OUR LONDON LETTER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8160, 16 June 1906, Page 6

OUR LONDON LETTER.

(From Our Own Correspondent). LONDON, April 7. PERSONAL NOTES. . Mr 0. Henry 0. Bowen, of Christchurch, is staying with the Rev. G. liowen of Thrybergh Rectory. At tb<v'tuoment he has nothing tocomnvmicate as to his plans over here. %r A. E. Coleman, of Christcbmcb, hns come over for a holiday, afjd to obtoiu the Board- of Trade Chief Engineer's certificate. He was for one yeur at Red tack's Gold Dr.;lge, West Coaßt, New Zealand. Mr and Mrs Harold Ueauohamp, of Wellington, have been in London about a week. It is early days ye', Mr Beauchamp says, to think of expressing his views of lite and things in Loudon. i!r John House, of Wellington nm! bis aon, Mr W. J. Rouse, arrived in London on Good Friday. 'They Jei't that city in tho Turukina, for Buenos Ayres, where his daughter wan married to Mr Philip Davies, tho British Vice Consul, ou March 12th. Mr Duvios ia the youuger brother of Miaa Mary Davies, the famous sinner. Aftor spending a pleasant fortnight in Buenos Ayres, they came on to London by R.M.S. AUienio,bavingfiue weather throughout. They are not making anydeflnite plans as to their movements jjuntil their mail arrives irom New Zealand. Mr R. H. Tod, of Napier, is on a visit of pleasure to the Old Oountry. He will spuud a few weeks in Scotland, returning for the Royal Agricultural Show. Ou his way fcaok to New Zealand he intends to visit the cattle country of the United States, and the wheat lands of Canada. Miss E. J. Mac Gibbon, of Mataura, arrived here on April 14th by the P. and 0. steamer Mongolia, after a very pleasant voyage. Since then she has been doing as much sight-seeing as possible in and around London. She was struck most with the age, beauty of the decorations, and the money that must have been spent on such buildings as Westminster Cathedral, St. Paul's, the Houses of Parliament, Windsor Castle, and .Hampden Court. What she misses very muoh here are New Zealand's bine skies and evergreen trees. After seeing some of the principal eights she will spend a week in the South of England, then some months in Scotlaud. Before leaving for New Zealand, at the end of October, she intends to visit Guernsey, and to go from there to Paris, returning by the same route, as the ports on the way, especially Colombo, are very interesting. * Mr George i*owlds, M H.R., has just returned from a lengthy visit to the Continent. MrS. T. Silver, of Wellington, who has been here since November laßt, left New Zealand three years ago for Johannesburg, where he visited the principal places in Sooth Africa sontb of the Zambesi. After I two years spent in that country he went on to Egypt, Austria, Italy, and France, finishing up at London. There are many New Zealauders in Johannesburg, and while there he kept in touch with them, joining their Football Club. Since his arrival here he has not kept in touch with New Zealanders at all, because life in London is so interesting. Be is never tired of watching the crowds wandering about or the polioemen handling the traffic, it is a treat to take a bus ride along the Strand, say, at night, and watch the crowded streets with the cabs, buses, etc., rushing about, and to notice the orderly manner in which the people "line, up" for the theatres and music balls The "tubes" and "undergrounds" are great attractions, aid he generally uses them in preference to surface travelling. The English people appear to him to bo a happy lot altogether; but, he thinks, a little too fond of drink and sweets—tho number of sweet shops about seems remarkable, and he often wonders bQW they all manage to exist. He is here partly to study the English practice in regard to steel structures. He has no definite programme mapped*out, but hopes to have another year before leaving for America, <shere he will spend another year before returning to the "land of milk and honey." I saw Mr W. J. Napier, the wellknown New Zealand barrister, in the Strand a few days back. Mr Napier was looking younger and mora alert than when he represented Auckland in the House of Representative* a few years ago. He has come to England on law business, and in addition to other work is retained to argue an important revenue case in the Privy Council on behalf of the New Zealand Government. At the Royal Colonial Institute last week, the Lord Jersey, asked Mr Napier to speak and the exMember for Auckland delivered a stirring speech advocating emigration to New Zealand. He was loudjk cheered on resuming his seat. Bp Napier came to the Old Country United States, where he was received by President atid tbe members of Ooncrossing the Atlantic in the he was unfortunately laid severe attack of quinsey, recovered aftor his arAlready he has of tho sights of London, of the House of Ooma card for the House, afternoon he ocenpaut one Strangers. the Courts to He Abbey me ho be Zealand to nr ble nave at

a Permanent Oounoil for the Empire. 1 hope to have more to say on his subject in my next l»tt».r. Mrs M. E. Freetb, of New Ply- { month, came by the Atbenio of the White Star Line, and had a very pleasant and interesting voyage. She is delighted with London, and has a word to say in favour of its polioe, who are always ready and willing to help one about. Mr A. J. Sainsbury, of the Auckland Star, came over to visit bifl\aged parents and brothers and sisters at Dorobester. He will visit molt parts of England, Ireland, and the Continent, leaving for New Zealand early in June. Mr J. Gower Chambers, of Wellington, who left by the Waikare, joining the Omrah in Sydney, is returning after an absence of 26 years, and has taken up his residence with his brother, Mr E. J. Ohßinhers, J.P., of the Manor House, Tettenhall. When he landed in New Zealand in 1880 there were no such things as creameries, ooolers, refrigerators, or quick transit. He is here paitly on business, and partly on pleasured He arrived at election time. His brother is an enthusiastic Liberal Unionist, and he assisted btm by making many speeches, at nil of which he gwas very well received, coming direct from the most democratic oountry in the worldnoted for its advanced and experimental legislation. Everyone knew, be says, of "our boys" in South Afrioa, and of the "All Blacks," and he found the name of a New Zealander was an open sesame to every door. Everyone appears anxious to know more of New Zealand, and he is inundated with letters containing all sorts of queries. He is continually ooming amongßt people whose friends or relations he knows in New Zealand, and he will have a big contract on hand when he gels back to redeem his promises to up. Among old friends he has met are Mr Mat Heeles, late of Dunedin and Wellington Woollen Company, with whom he dined; Mr Louis Sobatz and Mrs Sohatz (nee Mies Connie Buttle); Mr Phil Myers, of Wellington; Mr Ross, late of Wellington and Messrs Ross and Glendinning; Mr Campbell, late of Nelson, and now in the Blah Commissioner's Office; and Mr Edwards, travelling for Messrs Strange of Co., of Christohurch. He has visited London, .Birmingham, Mano\ ester, and most of our larße cities. On May 18th he expeots to leave for New Zealand by the Orient steamer Orontes, arriving in Wellington in July.'fcHe thinks English people spend too muoh time on sport and racing meetings to the detriment of business. One peculiarity he notices in our oities Is that people in walkng blunder into each other instead of keeping to their side of the pavement. Oar show places and grand old oastles>nd places of antiquity are magnifioent, but he is sorry to see some repaired with modern bricks and masonry. He Bays he will not be sorry to get back to New Zealand, with its glorious atmosphere and blueskies.