People and Their Doings.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20539, 14 February 1935, Page 8

People and Their Doings .

New Zealanders who attended the first Imperial Press Conference in 1909 Archbishop has a Congregation of Bathers : The Dismal end of St Valentine.

JJATHING COSTUMES, “ shorts,” dressing gowns, and beach pyjamas were among the attire worn by members of the congregation at a Melbourne service conducted on the beach in front of the Elwood Life-Saving Club-house by Archbishop Head. About 500 persons took part in the service, in which the vicar of the Anglican Church, Elwood (the Rev J. J. M’Call), assisted. Archbishop Head wore arch-episcop-al robes, and the choristers wore cassock and surplice. The hymns were accompanied on a small organ, which was carried to the beach. When the service began many bathers left the water and, wrapped

in towels, joined the service. Archbishop Head said that the success of beach services in previous years had led to the decision to continue them. It was right that the Church should “go to the people.” The old belief that one should not enjoy the pleasures of the open air on Sundays was gone, brit there was always a danger that tolerance would be carried too far. After a week of work a Sunday in the fresh air of the beach was beneficial to bodily health, but the needs of the mind should not be neglected. The joys of sport and life in the open should not be merely taken for granted, but with thanksgiving.

TAFARI has long anticipated the present tension between Abyssinia and Italy. Although his country is still in the feudal Middle Ages, the Emperor himself is by no means a conservative. On his visit to London in 1924 he showed himself alive to the advantages of modernising Abyssinia. His task, however, has been no easy one. He lacks competent assistance. He is also faced with the opposition, open or veiled, of a large and powerful section of the nobility and priesthood. The former occupy all the key positions in the Government. The latter comprise nearly a quarter of the male adult population. Himself a man of peace, he is expected to keep a restraining hand on the jingoes who remember with pride the battle of Adowa in 1896, when an Italian force of over 13,000 men was cut to pieces. But that was before the days of aeroplanes, tanks and all the other paraphernalia of modern scientific warfare.

DELEGATES from New Zealand attended the first Imperial Press Conference, which was held in London in 1909. These were Mr George Fenwick (afterwards Sir George Fenwick), of the “Otago Daily Times,’’ Mr Henry Brett (afterwards Sir Henry Brett), of the “Auckland Star,” Mr Greslev Lukin, of the Wellington “ Evening Post,” Mr W. S. Douglas, of the “ New Zealand Herald,” Auckland. Mr Mark Cohen, of the “ Evening Star,” Dunedin, and Mr R. M. Macdonald, of the “ Press,” Christchurch. A volume of the proceedings of the conference gives details of the banquet tendered “ to the editors and Press of Greater Britain by the colleagues in the Mother Country,” and among the guests at the sixty-eight tables each of the New Zealanders was given a place of honour. Mr Philip Gibbs sat beside Mr Fenwick, and Mr Hannen Swapper, the famous dramatic critic, and Sir John Ellerman, the head of a shiping line, were assigned to the tables of other New Zealanders.

HF JN THE REPORT of an afternoon which the delegates spent at the General Post Office in London, there is an interesting reference to New Zealand inventors. “ A number of ingenious telegraphic appliances an d inventions of colonial origin were seen,” says the report. “ Amongst them the Murray Multiplex—a machine which delivers its messages typed in page form—the inventor of which was formerly on the staff of the ‘New Zealand Herald,’ and was present to meet his New Zealand friends. The Gell keyboard perforator is the device of another oversea telegraphist—a New Zealander who was formerly in the telegraph service at Nelson. His machine is bringing back into general use the wheatstone instrument, to which it is an indispensible adjunct, and which commands the highest speed in working.”

'JMIE ASSOCIATION of the lovers’ festival with St Valentine’s Day, which falls today. seems to be purely accidental. The festival was naturally more popular in the Victorian era than in this modern age. for it suited the spirit of the times better. That amiable and holy Saint was obviously better suited than Cupid to receive the adoration of the mid-nineteenth century. Being a Bishop, he was much more respectably clad, and the decent anonymity of his missives made it difficult for passion to

be disturbed to any indiscreet level of ardour. Before the good man was bom the young men and maidens of ancient Rome used to meet together in the middle of February to draw lots for partners in a little mild flirtation; and it was pure chance that St Valentine happened to choose that day to get his head cut off. Still, from his point of view, perhaps it is not unreasonable that he should think he had acquired some right to take a special interest in the day and anything that might be done on it.

“ VECHERNAIA MOSKVA Evening Moscow ” —the official organ of Moscow city Bolshevik party committee, asserts that the wedding presents to the Duke and Duchess of Kent “ are exhibited in a special pavilion, and the money charged for admission to this exhibition goes into the pockets of the young married couple.” The paper making this outrageous statement has the largest circulation in Moscow and district. Long queues wait patiently in the snow to buy it. All the admission fees to the Royal wedding presents exhibition at St James’s Palace are to be given to charity.

YEARS AGO (from the “-Star” of February 14, 1875):

A Comparison.—The “ Grey River Argus” of February 1 says: While Greymouth and Hokitika support steam tugs by private enterprise, the rich ports of Wellington and Lyttelton are calling out to the Government to provide them tugs. At Port Chalmers the tug is subsidised to the extent of £I2OO a year. Wellington, February 13.—A great deal of fever and diphtheria is rife among the inhabitants. One doctor says he has a fresh case of diphtheria every day. It is attributed to inefficient drainage. Strong complaints on that score have appeared in the papers. New Fire Engine.—The new fire engine ordered by the Government for the use of the Rangiora Volunteer Fire Brigade arrived in the Lady Jocelyn, and was speedily forwarded to Rangiora. The appearance of the engine speaks well in its favour, and being adapted for twentytwo men to work, should be of assistance at fires. The engine is from Messrs Shand, Mason and Co.’s establishment.