People and Their Doings.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19107, 27 June 1930, Page 8

People and Their Doings.

Sir Joseph Ward And The American Official : The English Cricket Team : A Racing Motorist Who May Visit New Zealand.

HOW SIR JOSEPH WARD once astonished an American postal official was told by Mr Deavoll, the Hon H. Atmore’s

private secretary, at the Post and Telegraph re union in Nelson. When Sir Joseph was passing through the United States he called on the postal officials, and on being shown through the Post and Telegraph Office, en-| countered an officer who, assuming that Sir j Joseph was ignorant on j the subject, began to ex

plain Morse to him. He gave a practical demonstration by calling up in these terms: “I have a guy from New Zealand here who wants to know about things.” Sir Joseph then asked if he might try to send out a message. Consent was given, and he tapped out a message at high speed to the same place: “The guy from New Zealand is the Postmaster-General, and once held a certificate for speed.”

32? 38? rpilE HON ROBERT MASTERS, M.L.C., was at one time “Prime Minister of New Zealand.” He was also Minister of Lands, and piloted a very contentious Land Bill through the House. It was in his younger days, when “Bob” was in his late twenties, perhaps. Always a keen politician and an ardent Liberal, he could more than hold his own in political argument so long as there were only two or three men in the discussion. But when he had to get on his feet and address a meeting, that was a horse of quite another colour. His activities in those days mostly concerned football, the retailers’ association, and the Stratford Chamber of Commerce, and he was also director of the Stratford Electric Lighting Company. It was in this latter capacity that he first felt the need of a better control of language and facts when “on his feet.” He had a scheme to explain to his colleagues, and he felt that it lost in the telling. Just then the Egmont Club woke up to the fact that cards, billiards, a reading room and hot suppers did not meet the whole of a young man’s needs, and “Bob” confided to a friend on a special committee of the club that he would throw himself heartily into a proposed debating club. He intimated that he felt the urge to go into public life, perhaps national politics, and this debating circle would give him good training. And it was the Stratford Parliamentary Union which made him “Minister of Lands" and later elevated him to the rank of “Prime Minister.” He engineered a National Provident Fund, a Compulsory Insurance Act, and a startlingly Liberal Land Act through the “House,” and presently developed into a really strong debater His ambition for local politics put him on the Taranaki Education Board, and within a couple of years he was its chairman. The point of the story is that the new Legislative Councillor took up debating with the definite idea of becoming proficient in the art of public speaking, an example that many public men could follow with profit to themselves and pleasure to those who have to listen to them.

X R E BEGUM OF BHOPAL, who died last month, was until her abdication in 1926, India’s only woman ruler of her time, although she was the third woman in succession to rule Bhopal, her predecessors having been her mother, whom she succeeded in 1901, and her grandmother, th« three reigns extending over eighty years. She abdicated in favour of her son, but for a quarter of a century she ruled wit l such wisdom, energy, and courage that she was frequently called the Queen Victon; of India. She was one of the most en lightened women there, and did much to improve the education of her women subjects. When she abdicated she gave th« who* of her property, more than £10,000,000, for the propagation of Islamism throughout India. Bhopal, second only to Hyderabad among the Indian Moslem States, comprises 6900 square miles and has a population of 700,000. ]VfR BERNARD SHAW has not been able to carry out his intention to write a new play for this year’s Malvern Festival, which is to be held in August. However, in addition to “Candida”, “Heart-break House”, “The Dark Lady of the Sonnets’’, “Getting Married”, and the others that Sir Barry Jackson has chosen for his programme, there is to be a new play by Mr Rudolf Besier. It is called “The Barretts of Wimpole Street,” and, as may be guessed.

deals with the love-story of Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning. Elizabeth spent her early life near Malvern, and it was at 50, Wimpole Street, her father’s house, that she first met the poet. Mr Besier is of Dutch extraction, and before devoting himself to play-writing worked for several years as a journalist. He has helped several well-known novelists to dramatise their work, including Mr H. G. Wells (“Kipps”), Mr Hugh Walpole (“Robin’s Father”), and Miss May Edginton (“Secrets”).

s|p "S? Q APT AIN .uALCOLM CAMPBELL, the racing motorist and record breaker, who may come out to New Zealand and race on the beaches here, has devoted much time to the evolution and trial of high speed cars. His first big motoring record was made in 1922, when he reached a speed of 136 miles an hour at Saltburn. In those days such a pace was amazing. He beat a record of Major Segrave’s in 1927. Campbell has had some very narrow

escapes. Twice a wheel came off while travelling at great speeds. On one occasion a tyre burst at 180 miles an hour, and it was only his great skill that prevented the car from charging the crowd. Twice on Daytona beach he hit sand hummocks. The first time he was shot out of his car, but was not injured, while the second time, when he was making a record and doing nearly 215 miles an hour, he swerved violently, but recovered in a miraculous way and completed his course. 9 9 9 YyiTII ALL lIIS UNBOUNDED author ity the Pope is perhaps the loneliest man in the world. Nobody may talk to him on terms of equality and he confides in no one. Strangely enough, he is hemmed in by an elaborate code of unwritten laws, immovable as those of the Medes and Persians and almost as ancient. One of them forbids him to sit down to a meal with another human being. He must breakfast, dine and sup all alone. No dish, no drink, however palatable may be sent twice to his solitary table. All food that has been served once becomes the servants’ perquisites. Pius X., old and ailing, received a present of two bottles of old Tokay wine from an Hungarian nobleman. He sipped one glass at his frugal dinner, felt new life in his veins, and asked for the bottle next day. It was not given to him. so he had one glass put of the second bottle. By the time his chaplain had communicated with the donor and asked for more the World War was raging and Pius lav on his deathbed. 9 sS? 33? ’J'HE PERSONNEL of the English XI for the second test will be changed to the extent of three new players. Duleep sinhji will replace Sutcliffe, who is hors de combat; J. C. White, the slow left-hander, takes R. Tyldesley’s place, while Allen or Geary comes in in place of Larwood, who is indisposed. However good Duleepsinhji may be, the loss of the great influence of the Hobbs-Sutcliffe combination may be a very big factor in the game itself. White and Geary performed remarkably well in Australia in 1928-29, but as the Englishmen emphasize the very great importance of a fast bowler in the team, it is quite probable that G. O. Allen, of Middlesex, will be chosen, in preference to Geary, who is only medium. i O. ALLEN is now twenty-eight years of age. He is a Sydney boy and is the nephew of Dick Allen, who played once for Australia against England. Allen, who was educated at Eton and Cambridge, has quite a good record as an all-rounder. In the Eton-Harrow match of 1919 he batted right through the innings for sixty-nine. Playing for the Gentlemen v Players in 1925, he scored a glorious 130. But it is with the ball that he has earned his place. Several competent judges of the game consider that he is the best fast right-hand bowler in England to-day Last season against Lancashire at Lord’s he captured all ten wickets, eight being bowled and two caught at the wicket. In a minor match against the Royal Artillery he has done the same thing besides getting seven wickets in the second innings, and incidentally scoring 101.