PERSONAL NOTES FROM HOME.

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 101, 9 April 1907, Page 3

PERSONAL NOTES FROM HOME.

LONDON, February 16. The King and Queen returned to London last Saturday evening after their eventful week's visit to Paris. Their Royal Highnesses appear to have enjoyed their spell m the French capital greatly, and the more so probably since thoy went as private persons, and could dispense with the pomp and circumstance which is inseparable from the visits of ' sovereigns to other lands when they travel as such. The Parisians gave our King and Queen a great reception,' but as far as possible they respected their visitors' desire for privacy, and beyond warm greetings to the Royal couple as they drove through the streets never attempted to mob them after the fashion that the people afc Marienbad did King Edward on the occasion of his visit to that health resort last year. Some fears were entertained by the Parir sian police authorities that the anarchical element m the Gay City might make their presence kno;wn to the King and his Consort m an unpleasant fashion, and the known dangerous characters were most carefully shadowed and shepherded during the > visit, and the persons of the King and Queen as closely guarded as they could be without the Royal couple having it made plain to them at every turn that they were the objects of much solicitude on the part of the French police. On their Majesties' departure from Paris the precautions of the police were, however, plain to see. Police and plainclothes men swarmed the precincts of the Gare dv Nord. It transpired that the reason for this was that a warning had been received from Brest. It appears that a private m the colonial infantry stationed afc that port had written to the Prefecture stating that, from a conversation he had accidentally overheard between two well-known Anarchists, he was convinced that an attempt would be made on the King and Queen of England on their departure from the Gare dv Nord. Although the police did not attach much importance to the information, they

thought it wise to take all possible precautions.

The return journey of their Majesties was not made under favorable atmospheric conditions, but, m spite of the chill drizzle falling over London when the Royal party arrived at Victoria station, a large crowd gathered there to welcome the King and Queen home again. When their Majesties lunched at the Elysee the-' President pointed out that they had come to Paris for a little rest and enjoyment, and that he hoped His Majesty would not put himself to the trouble of getting up an official dinner. The King, who highly appreciated the President's thoughtfulness and consideration, insisted that he should be allowed to entertain M. and Mdme Fallieres on his return to Paris m the course of a few weeks. M. Fallieres gladly accepted his invitation. On Tuesday the King opened Parliament m state, driving with the Queen from Buckingham Palace to the Houses of Parliament m his gilded chariot drawn by the familiar eight cream-colored horses wearing their crimson trappings. A leaden sky overhung London, and a chill drizzle was falling as the Royal procession passed through the leafless troop-lined Mall, but His Majesty's faithful subjects lined the route to St. Stephen's m their thousands, and cheered him and his Consort to the echo. On a fine day the procession to the House is worth going a long way to see, but on Tuesday it was a pageant m disguise. The accompanying mounted troopers had hidden their silver-bright accoutrements and vivid gold-laced uniforms under huge cloaks, and the soldiers lining the roadway were draped from chin to ankle m their somewhat ill-fitting greatcoats. Apart from the King's coach, the only splashes of color were the red-and-white plumes and the crimson cloaks of the Horse Guards. The old, big, rumbling, but comfortable-looking State carriage, with its huge windows and gaily-trapped cream horses, looked almost out of place m the sombre picture afforded by the procession as it proceeded through the muddy streets. It looked as if it had come straight out of fairy land. In it sat the King and Queen, the former arrayed m the brilliant uniform of field-marshal ; and the Queen, who wore her dazzling diamond crown, had a white robe over her shoulders which concealed the dress she wore. Their Majesties looked well, the King particularly so, and the Queen undoubtedly looked as young as she did ten or twelve years ago. They were obviously pleased with the warmth of their reception from the crowds who lined the streets from the Palace to the Houses of Parliament, and the Queen was smilling and bowing and the King saluting and smiling all through the route. The usual features of the opening ceremony were m evidence m the House of Lords on Tuesday, and the spectacle was one of great brilliance. The occasion, however, will remain memorable more by reason of a most unusual occurrence m connection with the King. He and his gracious Consort did not take their places on the throne till ten minutes past the appointed hour! The announcement that Lieutenant Shackleton will take a motor car with him on his "dash : " for the South Pole has inspired the Muse of the ' Westminster Gazette's ' office poet. He explains why the bold lieutenant is taking the car: — The reasons are enough to send the Automobile Club En masse to the Antarctic at full speed : There's not a fowl, a mongrel, or a cyclist, or a cub To make the careful chauffeur drive With heed: There's not a legal limit, and there aren't any -police; . There's ample room' for safe side-slipping there ; Roadside repairs are cleanly where there's none but frozen grease ; And frozen smells cannot pollute the air! Where dust the driver misses Cars can never need a scrub! A perfect Eden, this is, For the Automobile Club! Lieutenant E. H. Shackleton, F.R.G.S., the leader of the new Antarctic expedition, will be remembered m New Zealand as the third lieutenant under Captain Scott on the Discovery, and as one of the party of three who carried the British flag to latitude 82deg 17min S., the southernmost point ever reached by man. It is for me personally an interesting coincidence that I was the first pressman to obtain, through lieutenant Shackleton, the details of that famous sledge journey on the night of his return to Christchurch from the Antarctic, and also the first to get from him this week a full account of the plans of his new expedition m search of the South Pole. Lieutenant Shackleton tells me that the edition de luxe of the ' South Polar Times' — the newspaper of the late National Antarctic expedition — will be issued shortly. It is limited to about 250 copies at five guineas a copy, and the cost of production has been something like £1,000. The whole edition has already been sold before issue. Mrs W. P. Reeves was among the lady guests at the St. Valentine's Day dinner of the Imperial Industries Club, held under the

