PERSONAL PARAGRAPHS.

NZ Truth, Issue 352, 23 March 1912, Page 8

PERSONAL PARAGRAPHS.

Australia's High Commissioner, Geoi'gie Rei'd, who has been having a nice holiday m Switzerland the last few weeks, paid a flying visit to London tills week, ' ("Flying" is hardly

a.r^uaammm.L.L.aiy.jimm :mi„^m mu^m.^tuimm J.llj«l'-Mi -« ny 5 the adjective to apply to a trip taken by a person of ■ George's tonnage, but let that go.) ' On his way . back to . Switzerland for the completion of his i holiday, Geoi-ge was robbed of a good amount of his gilt by some unscrupulous person, who had no respect for the weighty person .of Australia's five-thou'-a-year ambassador. Scotland ,■ Yard aro inquiring into George's losr., but that's about ail Georgev will ever [ hear of the departed oof. Fancy an _ astute ex-politician- being robbed. ;..'*. -'■-. "Like many other successful men, ac started his career as a journalist, i and, after contributing to a flourishing ! Sydney paper, he married a. daughter of his editor." Young man of the daily press, 'if you' want to be a success and L " avoid ' wasting good ink, go'"' thou and do likewise "(if your editor has a daughter, and doesn't object to" yotir making love to her), for it is thus '.he \ London press has chronicled how "penny post" Henniker Heatori struggled' gled up the ladder of fame, and got to be a Baronet this week. But Henniker deserves a baronetcs* as much as most ptiblic men who receive that hofior, ! though he has four times .declined' a knighthood. Like most, "single idea" : men, he has brought about postal reform. by sticking /to his one idea all his life, m season and out of season. His first important achievement m postal matters was. at the Berlin International Cable Conference m ISBS, where, as representative of the Tasmanian Government, he secured a large reduction m the cost of telegraphic messages to Australia. ■■• ■ • ■ The Duke of Fife, who threw in^his knife and fork rather suddenly this week, was one ,of these newspaper notabilities who can be best described m the one word— "harmless." He was an elderly, amiable nonentity, whose most striking peculiarity y/as a weak- . ness ior wearing kilts m all weathers, and whose only claim to ■ fame was that he marred into Royalty and maJfe a good husband, which is not always the case with Royalty, or common hu- . inanity, for that matter.- Yet the London rags are trying to create the im-'prc-ssion. abroad this week that- the ) great heart of the British people is so stricken with woe as to be unable to bear up against "this great grief thajt has decended on the nation." As a matter of fact, the London mob is rstiU 1 taking its -meals regularly, althoughAlexander William George Duff • has gene the way of all flesh. v ...» .». ■ . . -The only bit of humor I have-disr-o- --■ vcred m the pages of . lugubrious piffle written round the deceased husband of Royal blood was, like most of -the humor of the. London press, ■ quite-uncoh-sciou?. ft had to do with the Princess*.' Royal learning to ride the bicycle m the days of long ago. "-The instructor, grappled the Royal lady very nervous- -: ly, whereat the Duke called out, "Hold her tighter, -man. Never mind her j royalty, keep a good hold of her. Even < royalty gets hurt if it falls." '(Which | is most true, as Chai*les I. and sundry' 1 . other . -mbnarchs ■ t bund to their cost.) . And. the half-penny rags conclude thj-a "pretty little incident" (as they cFut ' it) w*ith the following remarkable nd- ; dition): "The instructor followed ihe! ; Duke's advice, with the .-result- that i within three, .#ays .it was tbe Duchess who was supporting, the Duke' -on his machine along the lanes round .East Sheen*! ..- ..".-.....• ■■ ■'.',"■ -f ■-. -,;.-.. {