OUR LONDON LETTER.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXV, Issue 5024, 23 July 1903, Page 3

OUR LONDON LETTER.

PERSONAL AND GIiXKXIAL NOTES. vX’Vom Our Special Correspondent). LONDON, Juno 5. A writer in tlio "Tail r»tall Gazette 1 Loids iordi iu cheery igusiitozi on " air Scudou’te Hitcher’* Snop.” flo insists that tho main cause oi your Premiers election lo take a hand In retailing New Zealand muNcu $6 **tho feeling time pervade* tho colony against private monopolies o£ any kina—a .sentiment whoso value at the ballot-box tho Premier is able to astutely gauge. . . . Already in New Zealand . . . State Socialism is in full biaot; and, judging by tho Progrcosivists’ continued majority, tho people are satisfied to see a continuous extension of tho operations of this great State trust. Hence there can bo no doubt that this move cf the Premier* will jigL lose him any votes. Nay, Uio cry of breaking up the alleged monopolies of tho frozen meat trade will bout» valuable an asset in his next campaign as his policy of ‘bursting up the big estates’ served him at a previous election, Tim people of New Zealand believe chat too much of tho profit cf tho frozen meat trade goes into tho pockets of tho shipping and distributing companies—too JiUlo to tlio farmers. Whether Mr Sodden can do the thing cheaper will require a truth Tho point is that he Is prepared to make that trial.”

Tho other eauso of a Privy Councillor .soiling his own meat is,tho “P.M.G.” scribe declares, “tho aggressive belief iu itself that Now Zealand abundantly possesses. Maoriland won’t bo happy unless it is advertised. It suffers from a. vuguo suspicion that England is eating its lamb and doesn’t know it. , That is a slight'npon a strenuous colony, and myst bo instantly remedied. If it is accessary, to give its mutton away, New Zealand will do it—for a time. Hero Mr Soddon is only acting upon woliuiulerstooil business principles. First create your demand; your profit naturally follows.” The writer thinks that whether provincial England will ho able to buy its meat at a price that will mean tho ruin of tho British farmer, or whether Mr Bed clou finds that there aro more tricks in a trade that knows what Is inside tlio sausage than oven ho can master, the result to himself and to Now Zealand will undoubtedly bo a distinct gain. “First, Air Seddoa will have conciliated a class in his colony that has never acquiesced iu his policy of labour and social experiments; already tho Premier is somewhat wearied with tho clamant grievances of tho working classes, and has petulantly told thorn tliat it is tirao for tho ship ot State to ’go slow,’ and the sheep-far-mer looks impatliontly to tho Government to give him his long-delayed turn of the apparently inexhaustible bounty of the State. And next. Air Soddon will have given New Zealand another of those advertisements upon which it seems to subsist. And as already tho man in tho Strand considers that Air Soddon is Now Zealand, tho good work cf advertisement will go serenely on, and Air Soddon, butcher and Privy Councillor, will be ono step nearer his goal—tho first Premiership cf tho federated Empire.”

The coming butcher-shops have aroused hopes of work for tho most forlorn out-o’-works. Tho Agent-General is inundated with letters and inquiries; most of tho applicants want billots, managers, counter-men, “small goods” men, tho “ buy-buy-bny ” men with raucous voices, and alt sorts and conditions of men. Then there are the people with shops to sell or to let. owners oi cold storage, Chambers of Commerce wanting particulars, Borough Councils saying “ Pleaso start a shop here”— Croydon and Reading taking the lead. It’s an ill wind that blows nobody good.

Mr Peter Ireland, of Goodwood, is taking back -with him to New Zealand four very valuable Ayrshires viz., two one-year-old bulls, and a two-year-old and three-ycar-cld heifer. Mr George Hutchison, ex-member for Patea, who has been in the Transvaal for the last three years, is now over ia London for two or three months’ holiday. Mr Hutchison has been practising os an advocate under the old regime, which is still retained so far as Romau--Dutch law is concerned. Gradually, Mr Hutchison tells me, that system is assimilating with tho English commonlaw, and there can be no doubt but that in course of years tie two systems will have merged into one. Mrs Hutchison. and her daughters are at present living in Brussels for the sake of education. Mr Hutchison gave me a good deal of interesting information, as to the state of things ia South Africa. For all classes, he thinks, tho immediate prospects are not so good as they were some months ago. Ho advises no one to go there unless they already have enough money in hand to enable them to live at tho rat© of £3O a month until earnings begin to come in—and how long that may bo ho is in all cases doubtful. Tho future of South Africa as a wholo is, of course, .certain to bo very great, but that future is a paulopost futurum. Mr Hutchison’s account of the climate is a much more cheerful one than I have heard from others. He thinks that Johannesburg lias a climate as good as tho best in New- Zealand! That is saying much. As to enteric, ho says that it will soon bo stamped out by- sanitation, and Johannesburg is now going in for that first necessity, and spending large sums on water and drainage. Tho epidemic of enteric radiated from Bloemfontein, where a hundred thousand men had to live on surface water after the Boers captured the ivator-works. That disaster and the capture of tho convoy for the relief of Kimberley ho looks upon as the two direct causes of most of tho enteric that afterwards prevailed all over the field of war.