presidency of Sir George Hayter Chubb at De Keyer's Hotel last Thursday evening, and was called upon to respond to the toast " The Health of the Ladies." In the course of a jocular little speech Mrs Reeves gave a sly dig to those of her sex who had distinguished themselves at the riotous proceedings of the suffragettes at the House of Commons on the day of the opening of Parliament by the King. She said that she felt that she ought to apologise for being present at that dinner instead of eating " skilly," for she came from New Zealand, where all women had votes, and she was not sure that she was doing her duty m not being m Holloway Gaol, but she had a husband who did not see things as she saw them. Whilst congratulating Mrs Reeves on the fact that she has not been allowed to join the noble army of Westminster martyrs, one cannot help regretting m a measure that the role of militant suffragette is so utterly inconsistent with her status as wife of New Zealand's High Commissioner. Think of the " cojpy " Mrs Reeves would provide for your correspondents if she took the suffragette ro-d that leads to Holloway " Castle " and skilly via Cannon Row or Bow Street Police Station.

Mr Sidney Ernest Lamb, B.Sc, head of the Engineering Department of the Municipal Technical Institute at Portsmouth, has been selected for the position of lecturer m mechanical engineering at the Auckland University College. Mr Lamb holds the degree of B.Sc. (London), with honors m engineering, and is an A.R.C.S. (London) m both mechanics and physicsy and an associate member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers. He is thirfcy-two years old, and has had nearly nine years' teaching experience — for two years as science master at Gravesend Technical School, and for six and a-half years at Portsmouth Technical Institute. He gained his engineering experience at the naval dockyard at Devonporfc and at the Royal College of Science, London, which he attended for Ihree years. The principal of the Portsmouth Education Committee describes Mr Lamb es "an able teacher, thorough m his methods, a good disciplinarian, and withal popular, li-amtain-ing a high average attendance ho tbe end of the session." Mr Lamb is married, and has two daughters. Mr F. H. Templar, of Auckland, who is on a visit to this country, and who is staying at present at Kidlington, lectured on New Zealand a few nights ago before the Oxford branch of the Tariff Reform Association. Mr Templar said it appeared to him, as he went about, that the only part of. the Empire which knew little and cared less about the Empire was the Mother of the Empire itself. Replying to the argument that a tariff would increase the cost of living, he said he found the cost of living m Freetrade England to be just as much as it was behind the tariff wall of New Zealand. Mr J. Allan Thomson, one of the New Zealand Rhodes scholars at Oxford, moved a vote of thanks to Mr Templar at the close of his address.

Recent callers at the High Commissioner's office : — Mr E. Verner Barrett (Christchurch), Miss A. R. M. Laird (Auckland), Miss Maude Francis (Christchurch),' Miss Irene Skinner (New Plymouth), Miss C. Hudson, Mrs Chadwick (Ormondeville), Miss A. M. Bradley, Miss Rouse, Mr Henry Hope (Wellington), Mr F. E. Laughlin (Ashburton), Mr B. H. Preston, Mr A. J. Blewden (Auckland), Lieu-tenant-colonel and Mrs Chaytor (Wellington), Captain M. Irvine and Mrs R. Irvine.

Among the gentlemen presented to His Majesty at Thursday's levee at St. James's Palace was Lieutenant J. E. Duigan, of the Royal New Zealand Engineers. In the absence of H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught, Inspector-general of the Forces, Mr Duigan's sponsor was the Chief of the General Staff. Colonel A. P. Penton, who formerly commanded the New Zealand Defence Forces, v but has recently been Commandant of the Ordnance College, has been appointed to the post of brigadier-general commanding the Scottish Coast Defences. His headquarters will be at Edinburgh. Dr Rolland Rainy, who seconded the Ad-dress-in-Reply m ,the Commons, is a surgeon oculist by profession. He has at various times lived m Australia and New Zealand, and can claim a large colonial experience. He is the Liberal member for Kilmarnock Burghs.

The 1900 Club have decided to entertain those Premiers of the self-governing colonies who are attending the forthcoming Colonial Conference at a dinner on Thursday, April 18, at the Albert Hall. The president of the club, Mr Arthur Balfour, has consented to preside, and will be supported by the leaders of the Unionist party. The Globe Gas Engine Company have on hand three engines and suction plants for the New Zealand Government railways. These engines are to run with ordinary gasworks coke, and under test m their works the fuel consumption came out a httle over lib of coke to the h.p. hour.