IN THE PUBLIC EYE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17410, 12 December 1924, Page 8

IN THE PUBLIC EYE.

NOTES AND ANECDOTES. YY'ITH thirty-six years’ work as a teacher to his credit, Arthur Orland Merton will retire from the staff of the Boys’ High School at the end of the term next week. Mr Merton joined the staff of the school in 1868 and since then Ims been continually on the staff. In this term’s i-.sue of the school magazine he gives some interesting reminiscences. His first form was rather unruly, he says, and he had to tame them, the process being painful in one case. Tin* lad was deeply grieved and reported the matter at home. His mother, armed with an umbrella, set out to interview Mr Merton. “At that, time 1 was a fairly busy man and had a number of ports of call. The good ladv .sailed round the Jot and finally ran me to e:.vth up the Cathedral tower. M i.it happened is sacred!” After all nis rears at the school Mr Merton is still wondering why it is that the dull or troublesome boy is the most- likely to c ome back “ and thank you for the pains you took with him -while at school.”

BACK from South Africa, where he has been as the representative r»t the Labour group in the House ‘»t Parliament, Edwin J- Howard, member for C h r i st c b uroh South, has had • busy time, but evidently an instructive one. He is convinced that the problem of black labour is one that is going to take all the at tent ion that statesmen can give- it ore it is solved. Mr Howard is one of the most popular of the Labour members in the House, has a keen sense of humour, and is noted for his quick rejoinders in debate. He was for many .years secretary of the General Labourers’ Union before be was elected to Parliament, and was also a member of the old Socialist Party.

QUT of the eight ■w omen members in the last English Parliament, only four were returned at the recent election, three of these being Conservative?. Of those returned Councillor Ellen 'Wilkinson, M.P. for Middlesboro (East) is a Socialist. Shelias long been connected with the Socialist • Party, of which she is a militant member. In the recently defeated Government there were two women Labour M.P.’s, Miss Margaret Bondfield and Miss Susan Lawrence, both of whom were defeated at the polls, much to the surprise, of their party. 'Fhe other women in the present House are Lady Astor, the Duchess of Atholl and Mrs Phillipson. all three of whom were in the last Parliament. REPRESENTATIVE of the Dominion on the English Rugbv Union Mr C. J. Wray i: one of the keenes; of the many enthusiasts who ar following the career of the All Blacks in Eng land. As a meuil>er of the High tom mi s sioner s staff Mr Wray is well known for his courtesy and the help he al--1 ways gives New Zealanders who are visiting Eng land, and as New Zealand's representative on the English Rugby Board he wonderful amount of tact and forbearance during discussions on debatable points. His enthusiasm in regard to t!it- All Blacks was shown bv the cable he sent to the New Zealand Union following on the defeat of Wales: Heartiest congratulations on New Zealand's splendid victory. Wales was oomnletelv outclassed and outplayed. Cooke, the conjurer, is the greatest opportunist 1 have ever seen. Mark Nicholls, the demon dummy demonstrator, showed splendid football brains. Nepia is peerless. M ! Gregor would go down to a runaway train. ‘ Maurie ’ Brownlie, the marvellous, did great avoir so did ■ Bilt ’ Irvine, Guppies and every man of the team. Wot ter's action m holding up the start of the game in the presence of fifty thousand people by rejecting the ball just at the kick-off will go down in history.” TT is an unu>ual thing for an English constituency to return a Communist to the House of Commons, bur a still more unusual thing to re turn an Indian. Shapwriji Saklatvala is bo tit an Indian and a Communist. At the recent election he was returned as member for Battersea, a constituency w hich he represented two years ago He is a fluent speaker and has the confidence of his constituents. His wife is a European, though she always wears native Indian dress. :They have two sons and one little daughter.