CURRENT TOPICS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8182, 25 July 1912, Page 6

CURRENT TOPICS

KEPT HIS COAT. The Bishop of Auckland possesses ths saving grace of humour (says a Dunedin, pajier). He remarked to an interviewer: “I have never been in Dunedin before. Let mo congratulate you on your charming city, so exquisitely placed. I confess that I came to Dunedin with certain misgivings. I know in Auckland tiro gentlemen, whom I am, proud to call friends. They are magistrates. One is Mr Cutten, the other Mr Kettle. Both are on the Board of Mis. cions to Seamen. The day I left they advised me about my southern journey. Their advice was needed in. some ro epects, but I should be ungrateful te say that it was altogether justified. What they said was: ‘Bo sure to take a warm coat' I replied: T have a warm coat.' 'But have you- put your name on it?’ one of them asked. WelL 1 have watched that coat, and so far as I know I possess it still, and I hop© to get away with it to-morrow. If I do I shall be able to triumphantly refute tha calumny uttered by your brethren in tha far north.” , '

A NOTABLE BENEFACTION. In these days when it is claimed against tho rich men of the community y„hat their contributions bo deserving public objects are not on an adequate scale, it is a pleasure to place on record an instance of public benefaction so notable as that of Mr W. C. Buchanan, of Wairarapa. Mr Buchanan is one of the worthiest as well as shrewdest and wealthiest of our pioneers. Us is a progressive farmer, and one of _ the keenest of our business men. He-is a conservative in politics, but a radical in business. It has always been a matter ■of surprise to us that a man whs was not afraid to “put his stuff up ‘ when money was wanted for industrial , enterprises should • have invariably “weighed in shy” on advanced legisla*, tion. However, if all were radicals w* should probably fly off in the handle into infinite space. “Old Buck,” as he is affectionately called in the- \Vnirarapa v has always been counted amongst th« honourablcs, although the official designation has never fallen to his share His dour determination and extraordinary endurance is the theme of envious admiration wherever men do fraternise. Ho is younger now than many men -his juniors a score of years, and yet it is on record in a thousand uomosteads that he is a fly-by-night, vho neither slumbers nor sleeps. A thousand gifts in secret and innumer-. abie heioful actions stand to his credit in the archives of memory, but he has left to mellowing ago his public bene, factious. The most notable of these, the Home for Incurables at Greytown, will, appropriately enough be opened by a gionp of Massey Ministerialists to-day, it' is with singular pleasure that we join with those concerned in the felicitations which are naturally inspired by such a commemoration.