PERSONS, PLEBS & PLUTES

NZ Truth, Issue 849, 25 February 1922, Page 1

PERSONS, PLEBS & PLUTES

Born somewhere about the time of the Battle of Waterloo, Robert Rowe, of Gladstone, still plods along cheerfully iri this world of trouble and is not keen to leave it yet awhile. At least, the old chap looked anything but like quitting it when he celebrated his 104 t h: birthday on Sunday last. He was born m Somersetshire, and is one of eight sons. The father of the family just missed being '■. a centenarian himself by three years. Robert 1 arrived m Noo Zee m 1857, and among one of his earliest jobs was the making of a portion of the. Makara Road, the formation of Molesworth Street, Wellington, and giving" a hand at bridge construction work near Te Huta and Waipukurau. Since those early days the ancient has tried his hands at many things, among his occupations being that of hotelkeeper. for he was proprietor of the Tauherenikau Hotel for seven years. (What •have the prohibitionists got to say to that.?) Finally, after all his varied labors, Robert made' his home with his second daughter, Mrs. P. Crewe, of Gladstone;* May the flne old fellow yet put up .a record m longevity.

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Quite a young toddler beside the ancient mentioned above is SergeantMajor Edwin Bezar, of Rintoul Street, Wellington, who celebrated his eightyfourth birthday a few days ago. The hardy old sergeant-major has managed to cram much excitement into his four-score years. He -is a veteran of /the Maori War and a one-time member of the famous* s7th West Middlesex Regiment. He is well known m the Wairarapa among the old soldiers there.

Handed m his last slip of copy, Bertram Stevens, one of the bestlciiown of Australia's literary art critics.- For several years on from 1911 he edited "The Lone Hand," a publication which had an auspicious beginning and- h'nally petered x out a year or two ago. Before Stevens took charge of "The Lone Hand," plenty of money was put into the publication to make it the leading monthly south of the Line. A remarkably high standard waa kept up and the cream of Australia's literary talent was l-epresented m its pages. Henry Lawson, Dyson, Steele Rudd,- Ralph Stock, Archibald, Edmond,' "Kodak" (Ernest . O'Farrell) and many other, well known Australian scribes were contributors) and some .of the best, of Norman Lindsay's work was represented. About 1911 the "LOne Hand" was on the down grade when Stevens^took charge. He made big efforts to restore the paper to its lost glory, but the one-- time remarkable magazine remained - but a shadow of its former self. Stevens edited the "Red Page" on the "Bulletin" for a couple of years prior to his taking charge, of "The Lone Hand", arid when he v^ relinquished charge of the latter ; rriagazine he subsequently edited -'Art m- Australia," and was joint editor of "The Home." \

Another Maori War veteran gone West. This v/as Mr. John' Barrlball, of Waiuku, who shuffled off this mortal coil a few days ago at the age of 76. Deceased arrived with his parents m 1842 m the good ship] Westminster. Seventeen years later John left his dad to start ot^t on his own, purchasing land at Waiuku. He/p ut his plough on one side during *63 and '64 to have -a say m the Maori War, and later was one of the founders of the Waiuku Royal Cavalry Volunteers. •

Due to sail by the Ormonde, which leaves Australia for the'-Old Dart at the end of this month, are 'several theatrical folk well known to people m Noo Zee.. They include John D. O'Hara, Frank Freeman. Joseph Coyne, and Pirei Bush. Perhaps it is an indication that the theatrical slump has made itself more than apparent out this way that, accounts for the exodus, for the artists named are .only a few of those who are about to leave for fresh theatrical fields. „ '

A happy feature about the golden wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell, of Toko,' Taranaki. was the fact that every son and daughter of the familyof nine Is alive to celebrate the event. Dad and Mum are justly proud of the fact that the merhbers of their little brood are all alive and well, although the whole family faced all the hardships and privations of pioneer life m the bush country. What's more, there are thirty-one grandchildren attached to the family now. These are the sort of people who make a young country like Noo Zee.

When the Auckland City Council recently gave the job of assistantmanager of the Auckland Tramways to Mr. A. E. Ford, the city fathers of the North were betting on form and on performances, so it is hard to see how ifny but A.E.F. could have won. If there is anything about electric trams /that Mr. Ford doesn't know no doubt he would be pleased to learn of it, because from the time he threw away his ' school bag he has been associated with electricity. For years he was head of both the tramways and electrical supply, department at Bendigo, Victoria, and m 1908; was appointed traffic , superintendent of. the Adelaide -' Municipal - Tramways Trust, and- has held the position ever since. In selecting Mr. Ford to keep the trams m Auckland on the move and free as possible from blow-outs,, no mistake has. been made. Mr, Ford may be able to do all this, but if he has any spare time he- might-h ave a go to- do away with th'e five o'clock rush at the foot of Queen Street.'

If there lever was a hero- it is Jack "Chalmers, ; who/ dragged --young "Mickey" Coghlaia from the jaws of a ten-foot shark at Coogee, Sydney, a few days ago. It does, us good to hear that Chalmerses a 'native of Wellington. • While "the shark was still visible m the already crimsoned water round the 'unfortunate Cog-Wan, Chalmers dived, in to the rescue. ' It was known that' there were two or three other -sharks iri t|ie vicinity, so that Chalmei's's action m facing such terrible enemies, is of the bravest — he deserves the V.C. Chalmers's maternal gi-andparents, Mi', and Mrs. George Seagar, live at No. 6 Roxburgh- street, Wellington. • His paternal grandad was , Mr. William Chalmers, who for many years hung out his sign as the proprietor of a cooperage m Waterloo Quay. The shark hero is"' of the same name as his dad, who was a. bit of .a crack as a push -bike racer. He was well known m this connection In Australia a" couple of decades ago. .

After a marvellous run '"'.'.of luck, Lloyd George, the "Welsh . Wizard," seems to be on. the eve of overthrow. Never the leader ' of-the Liberal Party, he was supported by. the Conserva* tives and "breakaway" Libera^, and now 1 that this support js being withdrawn, the Prime Miriister will.be left without a party. Like our own Premier Bill, Lloyd George was elevated to power and sustained there by the people who had been his . lifelong enemies. That Lloyd George, without birth, wealth, or social position to support him, went so far m a country where "prestigS" counts for so much is an enigma. It is rare that an. "outsider" ever becomes Prime Minister of Britain. Sir Sidney Low brings out this point clearly :

The ruling cliques are able to gor yern, because they see one another daily. ar e always visiting one another, . breakfast . or dine together, meet m society, and were at the same school or college ! They have shot at the same rifle range, or hunted or yachted together. They frequent the same country seats and the' few streets and squares m .-. which. they liV c m London. Practically one-half of them are intimately connected with one another by blood relationship. "* or marriage. . . . . "Yet, -^sometimes, one or two "outI aiders" -do 'drop into office. Even the most eminent and high principled "outsider" x is generally unable to achieve success unless he has either married .-ifito this circle or acquired ...sufficient wealth and social prestige ;..: to amalgamate with ,it. .Readerss*i.of Mrs. Asquith's "Memoirs" Arid Colonel Repington's "Diary" will Arid abundance of evidence proving that many of the most important Government decisions are settled m society drawing-roofns .- and week-end parties, and are mentioned m Cabinet only if formal ratification is necessary. -These aristocratic-. * rulers . of Britain, have all along been restive under- Lloyd George's leadership. They submitted to* it during the ■ war be; cause he was necessary to them; now, they think, he is no longer necessary, so they are getting ready to drop him,