NEW ZEALANDERS AT HOME.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XVI, Issue XXV, 20 June 1896, Page 729

NEW ZEALANDERS AT HOME.

Mr E. W. PAGE is still busily occupied in London in connection with the business which has brought him to England. He contemplates leaving in about a fortnight's tiuie for a Continental trip, including a visit to his stepdaughter, Miss Reeve, at Frankfort. Mr and Mrs Wilfrid Rathbone, of Auckland, are among the latest arrivals from New Zealand. They expect to visit about Great Britain for some months. At a meeting of the Royal Colonial Institute, Sir Henry Bulwer presiding, Mr Henry R. Willats, late of New Zealand, the Marquis of Tweeddale, and Sir G. W. Des Voeux, formerly Governor of Fiji, were elected Fellows of the Institute. The annual dinner of the Colonial Club, formerly the Australasian Club, took place at the Imperial Institute, the Agent-General for Victoria being President for the occasion. The New Zealanders present were the Hon. W. P. Reeves, Messrs J. Carruthers. R. Hackworth, R. F. Hackworth, G. Jameson, W. Keunaway, C. M. G., E. M., and R. W. Keunaway, C. Wray Palliser, and S. A. Strickland. To the New Zealand Agent-General was allotted the task of replying to the toast of ' Our Friends and Fellow Countrymen in the Colonies.’ Mr Reeves made a capital speech, and created a very favourable impression. Amongst the passengers just arrived in England from this colony are Mr and Mrs Kiddie, Mr and Mrs Robinson, Mr and Mrs Rathbone, Mr and Mrs Thompson, Misses Flemming (two), Nathan, Newcombe, Smith, Spears, Witheford (two), Leys, O. Fitz Gerald, and Stobo ; Messrs Baird, Davidson, Jackson, Massey (two), Rolland, Smith, Wood, Dr. Christie. The following have left London by the s.s. ' Tongariro ’ : Mrs Dornwell, Mrs Oliver, Mrs Borjeson, Misses Dornwell, Oliver, Panter, Reeves, Revs. Hart, Panter, Poole, Messrs Andrews, Gregory, Marsh. Moss, Oliver (two), Panter. Skinner, Stenhouse, Wade, Dr. Mcßearty. Lord Jersey will preside at the next meeting of the Royal Colonial Institute, which will be held on Tuesday

week. It is then that Mr W. P. Reeves is to deliver his illustrated lecture on ‘The Fortunate Isles,’ otherwise the islands of New Zealand.

The latest entries of New Zealand arrivals in the Visitoral Lodger at the Agency-General are Messrs C. G. Andrews and A. S. Woodhouse (Christchurch), S. V. Blake, J. Baillie, A. W. Bethune (Wellington), F. J. Jones (Wanganui), H. Mitchell (Dunedin), F. W. Holden (Wanganui), M. Kennedy (Wellington), J. R. Elliot (Napier), W. C. Hamilton, T. Julian, E. Firohs, all of Christchurch.

Messrs Mackrell and Co., solicitors to the New Zealand Government in London, have given a donation of /To ios. to the Brunner Relief Fund, which now amounts to Z'??? 13s.

The Agent-General has been suffering a good deal from his old enemy sciatica lately, but now seems a good deal better.

Mr E. M. Smith has plenty of visitors to his exhibition of Taranaki minerals and their products in the Consulting Engineer’s room at the New Zealand Agency General, and really does seem likely to succeed in getting English capitalists to go into the business of their development. It is said that he rather astonished the staid citizens a few days ago when the weather was extremely warm, by appearing in the city in a long white dust coat which reached almost to his heels, and below the skirts of which appeared a pair of blue and yellow sand-shoes. This is not the usual attire affected by the highly proper London citizen, and the wearer received the compliment of a great deal of notice as he passed through the streets, but it kept him cool and comfortable. and after all personal comfort is a great thing.

Captain Millward, of the ‘Otaraina,’ is to command the new cargo steamer ‘ Mataura.’ According to the present arrangements, Auckland is to be her first port of call.

Mr James Mills dined at the House of Commons one evening recently as the guest of Mr Denny, M.P.