PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17942, 22 May 1920, Page 10

PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON

(From Oob Own Corrjsspondent.)

LONDON, March 11.

| Siiic© the Imperial Btatietical CoiUerenco concluded its sittings i\lr Alaleahn Frusor, the New Zealand delegate, has spent tlio greater part o£ each uay at a number of statistical ofiices of the British Government, including Law, Crimo, anil Justice, Customs, Boards of Trade, Agricultural, and Fisheries, and ho has been looking into matters of labour in regard to wag>.» and unemployment, and unemployment insurance. Ho has been very much interested ;n a number of exttinaivo installations of sorting and tabulating machines, both the Powers and Hollerith. At, a dinner reoently Riven to the conference delegates by Mr Itowett, to meet some loadting city men, several spoikora representing businosß interests expressed approval of the idea of the Central Bureau and of it value to the commercial community. Three Ministers ;lt different times endorsed to tho delegates their desire to soo it brought into being. The chairman's report of tho conference is now in the press, for presentation to the respective Governments. llw conference recommends the establishment oi a Central Bureau, its staff to be interchangeable so as always to be in close touch with the dominions, and it will be for tho Governments concerned to approve tho oourso of tho bureau individually before it is established. Mrs Fraset has gone to Scotland, and Mr Fi'ascr is leaving for Paris, where ho will spend a few days. Then, wth Mrs Frascr, ho will remain in Scotland until May 5, when they sail from Glasgow by tho Columbia for New York. While in the north Mr Fraser expects to devote a good deal of his time to looking into matters relative to the work of his department. Ho has labslv been in. communication with the electric tabulating machine people, in the hope of obtaining somo quotations aa to Co6t, but, unfortunately, tHo manager just now is away in America Miss Gladys Raymond (Invercargill) has been in Jersey for some weeks, reouperating after an attack of diphtheria, which developed white on duty at St. lhomas s Hospital, where she is taking a nursing course. Mrs Raymond, spends most of hor tame now in Jersey, and Mr Raymond rocs over at frequent intervals. They have a nice houso there, and lind life very pleasant and restful as a change from London. An engagement which will be of special interest to New Zotilanders is that between Captain Loster E. L. Donne, late of the Tank Corps, the younger aon of Captain 1. E. Donne (Secretary to the New Zealand Government in London) and Mrs Donne, and Miss Dorothy Hamer, daughter ot Mr and Mrs T H. Hamer, formerly of Wellington. During the war Miss Hamer has beon working' at the War Office in the Blockade Department, and Iwr services have been recognised by, the award to her of the M.B.E. The wedding will probably take place in the summer. About the middle of the year Mr and Mrs T. H. Hamer are thinking of going out M New Zealand for eix months. Mrs Mary L. Taylor (Roslyn, _ Dunedui) has been paying a round of visits in the Midlands and West of England, and she is intending to join the Remuera at Southampton next week on her return home. Mrs Taylor has lately been visiting the Misses Miller (formerly of Dunedrn) at Halstcad, Essex. It is announced that Mr Ernest Drake, the New Zealand tenor, will sing at a reception to be given by Mrs Cunuighame, of Craigends, at 25 Hill street, Berkeley square. Prospects of At Home work for Mr Drake aro very promising. It is announced that' the Hon. J. W. Fortescue, M.V.0., has been' elected to an honorary fellowship at Trinity College, Cambridge. Dr W. S. Bruce, the well-known Arctic and Antarctic explorer, is lying: ill in hospital at Edinburgh. Some time ago he underwent a successful operation for the amputation of one of his toes. Mr Frank Hayter (South Canterbury), who saw considerable service practically throughout the war, is about to return to New Zealand. Accompanied by Mrs Hayter he is hoping to get away by the lonic at the end of this month. Since taking his discharge from the Manchester Regiment (Special Reserve) in January, Mr Hayter has been attending a course of very useful lectures arranged by the Board of Agriculture relative to the preservation of fruit—chiefly bottling. During the past two years thie industry has developed very much in England owing to the impossibility of procuring sugar for jam and many fruitgrowers have done remarkablv well. Mr Hayter will go first to Timaru, but it is his intention to take up fruitgrowing •land in Nelson district, and to develop more of the luxury side of the fruit industry —drying, preserving 1 , candying, bottling, .etc., rather than the export of fruit atf such. He is ta'king out with him an expert gardener, and is very sanguine of success. 'Miss Rosina Buckman has returned from her concert tour to the north and west of England with Madame Clara Butt and Mr Kennerly Rumford, and was a charming exponent of Landon Ronald s "Songs of Innocence" at the Central Hall, Westminster, on Saturday. On Sunday. Buckman and her husband, Mr, Ma,ur:ce D'Oisly, were among the vocalists at the Albert Hall concert, when both had a great reception. They sang very attractively the duet from the first act of "Madame Butterfly," and Miss Buckman's solos were "Nedda's Song" Til PagliaeoT), Eric Coates's "Orpheus With His Lute and It was a Lover and His Lass. In response to a persistent demand for encores, Miss Buckman sang Alfred Hill s Waiata-Poi, which is always sure to please, and One Fine Day," from "'Madame Butterfly." Rear-admiral Sir J. F. E. Green, K.C.M.G., C.8., is appointed Admiral-super-intendent of H.M. Dockyard, at Rosyth, in succession to Rear-admiral Sir H .H. Burke, K.C.8., M.V.O. Rear-admiral Green's latest command was of tho British Naval Force in the White Sea, and on tile return of this expedition last autumn the Admiralty congratulated its commander on the arduous and successful work performed. For an interval he was captain of H.M.S. New Zealand, and he was promoted to flag rank lor tho "great skill and gallantry" with which he fought that battle cruiser in the Jutland action, and he was commended in despatches. Earlier still in the war ho was captain of H.M.S. Natal, and as commander of the Pigmy, he was mentioned in Sir Edward Seymour's despatch for services during the China war in 1900. Major D. .C. Spencer-Smith, R.A., has been specially appointed to Class HH. During the war the annual boxing contests between Oxford and Cambridge were allowed to lapse. They are now revived, and this week Cambridge won by four events to three. Prince Albert presented the medals to the successful boxers. In tho light heavy-weights H. M. Cushing (Cambridge) beat A. F. Meldrum (.Oxford) on points. Mr Frank Rutley, tho Art critic of the Sunday \ Times, has given expression to some specially complimentary remarks regarding tho work of Miss Frances Hodgkins (Dunedin)—thus: "In all England, so far as I know, there are two women painters, and two only, whose art is equal in robustness to that of anv living male. Qualities of charm and distinction may be found in tho paintings of many other women, but in this matter of robustness only two are pro-eminent. One is Mrs Annie Swynnerton, the other is Miss Frances Hodgkins, the first 'one-man' exhibition of whoso water colours is now open at the Hampstead Art Gallery. Here, Ixith in landscape and in liguro subjects, are admirable examples ol fier vigorous brush drawing and bright sunny colour. iter skill in depicting 'light and movement aro well d»spalyed, in a drawing of Popperro Harbour (No. 6), and in her decorative pastoral entitled 'Thrashing.in Full Swing' (2o); but despite the passionate whirl of drawing in ttiese and oUier scenes of movement, Miss Hodgkins can adapt - her art to a static subject and gives a rendering of 'Ludlow Castle' (29), impressive by its dignified stillness and decorative majesty." At tne present time Miss Hodgkins is chiefly occupied in looking for a London studio, tho famine in studios still being very aoute. She is anxious to get settled soon in order to make progress with portrait commissions.

