THE MIRROR

NZ Truth, Issue 1278, 29 May 1930, Page 6

THE MIRROR

OF TRUTH

BLACK BUT WHITE DUNEDIN is a place where a public man has to be "the goods" before he is appointed to any^ public office demanding more than a passing amount of the good grey matter. For this reason, Mr. R. s. Black, is the right, man m the right place. He combines with } business ability the art of saying the right thing m the ■ right place. Whether he is welcoming I a notable visitor or opening a bazaar, you can depend on him to use words which redound to the credit of Dunedin. ' A fast worker m anything for. the benefit,of the Caledonian city, he is one of that band of business men who are bringing prosperity to Otago.

VERSATILE CONSUL MIX refinement, charm of manner and an exquisite southern courtesy and you have that accomplished man, Giovanni Formichella, the Italian Consul for New Zealand. The standard of the Italian Diplomatic Service is high, and SignoiF 'Ormiohella, among- other attainments, speaks no fewer than fi ve different tongues, comprising French, Spanish, German, English and, of course, his own beautiful Italian. In common with most of his race, he is passionately fond of music, and beauty m all its forms makes a strong appeal to him. When not. looking after the, interests of the 1000 Italians m the Dominion, he enjoys fishing and shooting, and handles a tennis racquet with considerable skill. Although he has only spent IS months m New Zealand, the gorgeous scenery of the country has already laid a strong hold on him, and he hopes 'that an extension of his term of office will permit him to stay here a few more years.

, A BELOVED MINISTER . A LITTLE bit of Old England on the banks of the Avon River. That is the only way to describe the picturesque beauty of Avon.side Anglican Church, so worthily presided over by the Reverend Fitzgerald. ' Here is a man who neither seeks nor wishes .recognition m an ostentatious way of the work he is doing. [The support of his people m any worthy project is all he wants — and he gets it, for he enjoys a popularity that many a man would give all he possessed to have. Some time ago there was a likelihood of his accepting a call elsewhere. His parishioners presented him with a monster petition so enthusiastic that the reverend gentleman simply had to stay.

HE HATH-A-WAY IF eyer you. call on him, there'll be no lack of warmth and cordiality m the greeting extended to you by G. A. Hathaway, secretary of the Bay of Plenty Power Board at Opotiki. Here is a man who has accepted the buffetings of Fickle Fortune with a smile ancl held fast his belief that the silver lining is only temporarily tucked away m a barrage of cirrus. Hathaway was m ' the civil service before he annexed the town clerk-ship of Opotiki. Came the day when he cast an appraising eye on the onward advance of hydro-electrical power and the commercial activities m its wake. As a result Opotiki lost a perfectly good town clerk but was fortunate enough to retain him as a citizen.

BUSY LAWYER AND M.P, WJ. BROADFOOT, M.P. for Wai- • tomb, takes a keen interest m the Government land policy. His district is growing so fast that he is kept very busy attending to the wants of his constituents, but he manages to find time to attend to his business. "Broady" (as he is popularly known) not only helps to make laws, but helps to interpret the m ; he is a lawyer at Te Kuiti. ,He is regarded as an authority on Maori land laws and has original ideas on land administration and nationalisation of industries.

MINISTER'S PILOT THOUGH a Minister of the Crown wins praise for his achievements and gets verbal brickbats for his sins of omission, his job on the whole is not a bad one. It certainly would be no sinecure were it not for those members of the private secretarial corps whose hands and brains are ever ready with assistance. A popular and very efficient member of this corps is Arthur Mulligan, who for some years past has piloted the Minister of Lands around the country. "A.M." is a hardy Southlander who had no influence to help him, but won his way by sheer 'merit and the nous for understanding the other chap's problems^ He has an imposing demeanor, and is often mistaken for his chief.

NOT ALL "FISH" YARNS ONE of the best-known sportsmen m the Dominion is J. C. Tisdall, formerly of Wellington and now m business at Rotorua. He loses little time m getting out with his gun at the week-ends during the shooting season. When he is not carrying his gun, a rod accompanies him. -With an expert knowledge of guns, shooting, trout fishing, and other outdoor subjects, and a large repertoire of good stories and reminiscences, it is not surprising that he is popular. I

CHEERFUL STAFF OFFICER jyrORE like a movie star's than most is the face of Major Ivan Jennings, who flourishes on the New Zealand General Staff. During the Great Push, m New Zealand and later at staff training colleges m the Old Land, Major Jennings laid a solid foundation for the knowledge which he now employs m the training of territorials m the Wellington area. If anything would make a Government relent m a possible determination to end the present training system it is the keenness with which the Major tackles his work and the enthusiasm of the youngsters who know him. Jennings is bright. He has a cheerful way that indicates the good sport. He knows the youngsters ancl how to handle them. Most of all, he knows ' his job, and that is a sure passport to a boy's esteem.