LONDON LETTER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5056, 15 September 1894, Page 6

LONDON LETTER.

— - — <* [FROM OTTB OWN COSEBPONDKNT.] Ijondon, July 27. PERSON/1.. The Countess ol Glasgow, who has been spending the past fen weeks with her father, Sir Edward Hnnnar Blair, au Blairqnhan Caatld, eailid trom Liverpool last Saturday, per R.H.S. Umbria, for New York, en route for JTew Zealand. I also notica that the wite of Captain R. S. Hunter Blair (late A.D.C to bis Excellency) presented iica the day af tor I hio sister's dopartura with a son. The— j 1 auspiciouo, I believe, h the right word — ! event came off at Fairfield, Parlick Hill, N.8., on Sunday morning. I regret to announce tho deith of Charlea James Nairn, of Pourerere, New Zealand, •who succumbed at 27, Prince's Square, Bays water, on Saturday laat, ageii sixtyniue. Mr Tennyson Cole's portrait of Sir George Grey ia complete and now on view { at the Agent-Generrtl'a office. Without; being anything specially remarkable from I an artistic standpoint, it fa a capital [ likeness, and should readii j find a purchaser. ■>■■■.-■ Since Mr E. J. Jellicoe'a name appeared in the Times as "representing the Nc-w Zealand Bar "at Lord Coleridge's funeral, £ havo had inquiries from many colonists at Home reminding 'hia whereabouts. It was oaly ytstierday that I came across traces of the lawyer, who, ] heat from his brother, has been confined to bed Rt Chester, bud expects to bo' ible to come up to London nexb week. • Mr Jellicoe'a relative waa unaware 'of his presonc« in the Old Country until receiving the letter containing the fact above stated. I may mention hare that oneor two gentlemen connected with law in the colony were not at all pleased at Mr E. J. Jellicoe t*king upon himself to represent the New Zealand B*r at the obsequies of the lato Lord Chief Justice. Mr " Mokau " Jones, whom I met in the City yesterday, tells me that he seeß a chance of getting back to New Zealand ahortly. He baa been afc Home more than a year end a half; arranging a business matter, which he fondfy imiigined, vrben ho landed, would be stttled in a month. He ia'very tired of thin jraat city; and will noh a*ay in it a day lotger than is absolutely neceeeary. Mr Godfrey P. Stuart, of the Bank of Now Zealand, has, I hoar, been transferred to Wellington, and wilt sail for that port by the Aorangi. 818 GEOBGE OBEY. Sir George has been en a vidt to Chialahurst during the week, with a number' of hiß relatives. ■ He tells me that he passed » good dealof hia boyhood there, and lived in the house that was afterwards inhabited by the Empress Eugeaie, of Frauce. ' • Pamphlets of the spsech recently delivered by Sir George Grey on the subject of women's suffrage h&vo been printed for goueral circulation. CHEAP FAfcES. Some time ago I prophesied the near advent of? a JBIO fare to AusSralasia. The German lines' were at that time booking at 12gs to Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney, whilst for an extra guinea thoy would land steerage passengers ia Now Zealand, and & rumour waa abroad to the effect; that one of the English lines meant to cut the foreignara' rate. Bub this did not happen, and a little later the Germans had raised their faro to 13gs. Latterly the passenger traffic all the world over has been in a wretched condition, and th« shipping companies aie making desperate endeavours to fill their etaerage epaca at low fare3. Tho Germans led off with a reduction to 12gs for steerage to Australian ports, and then the North German Lloyd, Shaw, Savill, Lund's and Thompson's came down a peg or two alraoat simultaneously. The North German Lloyd rateto Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney is now MO 10b, Hobart, Launcnston and Brisbane Willis, Now Z^a'and £12 12a. Lund'brate to tho three firßt-naiaied poit3 is *£il IJL«, .whilst Thompsons, I bear, cantemplat2 a 12---gniaoa rate, including bedding and meßsing utensils.' Shaw, Savill's rate to Tasmania, 'Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney- and New Zealand .will be 13gs, ;15gB and I7fi;s, according to accommodation, and these prices include bidding and requisites. Tho Orient line will probably book at 13go to Adelaide after the prase at week. Query: After paying agents' commission, &i\, where will tbe companies fiad profit on these fares? • ■ -■■ ■ ■