PARS ABOUT PEOPLE

Observer, Volume XXXIV, Issue 23, 14 February 1914, Page 4

PARS ABOUT PEOPLE

MR J. COURT, of the City Council, lately stated that 14/6 per week rental was demanded for four and five roomed houses that "were not fit tor dogs." If Mr Tudehope has seen a modern kennel or an up-to-date stable ho will agree that there are thousands of horses and dogs that would sccrn half the houses used by rent payers in Auckland. Mr Tudehope "cited the case of one house of seven or eight; rooms in Fratiklnr Road worth probably -6650 which was let out at .£1 a -week." You see, he is vague. It may be seven rooms, it may be eight—it doesn't matter. We cite the- case of an alleged seven roomed house not a thousand nv'iles either from Franklin Road or Wellington Street which was let at 23/6 a week. It is " probably worth" .£6so—that is at least the price the philanthropist would expect to get if he could get a fool of large enough size to give it. This house is next door to a two storied house owned and inhabited by a noted philanthropist who very possibly has ideas about rentals. No sunlight comes into this "fair acoommodation." Not content with the fact that his two storey house blotted out lisrht and air from the living room of the 23/6 house the philanthropist erected a corrugated iron fence of iust sufficient size to exclude what little light was available to his neighbours. There can be no doubt that Mr Tudehope, who interests himself in these matters, would be very angry with a man who excluded daylight from his neighbour.

That great and good man, Mr Francis Marion Bates Fisher. Rainbow Specialist, Municipal Government Eradicator, and/Consistent Refugee, has ennunciated a marine policy under which selected boys from the Government training ship Amokura shall leave that antiquated hulk and learn to be officers in the merchant service. It could never quite be understood by anybody but a consistent refugee why a government undertakes the training of anybody at State expense for private companies. The presumption, of course, is that a boy could join the merchant service at the same time as an Amokura boy and get his ticket just as soon. Still if one has an ancient gun boat to play with one must sing an occasional chanty about it and justify the expenditure of the people's coin.

Mr James Glenny Wilson, Avho hasbeen president of the New Zealand Farmers' Union since ever it was.-.a union in 1900, is named as the inevitable occupant of the chair as President of the Board of Agriculture. Yes, Yes, he is a " Reformer " of large -alibre. By nature, training, and occupation as a squatter, he is a fine old crested Tory. In all he was in Parliament for fourteen years—a cleajr-headed gentleman whose views on the right of the class he represented never wavered. In his earlier years Mr Wilson was a notabk polo player and his sons are known as among the best at the rapid game in New Zealand. Said that on one occasion when he was about 58 (he is now 66) one of his sons was playing in the Rangitikei team against Manawatu. Young Wilson's horse fell, injuring the rider. Pa took his son's place and (so the story goes) brought victory to his side. In apearanoe Mr Wilson is quite unlike any.Labour leader in Australia. A. lot of people would touch their hats to him without knowing why.

Dr GriH), of St. John's, Wellington, who is sometimes dubbed " the Presbyterian Pope," has been committing the sin of heresy. Not theological heresy, but social heresy. He said at Hamilton the other evening that the tendency of the average youth of to-day was to do as little work as possible. If Dr Gibb would care to get into a condition of mind to enable him to confess his sin, he should take a walk along some of the streets between Ponsonby and the city, where he would find a considerable army of young men who put in their days in a most industrious manner at a variety of strictly useful occupations. It "would be useful to have a record of Dr Gibb's works, by which one does not mean words.

The Major Richardson of the N.Z.S. Corps, who it is cabled has graduated at the Staff College, Camberley, is a " ranker " and the finest artilleryman New Zealand has. Major Richardson is best known as a warrant officer " master • gunner " and is the reason for the very commendable excellence of garrison and field artillery work in New Zealand. He is the originator of many devices for improved artillery work. It is especially to be regretted that during the clever gunner's trip to England to attend Staff College, his son, a driver in the Wellington battery E.N.Z.F.A.T., was killed while driving one of the guns on the Hutt Road. Richardson, junior, was only about eighteen when the call came.

