PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14702, 9 December 1909, Page 4

PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

(FiIOJI OUfl OV.'X CoBRESPONDENT.) | LOX'DON, October 29. j New Zealamlers in London w<?ru greatly disLiOij-L-d to hour that 'Mr HuII-Joiics'h health had suffered another relate at the j l:tsjinniii;j of the week, when a symptom j ot his old heart trouble reappeared. The! High Comin'iisionor returned from Folkc- I stone a week or two ago in a greatly im- ! proved fitute of health, the rest and t=ea air having benefited him considerably. In his anxiety to return to work ho prevailed upon his incdical adviser to allow him to attend his ollice each morning, and he transacted business there, reclining on a couch to rest his leg, which was, if anything, improving. At the end of last week, unfortunately, Mr liall-Jonc-.i hail another of his o.d heart-seizures, as a result of which ho bad to take to lied again and to bo kept, absolutely free from business worries and uxcitenwnt of any kind. At. present his condition is not changed. Iu Ihe circumstances and the absolute necessity of relieving the High Commissioner of all work, the Government was communicated with liy cable, audi Sir Joseph Ward replied requesting the Commissioners of tho Public lie voriuo in London to exercise the powers vestal in them in tho event, of illness or death of the High Commissioner for the time being. The commissioners arc Sir Westby I'erccval and Mr C. Wray Palliser (Secretary to the High Commissioner's Oflice), and on the recommendation of the Prime Minister they appointed) Mr Palfieer High Commissioner pro tem. It is hoped by his friends that Mr HallJonos will proceed, as soon as lie can travel, to the South of Franco, and before returning to his duties will enjoy a requisite perjod of convalescence, to which his devotion to the public interests over a long period of years entitles him. There was an affecting scene at. tho Congress Hall at Clapton on Wednesday evening whan the veteran Chief of tho Salvation Army announced to a vast audience, which ha<l asiy'imHed to welcomu him "back to public life" after his recent operations, that ho had quite lost the sight of one eye and was not sure of the other. General Booth spoke with the greatest cheerfulness for an hour and a-half, merely lapsing for a few moments as he made the pathetic announcement.. " I have lost the sight of my right oye," he said with tremulous voice. "It lias gone, never to return. Tho oilier eye is imperfect, and it is likely, they tell me, to become more and moro'defeetive. Anyway, they cannot tell.' I asked tho doctor about it when. I saw him a few days ago. He said it might last 20 years. A cat.ar.",st has formed on the eye similar in nature to tho one whioh developed on the eye I have lost. But I can discern that there aro individuals at the end of this building. and. if the light were little better, perhaps I might bo able to recognise faces in that, quarter." The audience cheered sympathetically. With his ling hair and straggling beard he looked every inch the old warrior that he has been, and he described with optimism and vigour his nhuis for tlia future. Though he is not sure whether the other eye would last, he i 6 in good physical health, and has been assured by his doctors that he has 10 years of life still to be lived. [ Sir John Gorst, who still has many friends in New Zealand, will most, probably stand as Liberal candidate or Preston. '.He has accepted an invitation to address the Preston Liberal Association which is dissatisfied with ! the attitude of Mr Harold Cox, M.l\, on ! several of the prominent political questions. For many years Sir John sat in the House as a Conservative, and he has held Ministerial appointments. He takes a deep interest. in labour and educational problems, and has made the child question his special study. His sympathies have always been democratic, and he endeavoured, when appointed iirst British delegate at tile Labour Conference, which was summoned by the German Emperor at Berlin, to second tho efforts of the Kaiser for ths amelioration of tho conditions of the toilers of Europe. At the last general election he was ousted from the representation of Cambridge University, for which he had sat since 1892, for his adherence to Freetraxje principles. Mr G. 11. Clutsam's symphonic idyll, " The Lady of Shalott-,'' which was played by the new Symphony Orchestra at the Queen's Hall last evening, follows the moods of Tennyson's poem and illustrates Some of the episodes without, however, going closely into details, except for the downward scale which represents the breaking of tho minor. ''It is quite pleasant music to listen to," Bays The Times, " though there is little originality in it, and what character there is appears to be derived mainly from Wagner." "H. A. 5.," the well-known musical critic j of -the Westminster, is enthusiastic in his praise. He says: "In his critical writing tho composer is nothing if not 'advanced.' Here, however, .he has been content to be graceful, delicate, and picturesque, and his work can be enjoyed without effort in oonsequenoc. Not the least noticeable feature of the work is the skill of its orchestration, which is all tho more effective because it is distinguished by such reticence and refinement. Mr Clutsam must give us some more orchestral works without delay."