Mr Worayss Bear, of Napier, who is at present at Shoolbrod’s great establishment in Tottenham Court road, intends to stay _ iu London for a couple of years to gain experience in his trade as a draper. Besides working hard, Mr Bear has managed to compress a groat amount of enjoyment into tho three months he has been in tho Old Country, of which ho has already scon more than many of tho inhabitants ever can hope to seo in the course of their natural lives.

Mr R. TV. Jones, the well-known mechanical engineer of Invercargill reached London a couple of weeks ago by the Orentcs. He comes Home after an absence of thirty-two years to see his friends in. Birmingham and elsewhere and to introduce no less than nine New Zealand inventions. After some months here ho goes over tn the Continent and to America on business connected with these patents.

Amongst young New Zealand medical students I have to record that Mr J,

H- H. Bailiio has passed his examination for AI.R.G.H., and so also have Air J. G. S. AlcLiouall (Oamaru) and Mr JMackio (Dunedin). Mr McDouall is shortly going back to New Zealand but tho others remain here" for some time yet. Dr Falconer is holding a hospital appointment and preparing loi a diploma iu “public health.” Air Stuart C. Newall, a sou of Colonel Stuart Newall, C. 8., of Wellington, and for somo time past local manager of tho South British Insurance Company at Hong Kong, is now at Home on six months’ leave. Air Newall left Wellington at tho beginning of 1897 and lias sinco been stationed at Townsville, Calcutta, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Ho leaves London for New Zealand by way of America next Saturday and will probably go straight through to the colony with the mails.

Air George Bailey (Invercargill) has decided to curtail his visit to England and leaves to-day for Wellington. Air T. O. Kelsey, of Now Plymouth, returns to New Zealand, via. America, in August. Ho is over here purely on a holiday and intends to liavo a good run through the country and over to Paris before commencing tho return journey. Airs C. and Aliss Moore, of Dunedin, spent a little while in Egypt on their way Homo, staying at Cairo and going up'tho Groat Pyramid. After visiting her son, Dr S. A. Aloorc, at Hebbnm, in tho North, Airs Moore has now gone with her daughter to Eastbourne for a couple of months. Air a.ud Mrs Cecil Kebbcll, of "Wellington. who have been spending somo weeks in London, go down to Cambridge next Wednesday for Commemoration Week". Thereafter they purpose tasting tho joys of Henley and Ascot before tripping north to seo friends, and tour in Scotland. They will probably go to Ireland for tho Dublin horso show, and in October they loavo England for tho Continent with tho intention of joining tho North German Lloyd boat at Naples for Sydney. M-:«j Alelhuish, of Christchurch, and Mrs iredalo. who hails from Auckland, aro just now very busy at their pretty little “cottage” restaurant only a door or two out of Piccadilly Circus. It 'is, indeed, a good thing to see New Zealand ladies .succeeding boro so well just bfy dint of hard work, common-senso and no nonsense. All Now Zealanders that come to London should certainly drop in there to lunch, for not only is the room pretty, but the food is honestly good and excellently served. Air Hubert Humphrey, who was for many years a traveller all over tho colonics lor farming implements, and who for tlio last two yeai-s has been iu Palmerston North, is taking a holiday iu tho Old Country. Ho and three North Islanders, Messrs H. S. and William Corufoofc, of Haicowbe, and Air David 8011, of Fcildiug, lauded together at Naples, and meant to see a good bit of Italy j they found it. though so early in tho summer, intolerably hot, so they only gave a fortnight to tho Continent and came on to England, where they are all very much chillier and happier. Air Humphrey goes to Scotland to see his friends and comes back in time for the Royal Agricultural Show, which is henceforth to bo hold in tho old Tyfo'rd Abbey grounds, near WiUesdeu. Air David Bell has goho down to his brother’s, at Amblesido, near Windermere, and tho rest aro enjoying themselves in divers places.

