PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10682, 31 January 1913, Page 2

PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

v LONDON, December 24. At a banquet of the Plumbers' Company, held last Friday evening, the High Commissioner for New Zealand referred to the great necessity for population in New Zealand and Australia, and described the enormous advantages these* lands offered to suitable people. Mr Mackenzie referred to Dr Gilruth's appointment to the North Western Territory of Queensland, and stated lie was just the type of man to make things move on right lines—full of. energy, forcefulness and resourcefulness; he would make:things go if it were possible to move,them at all. The problem of. peopling these .unoccupied areas was engaging the active attention of the Commonwealth and should become a cardinal, point of British policy. If they were not occupied by white people., assuredly the Asiatic raoes would swarm down and occupy them. That brought on the question of defence, and Mr Mackeszie dealt scathingly with those ".outsiders" who are consistently writing to British papers and slandering New Zealand in connection with her efforts to train Her people for the defence of their country. He explained! the provisions of the Defence Act, showing that it was a fair and just measure, calculated to bring about the desired result with the smallest amount of inconvenienco to thus affected by it. The widow of the late Bishop J. R. Selwyn, sometime Bishop of Melanesia and son of the famous George Augustus Selwyn, Bishop of New Zealand, has suffered another terrible bereavement this Christmastide. Her only son, George, a fine young fellow seventeen years of age, who had just left Eton to spend the vacation with his mother at Cambridge, was out riding a motor-bicycle in that town on Saturday afternoon, when, at the crossroads near St Giles's Church, he ran full tilt into a motor-'bus and fell right in the track of the off-side wheels, both of which passed over the lower - part pf his body. It was a miracle that he was' not killed outright, and his injuries were of such a nature that there was not the slightest chance of his life being saved. He was removed to a nursing homft hard by the scene of the accident, and lingered a few hours ere death put an end to his sufferings. The annual Dickens dinner -was held at the " George and Vulture" oil December 19 under the chairmanship of Sir John "W. Taverner, when Mrs Cross, of Christchurch, was one of the speakers. Empha'sising the many difficulties in the path of one who set otit to extol Charles Dickens with anything approaching originality. Mrs Cross speculated a few moments about what might happen were Charles Dickens alive at the present moment. Of course, he would ride in taxis instead of the old "growler," would watch aeroplanes circling the heavens, and would go on board one of the luxurious up-to-date ocean steamers and travel round the world. And so he would come' to New Zealand, for New Zealanders nil read his books. They havo time for reading and time to sit down and think occasionally. And when Dickens spoke of the nice little dinners, which he described with such a masterly touch, if he lived now, said the speaker, he would speak of prime Canterbury mutton and lamb, and say how gopd it is! Mrs Cross, of Cnristclmrch, will leave next week for the Continent in order to avoid the coldest of the winter here. Miss Caroline Freeman, however, will remain at West Kensington, where she is now staying. She has 'greatly improved in health. The' High Commissioner was among those present at a dinner given by the Plumbers' Company at De Keyser's Royal' Hotel on Friday last. The High Commissioner for New Zealand is to be one of the vice-pre- ! sidents and serve on the Council of j the newly-affiliated Austral and Do- ' minions' Club in Dover Street, of i v-hich Lord Strathcona is the presi- ! dent.