People and Their Doings.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 192, 14 August 1931, Page 8

People and Their Doings.

Professor Copland has Helped to make Australian History . How “ Mouth Organ John ” Pays for his Meals : Many Swaggers have Romantic Pasts.

pROFESSOR DOUGLAS COPLAND, who is visiting Christchurch at present, has left his mark on Australian history as the originator of the “ Copland Plan,” which was

put forward as a solution of the budgetry problems of the Commonwealth. He is also the joint author with Professor E. O. G. Shann of a book just published, “ The Battle of the Plans,” a summary of Australia’s recent financial difficulties. Professor Copland is well-known in Canter-

bury, for he received his education at the Waimate District High §chool and at Canterbury College. He was later a teacher at the Christchurch Boys’ High School and assistant lecturer in Economics at Canterbury College. Mrs Copland is the daughter of Mr F. W. S. Jones, who is known in South Canterbury as a keen gardener, specialising in roses and gladioli, and she has carried her enthusiasm for gardening, which she shared with her father, to her beautiful home in Melbourne where the climate is so suitable to the cultivation of choice blooms. si? “JOHN THE BAPTIST," the swagger who appeared in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, is one of the best known figures in the back country of Canterburj'. He is more generally known as “ Mouth Organ John,” because wherever he travels, and whether he is near civilisation or r.ot, he is always either performing on the instrument from which he takes his name, or else singing in a not unpleasing voice. One of his greatest accomplishments is the ability to yodel in the approved style. Outside Switzerland there are few who can yodel properly, but “ Mouth Organ John ” is one of these.

His beat lies along the hills from the Ashburton River, round the lakes district, and over to the West Coast. His constant companion is a rmall dog, and John and the terrier, both of them happy under all circumstances. are v.-dcomed at many homesteads in the lonelier parts. John and the dog call more or less regularly at different sheep stations for a meal, and payment is always made for both by John, by selections on the mouth organ, and a few songs.

W W “ is another of the professions that the advance of civilisation has pushed into the background. The kings of the road, who in earlier days were a feature of the country districts of New Zealand, are now rare, and according to old-timers, people are not so ready with a meal and a bed as they were. Many swaggers in the early days were as well known in their districts as was the Prime Minister. They arrived in certain localities at regular intervals, and received the charity handed out to them almost as a right. They were generally amiable creatures, their only departure from the path laid down by strict moralists being their dislike for regular work, or even work of any kind if it could be avoided. Many of them had romantic pasts, either real or fictitious, and people who can remember tell splendid stories of these figures of the past.

One of the best-known in South Canterwho died a year or two ago. The Shiner who died a year or two ago. The shiner was in actual fact a younger son of a very noble English house, and an exGuardsman. He was well over six feet in height, and was always moderately well dressed. It was never recorded over a career of a great number of years that he did any work, but yet he seemed always to be in good shape. The Shiner was one of the cleverest of the fraternity, and to this day tales of his prowess in extracting drinks and food from unwilling victims are told by people who remember him.

npilE COMPOSITION of the Royal train A in which the King and Queen travel varies according to the requirements of the journey. Twenty special coaches are kept

at Wolverton and used solely to make up the train. The King enters his salocn through polished • teak double doors, opening on to a square vestibule. This leads into the smoking room, which is finished in fiddle-back mahogany. This is the room the King usually occupies when travelling during the daytime.

In each corner is an ample green morocco leather armchair with a table by the side of each. Next to the smoking room is the day compartment, on which the Queen spent a great deal of time choosing material to harmonise with the general colour scheme of the saloon, which is green. The compartment contains a desk fitted out for dealing, if necessary, with affairs of State. The King’s bedroom, which is adjoining, contains #a silver-plated bed, satinwood dressing-table, and furniture. The Queen's saloon is similar outwardly to that of the King, but internally the colour scheme is blue. _ qjjp

CIXTY YEARS AGO. (From the “Star” of August 14, 1871.) From a speech by Mr John Anderson at the City Council.—A monster meeting should be got up, and the people who, in a moment, unawares, gave up the straight road when they had it, should say whether they were to be thwarted in that way. lie, for one, said “ No.” For his own part, he should agitate until they insisted upon their rights, and he thought the Council did not ask too much from the Cathedral Commission when they asked them to give them the road straight through the square.

Napier, August 14.—Captain Preece exchanged shots with Kooti on August 9. Following his tracks next day, he found a letter from Kooti to the Government, in which he desires to be unmolested and allowed to live and plant. The letter was signed, “ From your enemy, Turuki.”