PARS ABOUT PEOPLE

Observer, Volume XXXV, Issue 20, 23 January 1915, Page 4

PARS ABOUT PEOPLE

THE news that Dr. Maguire, medical superintendent of Auckland Hospital, is off to the front to gain, that exgerience which even a great ospital cannot afford, is of special interest and he will most likely be very glad of a little peace in the trenches. In September 1912 that quaint little body of revolutionists, the Auckland Hospital Board, finding that Dr. Maguire was the best possible man available as medical superintendent (he was then senior resident officer) decided to sack him and invite outside surgeons to rush the imminent deadly breach. Dr. Maguire himself said no word, but other people were so astonished that they made a loud noise and the Hospital Board, getting a most unusual rush of brains to the head, permitted him to have the job. With him as head and Matron Orr as chief of the nursing staff the skirmishes have been fewer. * • * Dr. Maguire graduated in 1892, and his forte is administrative medical work. After a highly successful period spent as pathologist to the Durham County Asylum he was appointed to the Colonial Medical Service and at Netley, the great English military hospital, he studied military hygiene and tropical diseases. He was sent to the not too pleasant port of Lagos, in West Africa, and superintended the hospital there, subsequently looking after a district with a native population of half a million. He really is a soldier-doc-tor, for he was with the southern Nigerian, Expedition and wears the medal and clasp for that service. Then he was transferred to Fiji, was medical officer of health for Suva, and had charge of the colonial hospital. Again he was transferred to Tonga, where creative work was necessary andl he organised the medical service and the three hospitals there. In all hi© appointments abroad Dr. Maguire has done the surgical work. This is the man who was to be "sacked" from the Aucklandl Hospital on the casting vote of a chairman, the transitory rush of brains to the head saving him as shown. May he gain further experience and distinction in the largest surgery department ever heard of! •_} @> ®> Kuaka: —Kitchener is easily the popular idol of the budding general who goes from New Zealand to help settle the national account with William of Germany. Sundry private mascots, in. the form of Kitchener autographs and pictures, have been bestowed upon the departing heroes by kindly friends, with firm injunctions that the recipient is to emulate in all things the foremost British war-manager. There's one trivial incident in the Kitchener career that has long disturbed the mental attitude of the New Zealander towards the great soldier, who for some inexplicable reason booked his final passage from Wellington under an assumed name. This procedure suggested to us that Kitchener had an idea he might be the victim of an embarassing and adulative attention, of the variety endured by an American celebrity fresh from a campaign, of glory,' and the New Zealander, whose visible enthusiasm is ever reserved for races and football, resented the suggestion, with bitterness. Now, to remove the mystery that enshrouds this item if any New Zealand warrior should become really pally with K. of K. (which reads like a jam label), say unto the extent of strolling arm in arm with him by the moonlit banks of the

Yser, let him gently lead the conversation to the debated point, so that we may know definitely and without a doubt why 'twas done. m • A well known actress, who suffered an overwhelming popularity in Australia, was afflicted with a similar delusion anent New Zealanders, and on her arrival at an Auckland hotel gave the astounded proprietor specific instructions as to his attitude when the hotel was mobbed, presumably by thousands of wild-eyed Aucklanders out on a celebrity hunt. After waiting vainly for the mobbing to eventuate, and finding no one in the least interested in her movements, the lady in despair hired a oab and drove slowly up and down Queen Street. Nobody flickered an eyelid in her direction. She remarked later to an Australian interviewer that New Zealanders "did not appear as intelligent as the Australians!" Thus are we misjudged. # <® # Wired that Sir John French, who lately visited England for the last time until the war is over, arrived "in an overcoat and wearing a private's soiled' cap," which reminds one that great soldiers (unless they be Barnum-Po wells) do not travel round looking like free millinery shows. During the last war the most conspicuous example of carelessness was that of that brilliant officer General "Micky" Mahon, who often didn't wear uniform, and couldi easily be mistaken for a civilian transport rider. He had a penchant for a certain greasy old golfcap (worth about 4d), and he never had a pair of putties of the same colour. And it is rather of interest that his favourite staff officer was

