PARS ABOUT PEOPLE

Observer, Volume XL, Issue 27, 6 March 1920, Page 10

PARS ABOUT PEOPLE

THE belated confession of Mr. Justice Chapman "that he wae a pupil of Jem Mace, the famous pugilist, and His Honour's intimation to a small man attacked by a large one that he should have 'got in under the elbow," is infinitely BUggestive. The average man would much prefer to settle his differences in "the good *>' : *h way" *: ha , n by the sinuous and sinister methods or the Law. * * * Hitherto undiscovered pugilistic attainments in Supreme Court judges opens up a field of highly-m----teresting speculation. The Chiet Justice, for all one knows,, may have learnt "La Blanche" from John L. Sullivan, and could he be persuaded .-to administer the (jaw punch to the criminal instead of lecturing him (criminals being not reasonable people), it would enrich the interests of courts: In. the event of judges using the persuasive knuckle instead of the liseome lip, it would be necessary.to grade judges as well as criminals. ■• • • It wouldn't be fair, for instance, to oppose Mr. Justice Cooper to a 15-stone burglar, and thfc weights of defendants and judges would have to be published as a matter ot justice. Sir W. B. Edwards frequently demonstrates that he is pugilistically inclined, and co-respond-ents of corresponding weight to ins Honor would have to be selected. There is no reason why the hard cases in the very pink of condition should not be handed over for trial by fist to Judge Herdman, who, it is understood, although slow, has a deadly upper-cut. • • • If the fashion arose of settlementper thump a new era would dawn for the magistracy, and an S.M. would naturally be obliged to be apprenticed not only to law but to lash. In the silver future the following advertisement is possible: "Wanted for the Supreme Court, Bench pugilists and wrestlers. Those with knowledge of jui-jitsu will have preference. Applicants state height, chest measurement, expansion, etc. Salary £1,500 p.a. to competent prize fighters." $ # «■ The fact that Claude Whaite, scene-painter, has had a fortune thrust upon him will remind many middle-aged fossils that Claude used to be theatre manager for the late Percy R. Dix, the fat and frolicsome enterpreneur who ran vandeville in Auckland and Wellington fewer than a score years ago.. m Claude is of the pale intellectual high-brow type, with a capacity for long-sustained diction and an artistic temperament. Remembered particularly that Claude wore a watch-chain made oi "Maundy money," of which he was most proud, and now he is a senu-mil-fionaire he'll value it more than ever. m 0 His employer, the late Percy Dix (who afterwards ran a vaudeville shew at Newcastle, N.S.W.), » Claude's day imported world turns"—hence bis rum. People lite the "Dartos," "The Craggs," Irene Franklin, and many others wanted so much money that Percy had none left. By the way, Claude Whaite inaugurated a system ot ventilation in the Wellington Dixery that filled the bill. Every seat was fitted with a silver-plated air tube. The sitter simply turned the tube up, and had a balmy breeze playing in his face.

A compound, compensating, tri-ple-expansion, water-cooled turmscrew engine in the base supplied the >air—a commodity almost - unknown to a modern picture theatre. There are no Dixonian programmes in New Zealand to-day.

. Major F. A. Wood, M.C., until recently in charge of No. 1 (Auckland) group, has been attending the examination course for staff officers at Trentham. Major Wood was severely wounded in the right arm at Gallipoli, and. this entailed a long series of surgical operations for the extraction of shell particles.

While at Trentham he again had to "report sick," and has been in hospital, where a further operation has been performed. He succeeded iv passing the examinations ror which he entered before he was forced to go to hospital. Major Wood, is very popular in Auckland, and his many friends will wish him restored health. ' « « <& Mr. M. M. McCalUim, president last year of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce; made several rather interesting remarks during the annual meeting of that body, when he was superoeded as president by Mr. A. S. Bankart. Speaking of the labour 'situation, Mr. McCallumswords, , in part, were: "Various remedies have been suggested, but the only one that appears to be

drastic enough" tomak* a real difference in the position is a, prompt and vigorous immigration policy (on a large scale). • ■ • If Great Britain cannot supply us with the numbers we require, then by all means let us indenture fifty or a hundred thousand Hindoos, or other coolie labour from some part of the British Empire. * * • Mr. McCallum also said, in the same speech, that "In its original form the Profiteering Bill was so drastic that if literally administered

many business £rms might easily have been ruined. Strong protests were made, with the result that the more objectionable clauses were modified before the bill was finally passed." * * * Again, after' laying down the law upon labour questions, and expressing his opinion to the effect that "the mainspring of the present industrial system is profit," this remarkable man, makes outcry against the confiscation rate of 7s. 6d. in the £, charged on all trading profits exceeding £6,400. "What we do want," he says, "is an immediate reduction." * * * Mr. McCallum lfciß just been ap"pointed by a wise and beneficent government chairman of the Profiteering Beard in Auckland.