Mr A. E. John, the well-known portrait painter, is holding an exhibition of his work in London, and a portrait which is attracting considerable attention is that of the Prime Minister of Mew Zealand. Referring to this visualised portrait, the Morning i. J o9t says: " iiho head and neck are robustly masculine, and the artist 'himself must bs highly pleased with the success of his daring manipulation of the shade that stretches from the loft brow to .the collar, overhung by the bulging neck. This mass of red, slightly cooled with grey, is unbroken by any accent to indicate the planes, but the illusion of roundness and recession is conveyed with extraordinary skill." Referring to this portrait, the Evening Standard considers that it combines "splendid painting with realisation of tho powers of the subject." Under the heading of "Overseas Heroes," tho Daily '1 olograph remarks that the "dominion premiers and statesmen chiefly stand for the 'Peace Conference' class, and although the easy synonym—caricature—will be slickly applied to

tho full-throated portrayal of tho New Zealand Chief of State, and to the jaguar-wa't-ina-to-poucce treatment of the Primo Minister of Australia, it is more definitive to see in them aocontuations of glimpses at raro moments which the trained eye of tho artist wad quick to capture and to retain." Tho New Zealand Premier & referred to as "Tho ltight Hon. Gerald Massey." Colonel A. S. Herbert (laio of llotorua) had been staying for somo little time at Hastings. Ho has lately token a house at .Harrogate with the intention, of practising mere.

