IN THE PUBLIC EYE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17882, 25 June 1926, Page 8

IN THE PUBLIC EYE.

NOTES AND ANECDOTES. GOVERNMENT Statistician, Mr Matcolm Fraser handed to the Minister

of Internal Affairs, The Hon R. F. Bollard, on Saturday last the preliminary population figures in connection with the recent census. It was a great piece of wrork, made possible by the excellent arrangements that had been effected for the taking of

the census and for the computation of the results. To-day, the returns show, the total population of New Zealand inclusive of Maoris and exclusive of Western Samoa and the Cook and other islands is 1.407,165. Excluding Maoris the total is 1,344,384. Mr Fraser and a highly efficient staff have been hard at work in Wellington since the taking of the census in April last, but the worst of their task is now completed. Mr Fraser says that excluding Maoris there are 1000 males to every 957 females in the Dominion, a fact which will no doubt cause a flutter of many a maiden’s heart. 3? Sf and scholar, Professor IT. ° Stewart, CMC, . D 5.0.. M.C., MA. Professor of Clas-

sics at Canterbury College, has received word of his appointment to the chair of Latin in the University cf Leeds, England. Professor Stewart served with great distinction in the Great War. He showed that he was just as outstanding on *the field of

battle as he was in the lecture room. Serving with the New Zealand forces throughout the Gallipoli Campaign, he later commanded one of the evacuation parties- Since his return to New Zealand from overseas, he has been honorary A.D.C. to his Excellency the Gov-ernor-General, and at the present time he commands the South Island Infantry Brigade. Professor Stewart was educated at Fettes, Edinburgh University, and Trinity College. Cambrigde. Prior to coming to New Zealand in 1913 to join the professorial staff of Canterbury College, he was a master at Rugby and lecturer in the University of Liverpool. GERMANY has decided that the Hohenzollerns are not to be de- «. prived of their es-

tates -without compensation, a decision which no doubt came as a great relief to the ex-Kaiser and his immediate relat i v e s. Princess Hermione, his wife, no doubt breathed more freely after receiving the news that despite an , overwhelming majority the confisca-

tionists failed to secure the necessary quota of 19,500,000 votes at last Sunday’s referendum. So Wilhelm, though no longer Ivaiser, is at least still the possessor of royal estates; and the Princess Hermione is the wife of a wealthy if broken man. What will become of the. roval estates is now in the hands of the Reichstag. It is stated that the government has prepared a Bill whereby a distinct difference will be made between the property of the state and that of private citizens, and providing for certain estates to be retained by the Ilohenzollerns. * IJERE is Mr H. P. Lawry, S.M-, who this week took over his duties as

I Magistrate at j Christchurch. He | comes with a reputation for being an | all round good fel- ! low, a magistrate who is always pre- ! pared to temper ! justice with mercy. magistrates have 1 been inadequate to , cope with the pressure of work at the lower court, but

despite the agitations of the legal fraternity, it was not until recently that the authorities decided to increase the city’s magistrates to three. Mr Lawry was the man selected. He comes from the West Coast, where he was highly respected. He can lie depended on for sound judgments at all times, and like all good magistrates, can see two sides to every case. He will be concerned with the country circuit, and most of his work will be out of town, although he will also preside at the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court when occasion demands. J_JARRY K. THAW and his former wife, Evelyn, have become reconciled and are to re-marry, a recent message from New

Y ork stated. 11 waa twenty years ago that the Thaws first came under the lurid glare of unfavourable publicity. On the night of June 23, 1906, in New York, Harry K. Thaw, son of a Pittsburg millionaire, shot Stanford White, a leading architect, because,

it was said, he had compromised Thaw’s wife. The case attracted worldwide attention. It was at the trial of Thaw’ that the “ unwritten law’ ” theory was seriously propounded for the first time. Sensational disclosures dealing with the life of the ultra-fast set of New York were a feature of the trial, which ended in Thaw being committed to a mental hospital. He was released in 1915. Later he was again committed to the institution, but was released soon after. Now’ he is to re-marry his divorced wife, who for many years made capital on the stage and in other quarters out of hei connection with the tragedy.