The late Ebenezer Thome (or to imitate his own rather clever rendering) " Benjamin Enroth " was the celebrity in New Plymouth who.it is alleged, made a habit of marriage while the other lady was still above the daisies. Mr Enroth, as he preferred to be known, was, in New Plymouth, a valiant exponent of Biblical writings, and for the few years he resided in the beautiful little town constantly wrote to the papers tearing the contentions of other folks to pieces. He was, in fact, intensely religious. He wrote in orthodox journalistic style on one side of the paper only, but was an uncompromising opponent of liquor prohibition. The gentleman who, it is alleged, was so very much married, with an eye to wills and things, wrote quite fluently and contributed articles about Queensland tanks and similar interesting subjects. Although an opponent of prohibition, the dear soul was himself not in any way addicted to the bowl. In fact, if the allegations contained in the case now before the courts have any foundation, Benjamin must have occupied most of his time in arranging the details of his next matrimonial venture.

Dr E. A. W. Henley, of Napier, who is on the Congress list, is an Irishman who has made good in the "land of his adoption. He had a. distinguished scholastic career in Dublin, and was for a time medical and surgical resident officer of the Adelaide Hospital. Since he arrived in Napier, a dozen years ago, he has won his way to a good position there. The transactions of the Royal Dublin Society contain some notes of his, and he has helped to keep the Hawke's Bay Philosophical Institute alive.

The Exhibition Executive knew what it was about when it appointed a fighting president as its chief executive officer.. If ever it decides to have a coat of arms, the principal figure should be George Elliott rampant, and George has had somuch fighting during the last twelve months that, when the Exhibition closes, he will probably take to teaching Sunday School as a kind of antidote. In the early days of the big show he had a hundred strenuous arguments with disgruntled exhibitors, and Scotland was always triumphant. His conferences with the wonderland folk were full of forcefulness—and victory. When the proposed Exhibition lottery stirred the wowserorganisations to excitement, a portion of" the mud thrown was, for some obscurereason, aimed at Geoive; but George scrupulously handed back a Roland for every wowser Oliver. Then the band tour row started, and the veteran Henry Brett, who is himself the redoutbablecapturer of many scalps, prepared a series of darts calculated to penetrate the cutaneous covering of George. Theexchange of courtesies w.o i pyrotecbnical while it lasted, but l of Caledonia for sternnes^'and wildness was once more justified. And quite lately George has been again in victorious collision with the wowsers—thistime the virulent tribe which has' itshome in Wellington. The Wellington people gave the Exhibition Band permission to charge for a Sunday concert;. and then, finding their conscience pricking them unduly, and with the wowser regard for a contract, tried to repudiate the arrangement. But, whatever the ultimate result, the biting comments of the fighting president will rankle. • ■ •

The cheery Jim McLeod, a New Plymouth man whom one is bound to take notice of, tarried momentarily in Auckland this wesk and gazed on the hive of industry. Jim, like so many unusually successful northerners hails from the South, and with a reasonable education as a second line of defence, dallied with physical jobs before he ultimately discovered his true " flair "—newspaper work. For a number of years James occupied the sub-editorial stool of New Plymouth " News," but subsequently assumed qontrol of a considerable printing business in the city of the futile veteran and the Devonian peasant. He is occasionally head and front of a touring football team, runs the Axemen's Carnival at Eltham, and, in fact, is a plain, straightforward organiser who may be yet heard of as a candidate for Parliament. He has, in fact, already been asked by the Taranaki people to try his luck.

E. B. Harkness, secretary to the Premier of New South Wales, visited New Zealand a dozen years ago as secretary to Sir John See, a former Premier of that State. No Minister of the Crown in sunny Sydney considers his education complete until he-has spent a day or two in a hot bath at Rotorua, reading up our labour laws.