The late Maurice O'Connor's bursts of rough generosity led him into many a tangle and heart-burn-ing. A well-known Auckland youth evidently primed with knowledge of Maurice's character, approached that worthy citizen outside his pub. and breezily asked him to join in a. "spot." Maurice acquiesced, as was his custom, and also to another request he "spotted" again. The youth also purchased a couple of bottles of whisky, and the O'Connor's eyes gleamed with pleasure, and his bosom swelled with kindly feeling. The youth shot out his object. Would Maurice kindly guarantee the youth's overdraft up to a hundred pounds for a short period of financial stringency, for which , the youth would pay "mine host" interest, and so on. m * * Maurice bit, signed the guarantee, and got his interest out, more or less, on various periods. • ■ • ■ One sunny day the young man, paying in a small sum of interest, incidently remarked that paying 7 per cent, to the bank was all rot— that Mr. O'Connor himself should be getting that. « • • "How can that be done?" asked Maurice eagerly. "Why easily. You give me your cheque for a hundred. I pay it in, and pay the interest to you. See?" answered the youth. "Be dad, that's foine," said Maurice; "come in here. I'll give ye me cheque." He did. The youth departed for the bank, cogitating over the transaction. Maurice suddenly thought of getting back his guarantee, and so wended his way to the bank, to find to his dismay the youth had banked the hundred pound cheque, and then drawn out a hundred. * • •. The youth left for the war, and has returned. It is still owing. © @ © Lieut.-Col. A. le Coste Bartrop, who about a score of years ago was in the Roads Department, and stationed at New Plymouth, is now acting-commissioner of Transvaal Police. His present job is inspecting officer. Lieut.-Col. Bartrop, although a private in the Ist N.Z.M.R., was called "the Intelligence Officer' for his aptitude in gleaning information and embroidering rumour. • « • When the South Africa war was over Bartrop stayed in "Darkest," and took service in the police, and has not, it is believed, been in New Zealand since. • •- • During the Great War he went on service with that splendid army that did incredible work in "German East." * * * Although he considers New Zealand his homeland "Barty" is a Victorian, his father having been a Stipendiary Magistrate among the gumsuckers. Col. Bartrop was in charge of the police during the very serious riots in Johannesburg about six years ago. $' ® ® The daily Press has prematurely knighted J. J. Virgo, the rolling stone of the V.M.C.A., who is to re-visit Melbourne from England and America some time next month. Be is persistently, and erroneously, referred to as Sir John Virgo. The iexplanation seems to be .that some time ago J. J., who was made a C.B.E. (Commander of the British Empire) went up for investiture with a batch of knighted celebrities, and, the cabled announcement was misread to include him in the higher titled" group. - ■ «•.■.*. Virgo^—whose name may be spelt "Vigor" with perfect justice, is one of the organising genuises of the Y.M. In addition to a flow of energy he has a flow of oratory.

"Wonk" writes: Interesting speculations are rife in political circles as to, poseible appointments to the Cabinet generally, but more particularly as they affect our genial member for Manukau, Sir Frederick Lang. It seems that it is not beyond, the bounds of possibilities that he may be a full-blown Minister of the Crown in the near future, the argument being apparently that he would make a better Minister than Speaker. * * * * Sir Frederiok has the rules of debate and all those things at his finger ends, but it has been noted at times that he has seemed loth to exercise his powers and nip the transgressor in the bud of his misplaced eloquence. The result has been, at times, that the debates have gone altogether outside proper limits, and much time has been wasted thereby. * * * It is therefore thought that the powers that be may feel inclined to use Sir Frederick's undoubted abilities in a Ministerial capacity, and make someone else Speaker. Should this be so, it is fairly certain that the new Speaker will be the member for Clutha, the not too popular Mr. Malcolm, who is at present Chairman of Committees. He has never lacked firmness in his rulings in his present capacity, so that the chances are that he would fill the bill quite well as Speaker. Of course, Tommy Wilford would make the ideal Speaker, but then he is on the wrong side of the House. 0 <® ' « Mr. Edwin Dennis, A.R.C.M., F.N.C.M., Auckland, singer, who took advantage of the N.Z.E.F. education scheme at Home to pursue his musical studies for a year. He joined up the N.Z.E.F. in December, 1916, and went to France, finishing up his service a R.S.M., the Second Canterbury Regiment. Mr. Dennis speaks with deep appreciation of the invariable kindness of eminent people to colonials. He declares that in the musical world the greater the man the greater his charm, and his desire to aid the straggler and the amateur. "Wherever you find a person at the top of the tree in London," he says, "he is the most approachable, the most helpful, and the most courteous."

