colonel Livesay, who recently died at Thun,- served in the. Indian' Mutiny' and New Zealand campaigns. ' ' Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Tapper, of Auckland, are leaving almost immediately,on their re -,;*. turn voyage to t the colour. . ", • Among:.; recent arrivals in -the MotherCountry are. Mr. and-Mrs. William Cowern " ■ (Hawent), who readied England on the-last day of September, having travelled by way of Suez, i~. ''■-.- ';,,',,;: ;::".:.-*■:'.■.»/ . Mr. j;.C._ Gavin, Assistant Controller-' General for Now Zealand,who, with his wife and eldest.daughter, arrived in the-Mother Country recently, is at present in .Scotland, :'.'• whithet he and they repaired after spending ~ a few days in London. -'.',,;..'. , Mrs. 11. T. Cooper (Wellington), who has been in / .Mother Country since May;, toilsome that sin-, is. leaving on her. return, %■■'.:■'■;£ next''month by 'the 5..-,. Athenic, by which;,. [ vessel she- came Home. She has had a very enjoyable stay here,, and recently:- has been .:- : '-,' visiting in the South oL England. - ••- , At St. Margaret's Church, Westminster, . yesterday afternoon, the marriage. took place •" of Miss Gwendolen Gorst, youngest daughter of 'the Right Hon. Sir .loliil Gors.t, M.P., ;■■ '.-■ formerly' of New Zealand, and Major Ed- « ward Sidney Herbert, of the Black Watch, - - at present attached to the Egyptian army. ■ ■*?' Mr. Harold . Grogson. who was organist '. '.: and choirmaster for two and a-half years at St. Paul's Church, Napier, expects to re-, turn to New Zealand by the Orient steamer - Ophir, which .sails from Marseilles on January 5. On his arrival in'the- colony lie-will probably settle in Christchurch or "Welling-" ' ~.: ton. ■'■•'- - : - .-'- .'-'. "'-■--.-"'-/W-'- ! -'- :^ I '>:-:'.:^-j Airs. C. Taylor (Remueraj was a passenger - by the s.s. lonic during her last Homeward voyage, and lauded at the docks a fortnight ago,/after a. delightful trip. Twenty-two ' years have elapsed since Mrs._ Tavlor was - in the Mother Country, and she is-now-stav-' - ing with-her father, Mr. J. Hardymaii, at '.'• Ilighficlds, Leicester. Mrs. Taylor lias in v contemplation a,visit to Capetown on her' .way 'pack to New; i _ Zealand ,next, year, !V -,<, r . As some, surprise ,has been ■ expressed at:-' the' Pope's sanctioning and patronising a. sports gathering within the precincts of the. '.-' Vatican, it is remarked by the Westminster Gazette that while athletic Popes may be. - rare, prelates and priests devoted to. open-"" air sports in their leisure hours have been by no means uncommon. : The late Archbishop Croke, for instance, while he was p Bishop of Auckland, in New Zealand, .was-' -' greatly admired by the Maoris for his Surnp>-"«' ing feats. - -.-.-■ r ,--,.--.. ; . .-, - ; .Mr. Sidney H. Best landed in the C Mother ' - Country at the end of last week, after a pleasant trip by the White Star steamer Persic, which he ,'oined at - Svdnev; -the voyage occupied eight weeks, and on the. -P whole calm 'weather, .was experienced, es- ' pecially after leaving Capetown. Mr, Best ".." has come to England entirely for purposes o2 business; his present intention is to remain , on this side, of ■, the-, world for about three- ' years, but, -so - uncertain arc his 'plans;''that'" ,; he may find it necessary to go back to the' ■"' colony almost immediately.,- -. :',:■..vy ■.-■.,■. Mr.,.T. W. Walker, better known bv the'".' affectionate soubriquet -"Long : Drive- : Wal-- ■' k.or," called on .me, one day this'weck. • He . was then about to start for . Scotland, where- .•' ■ he intended remaining for ten days. 0r.50.; . Ho will thou return for a short time to London, subsequently choosing some more ' ' genial locality abroad in which to nass the'' coming winter. He informs me that* he docs not expect to do much serious business in regard to mining matters until after the New Year, the present period being-'distinct-ly unfavourable for such enterprises. Mr. Thomas Allen (Auckland),' -who"-'bar - been on this side of, the world : for 'abou¥ eighteen month-, has now concluded ,his stay in the Northern Hemisohere. and saih ..New Zealand to-day in the P. ami O." steamer Macedonia. : As .I mentioned hi previous letters, Mr. Allen has spent a con-, siderable portion of'his Slav abroad," and he' intended to' pay another visit to the 'Con-'"' ' tment. joining his steamer at Marseilles, '"' but, like almost everyone in London just now, lie caught a had cold, which has 'left him a good deal out of sorts, so he deems , ■- it better to go straight on board his'boat and ' settle down for a period -of thorough rest and recuperation. • ' n'n T - Taine (Auckland), who is now- - in Ins 90th year, and who is. the so!e surVl yp r of the original New Zealand Comptaiy. called on: me to-day, looking ■' remarkably '-' haleand vigorous and' fit," notwithstand- . ing his exceptionally.- advanced years. Mr. ' • Tame came to the Mother Country/with his'' granddaughter. Miss Muriel Darling (Wellington), by the last trip of the P. and O steamer Macedonia. Mr. Taine, during ou>' conversation, reminded me that he settled - in New Zealand before it was even a colony, and long before it had the slightest prospect - of obtaining Constitutional Government. lie may indeed be regarded as one of the - - oldest of "old identities." >' *'' '. Among recent callers at the office of the " . New Zealand High Commissioner I notice "- too following names:— Alexander Ross (Rancitikei). Mr. A. Wilson {Wellington), Mr. Noel' Richardson (Auckland). Miss Carrie "■'■ Craig (Wellington), Miss Ida Locking (Napier), Mr. and Mrs. A. Clarke Begg /Duns- '. din) and the Misses Begg. Mr. Q. C. Hopkins New Plymouth). Mrs.' H. T. Cooper. (Wellington), Mr 9. H. Best (Auckland), Mr. Alan M. Jackson (Dunedin), Mr. C. Clifford Jennings (Christchurch), Mr. 11. G. Kiniheli Wellington), Mr. C. C. lies (Dunedin), Mr. 1. H. Mander (Whangarei). Mir. H W "■"' Smales (Auckland). Mr. Louis K. Ba-rnard'" 1 ■ - Brown (Wansjanuil, - Mr. and Mrs D Mc Leod (Hawke's Bay). Mr. Harold Gregson ; (Napier). Mr. W. J. Watson (Dunedin). Mr - Ernest G. Mollison (Dunedin), • Miss Kin" (Nelson). ■ "■'■' Mr. R. B. Totman (Upner RangitSkei) writes mo:—" One thing, which I am continually being asked is this: Whv is it that ' the departures from New Zealand eaual the : ; arrivals, -or' nearly'so?" Mr. Totman ex- •'-' : '- presses the opinion that if the New Zealand Government opened up the land free an* - number, of English farmers with capital : would go out to the colony, but under the ' existing land laws ho does not think it is ■ - advisable for them to go, and they are .of - the same opinion, for they do not "want to' go out and buy land that is practically as dear as it is here. Mr. Totman says 'it is ' possible to buy land in this country at £8 10s per acre with good homestead -thereon ' a house of eight to twelve rooms—within forty, miles of London; therefore improved . farms are out of the question in. the,eyes .-• of the English farmer.