One of the Queensland representatives at the Medical Congress is Dr Lillian Cooper. This lady is a popular practitioner in Brisbane, where she has had her name plate up for a good many years. " • • ,'.*' When doing the sights in Paris, Mrs J. M. Williamson, of Wanganui, learntsomething of the regard paid there to Americans. Her party went into a place of refreshment, and the waiter began to. decorate their table with flowers and. miniature American flags. It was an, American high day, and he was under the impression that his customers hailed from the United States. Journalist Ingster, another Wanganui rover, is almost broken-hearted over the ignoianceof New Zealand displayed by educated Englishmen. Will the High Commissioner please see to this ? • • ft

Edinburgh, the west-endy, east windy city, was the birthplace of James Mackenzie, the New Under-Secretary for Lands. He was educated at the OtagoBoys' High School, in southern Dunedin, and began to tackle his share of the serious duties of life in the Otago Provincial Government's Service. In more recent years, Auckland had him for a time as Commissioner of Crown Lands, As he is within eighteen months of the retiring age, he is not likely to be Under-Secretary much longer than has been the experience of. occupants of .the office since A. Barron's long reign.

That monument of medical iniperturability, Dr A. Challinor Purchas, President of the 1914 Australasian Medical Congress, read his presidential address to a large mass of people, many of whom seemed to be medical, on Monday evening. Dr Purchrr presidential address occupied 35 foolscap sheets of closely typewritten matter. Dr Purchas carefully monotoned it, including copious extracts from professional and lay commentators. He has the literary merit of knowing exactly when to release a telling quotation and although he did not quote turns correctly: "Oh, wad some quid the giftie gie us, to see oorsel's as ithers see us.' He rendered it into English and the whole house screamed with laughter. It is obvious that ihe gcod medical man did not apply the philosophy of " oor Rabbie " to hansel.

That gathering was most notable. There appeared, for instance, that most comfortable and self-possessed nobleman, the Earl of Liverpool, as the " open Sesame " artist. The Earl of Liverpool has adopted a dramatic style. When called upon he jumps to attention and gives his head a most emphatic nod. He weaves his hands together and uses each forefinger alternately to touch his forehead when he is thinking new scintillations. He has the happy knack of modestly insisting that he is the Gove nor (nuil-e no mistake about that). He hands a document to a president or a Premier with a smart soldierly one-two like a field-marshal handing out a good conduct medal. He bows when mentioning the King. He bows even lower when he finds it necessary to name His Majesty the late King Edward VII. In fact, he is spectacularly admirable. The prevalence of the insistent moth-ball gave the gathering the necessary medical "tang." City organist Maughan Barnett who kept the crowd interested until the gre ones, glittering with ordsrs, scarlet

gowns, medals, and other medical impedimenta, took their places, ceased fire when ticket holding guests » F ' - blfd loudly. Mr Barnett left his ?eat and walking right round th;j gallery commanded the shutting of the doors. Ihe babblers applauded him.

A curious matter was the vrrifty o' address the speakers permitted themselves. The mental lists of order oi precedence " got them down." Whether it was "Mr President, Your Excellency, Mr Massey, Mr Mayor, Lar'ie.i and Gentlemen, " or Your Ex., Mi Mayor, etc., was beyond the diagnosis of the healers. The one feature that was striking was the apearance oi Mayor Parr on the far wing and his rclegatio 1 to a minor position as a -peechmaker. It was the Mayor, by the way, who invited the Congress to the Town Hall. It was a civic welcome in which the Mayor was an " also started." Premier Holman, the young leading citizen of the Mother State sat beside his larger and older brother Premier, Mr Massey. Mr Holman has a Celtic appearance and has the nervous Celtic manner of playing with his hands, weaving and interweaving them spasmodically. He is fluent with a careful and wellconned fluency. He had determined before he arrived the exact nature of his remarks and very probably his first note was " mal de mer."

Mr Massey himself received the largest " hand " of the evening. He was less tempestuous than usual and his bright eye gives an observer hope that he has " pulled round." To most people the presence of that notable personage, Dr Macdonald, Chairman of the Council of the 8.M.A., all the way from London (he is a Taunton, Somerset, worker) was of greatest interest. He is a personable man who carries his grey hair and natty white moustache like a youngster. Dr Cleary (who sat with Dr Averill) smiled gladly when the notability ad-