of German blood (Prince Alexander of Teck), brother of the Queen. The troops used to call the pair " r ihe Prince and the Pauper," lor Alexander always looked as if he had "come out of a bandbox," and was extremely large and Germanic in appearance, while "Micky" was small andi as Irish as the j_akes of Killarney. ® <_5 © Dr. J. S. Elliott, chairman) of the Council of. the British Medical Association (New Zealand brauch) is advocating a very necessary base camp hospita- for troops at Trentham (Wellington). Dr. Elliott is a clever surgeon, readjy to admit that he learned more while on service as a corporal in the R.A.M.C. during the South African war than while "walking the hospitals." He is a son of the Rev. J. Kennedy Elliott, a pillar of the Presbyterian Church in New Zealand, and he has the unusual quality of looking like a doctor. It is rather curious, by the way, that in new countries there are fecarcely recognisable professional types, although in old countries the average person would be able to "pick" doctors, lawyers, etc., on their appearance, which reminds of a good story. An Auckland doctor, who on his rounds knocked at the wrong door, was confronted by a lady evidently very busy. # "You'll find the gas-meter behind the door," she said. * ® 9> Troopship No. 12|, 13/11/14.— Dear Observer, —The boys had a great time at Colombo, and breaking ship and over-staying Jeave was not unknown. Two culprits were dully arraigned before the court martial for breaking ship. As is

usual in such oases, they were accompanied into court by an escort, of two privates. The charge having, been read, the following dialogue took place:—Colonel Plugge (to the provost sergeant, a small assertive-sergeant-major): "Give your evidence on these cases, sergeantmajor." S.M.: "Well, sir, at 11 a.m. on Monday morning I was standing on the port side of the ship, aft, and saw these two men (pointing not to the prisoners but to the' escort) slide down a rope into a

small native boat, which ly pulled ashore." Colonel Plugge: "Can you identify the men?"" S.M.: "Absolutely positive these are the men, sir" (again pointing to the escort). Colonel Plugge: "But, sergeant-major, these two are theescort." Collapse of S.-M. King. ® ©' ® Colonel Mackesey, commanding, officer of the Auckland Mounted Rifle Regiment, now with the Australasian forces in Egypt, was not in good health during the voyage of the troops. It was necessary to perform a surgical operation on him,, and private advices stated that he made a good recovery. ® ® ■ ® . David R. Hall, Attorney-General' and Minister for Justice for NewSouth Wales, dropped quietly into. Auckland 1 on Thursday afternoon. No fuss or bother about his arrival —just came in with all the limelight switched off. Cheerful little man r about five feet seven inches, who really doesn't look to have gone through the - forty-one years with which he is credited. He made a good impression upon the newspaper men with whom he came into contact, one of them in particular. The scribe, it appears, set off after David R. H. along about half-past nine one night, and, having tracked him down '.to the Royal Hotel, flipped his card to the porter. Latter returned with the announcement that the hon. gentleman had retired to bed, but would the reporter come upstairs? The stairs were duly mounted, and at the end of the journey there was the AttorneyGeneral sitting in his dressing gown waiting to see what he could do for the searcher after news. These Australian Members of Parliament seem to have the courtesy habit all right, or perhaps it is that their methods take an added glow when contrasted with those of the Maoriland statesmen(?) Always seem to have something interesting to say, too, when they do talk. More contrast.

Kawau suffered a serious invasion the other day, when no less than five pressmen effected a landing; and started in to make the most of the time they are allowed to be absent from under the thumbs of the rulers of their destinies. First there was long John Hardoastle, the capable chief of Harry Hortota'e nicely brought up young men., and then there was equally long Fred Doidge, who holds down a corresponding position on the rival Henry's concern. Then bobbed up serenely, with a smile of absolute contentment on his broad and genial features, R. W. Robson, a "Herald" sub., affectionately, known among his confreres as "Robbie," and, if we are not misinformed, "Ken" of the "Star" was l likewise all there. Henry Brett held the majority, for still another of his band, the fair and gentle Bond, who, despite his gentleness, worms around amongst "the rough fellows on the wharves" after shipping pars, put in an appearance. It is stated that nothing sensational happened during the holiday, and that no exclusive story was secured, even although the various pressmen sat around the shores looking for scoops among the oysters. ® © ® Assiduous study of existing but ephemeral literature discloses new facts about the Kaiser. We know that he is worth £30,000,000, that one of his smaller estates has 250,000 acres, that his favourite instruinent is the trombone, and that he "plays it worse than anybody in Germany," that he prefers the cavalry because he has ingrowing toenails, that he causes a cold bath to be prepared for him every morning but never uses it, that at present he is engaged at a new map of England with his various palaces marked in red. It is at least interesting to be told that he has had plans prepared for the "total reconstruction of Windsor Castle," with which he has been familiar as a guest, and that he intends to turn the Tower