Mr O. 11. Howorth (Wanganui), tho New Zealand artist, is staying at Bournemouth, whero ho ia tailing an opportunity of doing a good deal of painting. His son, Mr Charles Howorth, hus just reached ixmdon from. Now York. Recent callers at tho High Commissioner's office include: Lieutenant .a.. J. Sawyer, Indian Army (Gisborne): Sifcter C. M. Mm-ison (Dunodin); Mrs Basaingthwaighte (Duncdin); P. MacCullum (Christohurch). "Of the magnificent work_ accomplished hern by Sir Thomas Mackenzie for his own country, especially during tho war, it would be impossible to speak too highly (says the Derby Daily Express). The splendid way in which he looked after tho hardy fighting men who travelled all the way from our far dominion, and recorded, their brilliant service in 1 France, received the highest commendations."

Mr Alexander M'Millan (of tho firm of A. A. Carsons and A. M'Millan, Ltd., Wellington, and Haifa, Palestine) has covered quito a deal of ground in connection with liis business as a machinery merchant, and he is now in Ayrshire. Mr M'Millan viaitod several larg« machinery factories in Canada and the United States, finding out the latest and most up-to-date machines for working marble. Now Zealand has, of course, some of the finest, marble in the world, and it is coming into common use there as a building material in all tho principal centres. Mr M'Millan lias also visited, the firm of Anderson and Grice, Carnoustie, the pioneers in stone-working machinery in Scotland. In the middle of May he intends to teave for Palestine to purchase olive oil for manufacturing purposes in Now Zealand. Mr M'Millan has nob yet made any definite arrangements as to the length of his stay there.

From Torquay news has arrived of the death of Fanny Edye Arundell, "the good and faithful wife" of William Herbert Arundell, of Rasemont, Cricidofield road, Torquay. The deceased lady, who passed away on February 29, was , well known in Auckland.

Captain J. W. Rough, R.E., and Mrs Rough, have been in Paris, but passed through London a dav or two ago for Scotland, where they will spend a little while before sailing for New Zealand by one of tho March boats.

Miss Joan Battray (Timaru) arrived from Sydney last summer, and she intends remaining in Great Britain for at least a year before going on the Continent. In order to do this she is combining business with pjeasure, and is interested in the various kinds of social work taken up by the Green Cross Club, of which she is a resident member. This club, New Zealanders might bi> interested to know, is one of the iirst of its kind as a residence for business girls living away from home. Miss Battray says it is an excellent institution, and one which could well be copied in all the lar;»G towns in the overseas dominions. In addition to the resident members, there are many outside members who all do at least one evening's social work during the week. The i club has : ts own gymnasium and dancing classes, its dramatic and hockey clubs; and in the summer there will be tennis, sculling, and swimming. Having been founded very early in the war, its original members have done a lot of excellent war work, and it is now the aim of the club to keep those members in touch with one another as much as possible, as well as to enlist new members who are interested in sooial work.

Mr A. J. Campbell, of the firm of Sargood, Son, and Ewen (Ltd.), Auckland, and Messrs Sargood Bros.) of Australia, has come to England solely on business for his firm, and exoects to remain here for at l"ast 12 months. During last week he has been in close attendance at the Crystal Palate Industries Fair,' and has now gone to Birmingham to see the display made under ths same auspices in that city. Mrs Campbell is with her husband. Mr A. E. Beamish has been allotted a seat on the council .of the Lawn Tennis Association as London representative of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association, in the vacancy caused by the death of Captain W. V. Eaves, 0.8. E. Mr Oscar Borer, B.E. (Wellington), the holder of the Engineering Travelling Scholarship awarded by the University of New Zealand, has recently been appointed Assistant Engineer to tile Port of London Authority, and is stationed at London and at St. Catherine's Docks. Since arriving in January he has been working on construction of hydro-electric schemes, and he recently visited Mersey Docks, an area of 82 miles, Stothert and Pitt's works at Bath, and various power stations. It is Mr Borer's intention to remain on this side of the world for some years to enlargo his experience of civil engineering, construction, and development of harbours and canals. In his present position under the Port of London Authority, Mr Borer is now engaged on administrative work ant general maintenance. Mr Edwaid PI. Bracey (Wellington), late Officer in Charge of Records, J< eathetrston Military Camp, arrived in England recently on a trip of' business and pleasure combined. In addition to visiting his aged parents, who live at Teddington, he purposes attending meetings and exhibitions for the purpose of obtaining first-hand insight into the housing and building methods contemplated in after-war conditions." i\j Braxiey expects to leave for New Zealand some time in May.