Ycstnrdaff (lie oomitia of the lloyal College of Physicians of London conferred upon 104 medical students t.he degree of L.11.C.P. Some New Zealiuiders were among the list, including: Arthur Jonas Friedlander, Otago University, Middlesex and London Hospitals; Henry Gray. St. Bartholomew's Hospital; Harokl Edward Jeffreys, M.8., C1i.8., New Zealand University; Ernest. Charles Lindsay, London Hospital; John Mitchell Mehaifey, New Zealand University and London Hospital; Thomas Ale.xa.ider Jlilroy, Otago and Glasgow Universities; Sidney Harland Ward, Otago University and London Hospital.

Mr J. S. S. C'ooj)er, M.A., B.Sc., has recently taken up his residence in London. Since coming to iiio Old Country five years ago lie lias l«en with the British \\ cst.iughouse Electric and Manufacturing Company at its works in Manchester, where lie been designing clcctric niachinci.v--particularly largo turbine-driven generators. In connection with his work Mr has made numerous journeys both in England and 011 the Continent. During last, winter (1908-09) he was in llussia for nine months, and had some inlevesiiug experiences in St, Petersburg, Mcitow, 11 ml oilier towns. He is, so far, t.h-3 only New Zealander who has ever taken out a Russian pasoporl in St. Petersburg. This is nccessury after a stay of more than six months ill Russia. Mr Cooper finds that tile Russian people take a peculiar interest in the far-off Dominion, oil account of its democratic political ideas; while for a New Zealaudor that big corner of Europe otters a host of matters of interest, belonging as it does c.s much to the East as to the West. lWore leaving for England Mr Cooper, who was educated at Canterbury College, was science master of the Auckland Grammar School. and Inter of the Otago Boys' llijrh School. lie is now in the export <!o|iai'tn:ent of (lie British West-inghouse Company ai its offices in Norfolk street. Ptr.md.

Mr John C. Ycitch. (Dunetlin) has been visiting Ualy. Southern Germany, and France, cliiolly with the object of stu<tyins tlio old as well as the modern niastons in the most famous picture galleries. After a brief stay in Warwickshire lie will leave on his return journey to Now Zealand.

Mr C. F. Hursthouse (Nelson) will be a passenger to Adelaide by file s.s. Everton Grange on the 6th November, and lie hopes to settle down there in his profession as engineer. . Mr Hursthouse has been for a long while with the British Westingliouso Company iu Manchester, and lias pained much experience in the manufacture and application of electrical appliances. Pictures by some New Zealand artists. | including Miss lir.ioe Jcel, Mies Frances Tlodgliins, and Mr Lawson Balfour, iiave been placed in the Kendezvotis room at the office of the British Australasian, in Hoibom. The exhibition has just been epoiiil, 11'iid it is to be a permanent feature. Mrs Fitchett, who came to England with her husband. Dr Fitchett, iu Juiy, left for borne 011 Wednesday, having delayed her d.'pnr'.urc by nearly a week. A number of New Zealauders bad 1 her farewell at Victon,l Station. OUTWARD BOUND. There are a largo number of New Zealamlers on board the Orient steamer Otway, which sailed today from liondon. Some of tlleni embark.'d at Tilbury, others will join her on route at either Marseilles or Naples. The ofiieial list includes the following names:-For Dunedin: Mr J. Reid Burt, Mr M. If. God by, Miss E. K. Julius, Mre and Miss Mackenzie, Mrs Keith Rom.

jny and the Misses Ramsay (3), Mr an<l Mrs A. E. Rhodes, Mr A. T. Rhodes, and Miss !!. M. Rhodes: For l'orl Chalmers: Sir W. 11. Nichols, Sir C. Nichols, Sir .1. Nichols, Sir- A. C. Nichols, Sirs Nichols, l'or Oainaru: Sir and Sirs I'. 11. Philipson.

Dr Chappie lias just returned from a fortnight's shooting with a shcotiny party in the llighlauds of Scotland." In tho course of hi? Scottish visit he delivered an address at Forgue, the centre of a, prosperous farming district in the North of Scotland. Tho hall was crowded to overflowing, anil young farmers cycled from their iwnieo eight and 12 miles distant.