milted Irish birth. Dr Macdonald wears a gold medal the size of a young ilying pan depending from a black ribbon round his throat. Without premeditation he said : "In replying to the toa—!" and there were loud and continuous chuckles. Mr—er— Ifeaton—ah—Rhodes was less hesitant than usual. He wore a Queen's South African medal, the T.D. decoration, and an order one has not been able to put a name to in the correct spot therein made and provided. A vigorous visual examination of the very nice audience convinced the examiner that there is no special type of doctor's wife, but that they mentally share the tribulations of the doctors' strenuous life there is no doubt whatever. Extremely notable is the number of handsome and still young wives of doctors who have partially grey hair—the tell-tale tress usually over one temple. It is to an observer obvious that most doctors' wives have family cares (and joj's). One remembers so well the faces of women doctors—although here again there is absolutely no type. Neither is there in New Zealand a man doctor type as there is in other countries—but there are hopes that the B.M.A. will fee to it.

Archie . Sando, who has been champion advertisement getter for the "Herald" for some considerable time past, has been appointed manager of the Dominion newspaper. Archie's name belies him: lie has nothing to do with physical culture. But if he cannot lift a girl with one hand, or throw tramcars at people, he has abnormal development in one direction. He is guaranteed to talk any non-willing advertiser into a condition of blue paralysis within half-an-hour. It has been said that he practises at nights before a mirror, and generally ends up by making himself sign an advertising contract. He will get next to more strenuous conditions in Wellington than he has ever known in Auckland, but he carries the good wishes of many friends with him into the turmoil.

Tli ere appears to be a small feud still existing between J. J. Sullivan, president of the local " Young Ireland " Society, and Hall-Skelton, president of the Celtic Society. It is alleged that the latter has called upon the former to publicly deny statements alleged (note our care) to have been made by him at an alleged meeting held in the supposed Town Hall between a lady who is believed to have been called Madame Amilee, and a gentleman generally referred to as Scott Bennett. It is stated that the said HallSkelton has written to the said J. J. Sullivan alleging that he is a dangerous individual, and that Mr. J. J. Sullivan's solicitors have replied. If both young gentlemen will pardon us for saying so, they take themselves with marvellous seriousness. If they could, by any chance,

burst out laughing at themselves, what a good thing it would be. Will they accept the assurance of this paper that the public doesn't care twopence?

The hero of this tale is a somewhat pompous person who operates occasionally upon the Stock Exchange, is habitually careless in his dress, and, it is rumoured, once got very intoxicated when upon a yachting cruise to Kawau. His family was away, and he returned to his house, in a select suburb, only at nights, to sleep. One morning he put on a more than usually shabby suit, and slammed the door after him, and it was only when he »'ot home again at 1 a.m., after a long evening at the office, that he found that his latchkey was in the pockets of his other —er—lower garments. So he blasphemously searched for, and found, a spade in the back garden, and proceeded to burst the catch on the side window. Now, -a newly-ai'rived constable, who had had an acidulated kind of interview that evening with "Mac" on the subject of thieviug in his district, was near enough to hear the catch give, and he entered the garden gate as the front end of the shabby gentleman entered the window. ' The smart young constable arrived in time to catch the disappearing legs. The struggle was short. The shabby man's surprised bellow ended in a high crescendo note when the policeman tried to " stop his row" by firmly batoning him in a place that isn't mentioned in polite society. They landed together in a sitting posture in the garden, and the wild curses of the householder only added to the policeman's belief that he had caught a thief—a misunderstanding that wag finally removed by a tempestuous visit to the police station. The story came out when the wife came home—and rumour (that lying jade!) hath it that the lady has now safeguarded her husband for the future by selling most of his suits to the old-clothes man.

Alex. Lov/rie, a rubicund pressman from the remote South—where the anti-liquorite perpetually rages —came a-holidaying into this hamlet ]ast week, and presented a cheerful and prosperous appearance to the many friends he made here in the glad days when he edited the " Farmer." He did not seem depressed by the fact that he now lives in Invercargill—where a permanent south-wester picks up Dee Street gravel and hurls it at the everlasting anaemic spinsters of the township. Lowrie is now a big chief in the advertising department of the " News," a paper which, conducted by the wealthy and energetic tribe of Jones, lias rivalled the " Outlook " in popularity in Invercargill—where the natives ascribe to themselves much glory because they live near the Bluff, which produced Sir Joseph Ward.