People and Their Doings.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 191, 13 August 1931, Page 8

People and Their Doings.

Who was the New Zealander who Gave Away his Motor-car ? An Honour that Pember Reeves does not yet Deserve : Some Stories about Mr Norman Birkett.

FOLLOWING account of a New Zealander’s generosity appeared in the London “ News-Chronicle ” recently, but the identity of the New Zealander has not so far been disclosed. “ Would you like my car?” “ Yes. But I can’t afford to buy it.” “All right; you can have it for nothing.” This conversation took place in a Strand restaurant the other day between a young engineer of the British Broadcasting Company and a New Zealander. The 8.8. G. engineer was having lunch when he got into conversation with the New Zealander. “ I’m going back to New Zealand,” said the latter, “ and should like to get rid of my car. What is your address.” The 8.8. C. official began to think it was a confidence trick, but he gave the address, and thought no more of it until he got home that evening. Then, to his surprise, his wife inquired when he had bought the car. There in the garage was the saloon car—a new one, fully insured and licensed! The 8.8. C. man was still suspicious. He took the car to the police station, but the station sergeant laughed. “ Well, it’s your’s. It doesn’t belong to anyone else,” he said.

Inquiries were made, but the car still belongs to the 8.8. C. man, who now parks it every day in Savoy Hill while he works.

W JpROMINENT New Zealanders who now reside in Melbourne were present in force on the top of Mount Dandenong on Saturday, August 1, when an interesting little ceremony took place, says a “ Star ” correspondent. The occasion was Arbor Day, and the idea was to celebrate it by planting a number of coniferous trees and shrubs, native of New Zealand. The arboreum, an area of eighteen acres, already is a delightful place for tree lovers, and it is planned to make it one of the most beautiful and pleasant resorts in Australia. The new trees and shrubs planted on August 1 included the kauri, the beautiful red pine, the silver pine of Westland, the celery pine, Japonica, an upright shrub with dark, shining green leaves, the tall tot.ara, the white pine, the doniana or lcakawa, with its fern-like foliage, in the young stages, and other species.

]iTR NORMAN BIRKETT, K.C., who is one of the counsel for the defence in the Lord Kylsant case and whose name frequently appears in the cablegrams, was asked recently what was the wittiest rejoinder he had heard in court. The eminent iDarrister thereupon told this story:—A clergyman was giving evidence for the prosecution in a ’burglary case heard at a county assizes. He was particularly clear and precise as to the time at which he had seen prisoner, whose defence was an alibi. Defending counsel cross-examined the clergyman with great persistence: “ Why are you so certain about the time?” — “ Because I looked at my watch ” —“ But your watch may have been wrong?”- “ Oh, no,” retorted witness crushingly, “ I checked it with another watch 1 carried.” “ But,” said baffled counsel, “ why the world were you carrying two watches? At this point counsel for the prosecution interjected, “ On the principle, ‘ Let the saints their watches keep.’ ”

W TN A MIDLAND CITY Mr Birkett had successfully defended a man charged with picking pockets. After accused had been acquitted he expressed his gratitude to the barrister and offered to take him to London in his car, an offer which Mr Birkett was not anxious to accept. “,No, thank you, ’ he said politely, “ I’m afraid I haven’t the time.” “ But,” persisted the man, “if we start now it won’t take very long- What time is it now?" “ I don t know, said Mr Birkett, “ I haven’t a watch.” “ Haven’t a watch?” repeated the man in an eager whisper, “ you wait here a minute and I’ll slip out and get you one.”

IS R GILBERT PARKER, journalist, novelist, ex-M.P.. in a speech at a university function included the name of the Hon Pember Reeves among those who had

“ passed over.” Mr Reeves, far from being among those who have gone west, presided the next week at the annual meeting of the National Bank of New Zealand. Mr Reeves’s attention being drawn to it. he said. “ Proud as I should be to be ranked with Sir Gilbert’s illustrious dead, I suffer

from a vital disqualification. I am not dead.

“ It happened so unexpectedly that many of my friends were greatly surprised. I have been chaffed very much about it all. I was told, for instance, that once a man went down below he was never allowed to come up. I might have replied that it is not until you omit to come up for the third time that anybody can be sure.”

Mr Reeves was at one time principal of the London School of Economics.

3? $F €? CIXTY YEARS AGO. (From the "Star" of August 13, 1871): Accident.—A very serious accident occurred during a trotting match on the Papanui Road on Saturday afternoon. The match was between horses owned by A M ’Taggart and another cabman named M’Kay, the distance being to Kaiapoi and back, and the stakes £lO a-side. Shortly after starting from the Carlton' a collision occurred between M’Taggart and a horse ridden by a Maori; but how it came about we were unable to learn, some averring that the Maori’s horse shied, while others say that M’Taggart ran into it. Be this as it may, the Maori and his horse were overturned, one leg of the horse which came into contact with the wheel of M laggarts buggy being broken in two places, and the Maori receiving a severe injury to his shoulder. On the other hand, the buggy was injured so far as to put a stop to the race on M’Taggart’s part.