Mr and Mrs J. Frith. Roberts, of Christchurch, and thblr two daughters, reached England by tho Corinthic on tho 2nd inst. Tliey spent a fortnight at Plymouth seeing tile town and neighbourhood. Mr Roberts arrived in town in time to attend tho great demonstration held in Hyde Park to protest against the London Education Bill, and says ho will never forgot fit. Towards tho end of June Mr Roberts and family go to his brothers, in Jersey, for a short visit, and then back to London, and' after spending a few weeks in Kent and Surrey, will tour a while in Wales and Scotland. , Tho callers at tho Now Zealand Agency are now coming in with a rush. Here is tho list for the past week:— From Auckland—Messrs Edwin Hall, F. W. King, Mr and Mrs Peacock and two daughters, Mr and Miss Ware, Miss Gifford Cooper, Miss Edmision. From Napier—Messrs Frederick Bull, M. B. and B. 11. Norman. From Wellington— Messrs Charles Pallian, T. R. Jones, Alfred Matthews. Mrs John Duff, Mrs Johnson Wright, Airs J. A. Gilruth. From other places—Miss Linda G. Fenwick. Drancclin; Miss Annio Bauohop, Port Chalmers; Mr Livingston, Gisborne; Mr and four Mieses Cameron, Remuera; Mr and Airs M. J. Burkoand family and Bliss Emily Dawson, North Canterbury; Mr James Brugb, St. Bathans; Blrs Robert Clark, Levlin; Blr S. Phillips, Dunedin; Blrs McLennan and family, Blanawatu: Mr C. A. Brencldcy, Wairarapa; Blr Heigh Caldera, Wairuarama; Blrs and Bliss Ostler, Levin. Mr Arthur Wise (Dunedin) is hero on a visit of business and pleasure until tho end of the year. He is going down to stay with a friend at Cam briugo next week, and sco tho bumping races on the Cam. He is lucky to be able to got there in early Juno, for, of all times in the year, the old quads and. lawns of both Oxford and Cambridge are then to bo seen at their very best. After a run through Scotland, ho and Blrs Wise go over to tho Continent, and then back to Loudon in the autumn. Mr Ernest Albert Dobbie, who has been eight years in the employment of the “ Otago Daily Times,” has come Homo to learn linotype work for two or throe years. He is hopeful of getting work soon in London, and meanwhile is paying a visit to relatives in Cornwall. Tho big New Zealand horso. Record Reign 11.. was a starter in the £SOOO steeplechase in Paris last Sunday, but fell when going very strongly. Record Reign 11. was sold to go to India, where ho was found not to possess enough pace for flat racing. He was accordingly sent to France, where he carried everything before him until t Sunday’s mishap. The.ro is still living in Devonshire Blrs Short!and, tho widow of Blr Willoughby Shortland. who became ActingGovernor of Now Zealand in tho short interval between tlxe death of the first Governor, Captain Hobson, and tho arrival of the. second, Captain Pitzroy. Blrs Shortland possesses the club thatbelonged to Rangibaetea, he of the Wairau massacre.

' Mr Colin Cook (Lyttelton), with Mrs Cook and his two daughters, is staying ia London having left Lyttelton at the

end of January, and staying somo little whilo at tho Hot Lukes and in Sydney en route to Marseilles. Thence they went on to Nice, Alonte Carlo and Mentone, and then had twelve clays in Paris on tiio way to Loudon. At the end of Juno they; take a three-months’ torn' of Groat Britain and Ireland. Dr Hocken is back from his long round of tho Continental Aluseuins. At Homo he saw tho fine Alaori head of which General Itobley made a mosfaccurato drawing for tho late King' of Italy. Tho General, by the way, is in a state of bliss, having just added two more Maori heads to his collection. They make numbers 35 and 36. Both of them aro amongst tho finest specimens of tatooiug, ho says. No. 36-being covered even to tho lips and having elaborate patterns called putaringa near thn oars. Tho second edition of “Aloko,” the GonAnl’s book upon Alaori tatooing will soon bo out and tho author assures mp that it will bo rich in history and in illustrations. Air Cecil Theihnann, who was living in Dunedin for about three years between 1886 and 1890, is now settled down at 7 East Parade, Leeds, as manager for Yorkshire of the Canada Life Insurance Company, the oldest of any of tho colonial life-offices. Amongst those who have passed tho first professional examination for tho Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England is Mr J. V. Arlde, of Now Zealand.