The New Zealand authorities aided soldiers anxious to get the tuition that only London affords hy granting £15 for their puling course, and this stimulated many New Zealanders to enhance their professional knowledge. Since Mr. 'Dennis has returned, he has sung the tenor solos in the "Messiah" (December), and last Saturday sung the tenor solos in "Samson, ,, given by the combined Methodist choirs. He is giving a song recital assisted by eminent Auckland artists soon. « « * Mr. G. Petersen, the habitual "advance" for Wirth's Circus, has been looking into Auckland at unexpected times for thirty years or less. "Pete" wears well, and is rosy and genial, whether he's at Bundaberg or Bulltown, Cassilis or Carterton, Dunedin or Dead Man's Dam. • • • ' Mr. Petersen incidentally observes that although the Wirth Show has done record biz. in New Zealand, this time the difficulty of obtaining tent sites has never been so great. It has caused him loss of sleep—and in a town or two of New Zealand local authorities have been "snakeheaded." ## . $ The Auckland Chamber of Commerce was sitting in order to combine against the profiteer and to aid the stomachs of the proletariat. All our eminent philanthropists were there aching to aid humanity. Nothing had been done of any consequence but the reduction of "meat to 3d. per lb, butter to Bd, boots to 3s. 9d., and gas to 2s. 3d. a thousand yards, when a strange philantropist rose to address the assembled philantropists. He referred to a gentleman who had last spoken. He obviously forgot the name of the philantropist. He referred to him as "the little old gentleman in the corner with the black timbrella." * • * * The philantropist started, for the eye of the stranger was full upon him. For once in the history of Auckland, there was a man who didn't know J. H. Upton, Esq! A gloom descended on the assembled gathering. Nothing would relieve their surcharged souls but awarding ten thousand tons of coal to the poor of Auckland, the "little old mail with the black umbrella" donating 9,955 tons.

That kindly soul, Mr. A. W. Ironside (good name for a gaoler!) left the command of the dark pile at Mt. Eden at the end of last month, and being still vigorous and keen, will enjoy the leisure a gaol can never afford. Barring an unwavering eye, Mr. Ironside gives few indications of his calling, and might easily be mistaken for a business man with a habit of paying quarter yearly bonuses to his staff. • • ■ • He began his official life in New Zealand as a constable, but his natural abilities and savoir f aire induced the authorities to transfer him to the Prisoners Department after short police service, and he became clerk at Mt. Cook (Wellington). j • • That massive monument to Sir Julius Vogel's idea of the size of our potential criminal population having been closed (and subsequently used for a military barracks—it is now New Zealand headquarters), he went to Lyttelton, and' stayed at H.M. Gaol there for about 11 years. Then he went to Fort Caut« ley as chief warder, and next to Hokitika. His long period of ser : vice as superintendent at Mt. Eden has made him well known and respected by Aucklanders. 9 fe ® Mr. Sam Steele, Sen., the splendid record of whose soldier sons was mentioned in this paper recently, writes: I lately paid a visit to Waikato, and during my travels I visited a farm to make enquiries. The lady of the house proved to be an old acquaintance. I first met her when I was about 17. and a member of the Auckland Militia, and my company was ordered to Wairoa South, now Clevedon. • *- » ' The Maories were in full force. Hamlin was shot, Joe Wallace tomahawked; the camp baker shot but recovered; McNichol's house was attacked, and the family forced to flee »to a etockade under a heavy

musketry fire. The lady I mentioned above was one of them. In speaking of old times, she gave me her history. * * * Born in Arran, North Britain, iv 1847, in 1849 came out to Australia with her father and mother. In 1852, the goldfields were discovered in Aubtralia. Her father, who was living near Geelong, joined the rush, arid was carting to Ballarat. He wished to settle down on a farm, but could not get land in Australia—it was all taken up by equatters. She remembers Black Thursday, that devastated the country from Geelong to Melbourne in 1853. * * * Her father heard of cheap land in New Zealand, and came down and purchased the present homestead. One of the first to settle in the Wairoa, this lady withstood all the hardship of early settlement, lived on the best terms with the natives. War bjhoke put, when their house was the first to be attacked. '* * * Her brother, who was the first child born in Wairoa, and the first to be shot at. She married and settled in Waikato, reared eight gallant sons and two daughters. Two sons volunteered for South Africa, and I am glad to say came through all right. Two others volunteered for the Great War, and came through with honour and distinction. ** ' * The daughters are married to prosperous settlers, and the grandchildren are more than a score. I told this lady I knew her'husband very well—that when the Imperial troops were and all available constabulary taken away to hght Wanganui and Taranaki, that I had joined Major Jackson's Tβ Awamutu Cavalry, and for years assisted to-maintain the frontier from Pirongia to Cambridge—it gave me pleasure to. see this old couple so happy and prosperous after passing through so much in a long lifej