of London into a military museum. Contemporary German newspapers do not state whether the august Wilhelm will be on exhibit in the Tower. $ ® ®. One of the quaintest news items received in this office lately is that little Willie Percy, the tiny comedian so well known in Auckland, has accepted service as a special constable in London. When. Willie is stretched to his full height he is almost five feet high (with his boots on), and if Willie is armed with the regulation baton the infuriated sauerkraut merchant Willie is after will think two policemen are after him. This writer rather suspects that Willies entry into the constabulary is a deep laid scheme by the cinema people, and that he is being chasedl by a camera. Apart from the drollery of Willie chasing a sixfooter with a club or putting the jui-jitsu No. 7 on to a Billingsgate fish porter, many actors in London have lately found it necessary to get work while they are "resting." ® ® © Maurice Casey, with folded arms and blushing visage beamed 1 through his spectacles at the final fours of the bowling tournament held on Remuera green. In that beam was contemplation. The great game cf bowls stands for good-fellowship, true sport, and play for love of the game and the game alone. The losing team is as happy to lose as to win. The bowlers' object is a clean, keen game, and hurrah for the better man. What the great snowyhaired president saw in that finishing game was decided' keenness. Little Teddy Hill's face was blanched and set, and as each successive shot was fired his teeth clenched in a determination to win. The applause came thick and fast. Not the ghost of a smile wreathed the large intellectual brow, even, when tea was banded him as an interlude. He

waved it aside, and only accepted •later through grim weariness. Then it was taken in gulps. The face of Mayor Nash, Palmerston's skip, changed to a sickly pallor at times, and his side, like, the Wellingtonians, played in strict silence, and played to his directions with seriou.s exactness. If a mistake was made tears started to their eyes (ditto Wellington). Palmerston's midget alone put in dignity with alertness. • • • And the lookers on! Talk of football barrackers! They have no qualms' of conscience in fluting for their side. After each she a storm of applause rose f to _, each side of the well wishers, and nasiy under remarks (not always in a whisper) came from the other side. Once and once only things looked like business, when a Devonport enthusiast took exception to the repeated and continuous stream of advice and remarks on the game from an elongated visiting player from Wellington (who at one time, before his Government shift, "veteran ed" for Ponsonby). Then indeed nasty cutting sentences did fly, but were checked before blood flew. The cruellest thing of all was that a notice on the pavilion announced that the bar was closed: until the end of the match, and as the match ran to twenty-one heads, the heads of the onlookers were exceedingly dry before the open season started. As Maurice drinks tea alone he still smiled, but looked decidedly warm. flp ® SS> Sorry to, hear that Morris Fox, F.G.S., A.LA., Actuary of the New Zealand) Government Life Insurance Depantmonit, is in illnhealth. Mr Fox is one of those rare men—a mathematician with a sense of humour. He came from England 34 yeans ago, and went right into the Actuarial Department, "since which he has used no, other." Morris, who is a born comedian, is not unknown on the amateur stage, and, given good, company and a fair field, he can spin good yarns from 7.30 to midnight without any let or hindrance from his admirers. Of a literary turn of mind, Mi- Fox writes rather nicely, and he had the courage (or boldness), when he became editor of the "Insurance Recorder," to brighten up its matter of fact pages with jokes! If he were supervisor of "Hansard" he would illustrate it, and have a joke column in place of the nominal roll at the

back. He has been Actuary since 1890, was dispatched to London to represent New Zealand, among the consulting actuaries away back in 1886, and was secretary to the Royal Commission on Federation in 1901. His actuarial mind was the reason for his dispatch to New York in 1903. In conversation and cheeriness he seems the most unactuarial chap who ever broke into sunny smiles. ® SS> ($> All of us have our little peculiarities, some of them amusing and others again merely useful. Take our friend Mr Warren, the obliging secretary of the Auckland Citizens' Patriotic League. Nice man Mr Warren, and so anxious to "impress each visitor with the fact that it is his one ambition in life to do all in his power to accommodate, him. Really it's overpowering at times. Difficulties arise sometimes though. Say the obliging secretary is being affable to one visitor when another arrives, it is the hardest job ima-. ginable for him to stem his flood of agreeableness and get turned on to the newcomer. But he must be. worth pounds to the League. Personally this scribe knows of at least one old chap who toddled into the room with the intention of leaving £10 for the fund, but he thought so much of himself after being in Mr Warren's hands for a moment that the donation rose to £20. Our suave mayor had better look to his laurels. @ 9 * A good yarn is being told of Fred Weston, of Auckland, well known as: one of the smartest men on "Hansard" staff. Appeal's that one of: Henry Horton'e hirelings went over a few weeks back to yawn through a meeting of the local borough council. At the press table he found a middle-aged, quiet looking man with a slab of copy paper before him. The pair got into conversation, and the "Herald" man, adopting a parental air, held forth on newspaper work for the benefit of the suburban correspondent. The latter allowed him to proceed upon his way, and would assuredly, have been well repaid had he seen that reporter's face when he was informed at a later date that he had been, lecturing a person who for sixteen long weary years held down the stiff job of sub-editor of Wellington "Post," and .had waded through millions of dreadful words of "cub" copy.