People Talked About

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXX, Issue XIX, 9 May 1903, Page 1266

People Talked About

Chancellor of the Exchequer. The centre of attraction in the House of Commons a few days ago was the Right Hon. C. T. Ritchie, when lie de livered the Financial Statement, which has caused such a feeling of satisfaction throughout the British Empire, and showed the world of what wonderful powers of recuperation the Empire is possessed. • The magnificent surplus

was a surprise to all. Mr Ritchie, who succeeded to the office so honourably held by Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, has been in power since 1902, when the Conservative Ministry was reorganised to meet the altered conditions rendered necessary by the resignation of Lord Salisbury. During the time he lias sat in the House Mr Ritchie has been associated with the introduction of some very important measures. He is essentially a strong man, politically speaking. He carried through the House si me Bills which affected considerably the working classes. He carried through the House the Local Government Act of 1888. the Public Health Act (London), 1891.1 he 11 using of the Poor Act. 19t)0, the Bill for th? better prevention of accidents to railway servants in the same year, and the Factory and Work shops Act of 1901. O O O O O

A Coming Member. Mr Ernest Beckett, another of the younger bloods who are in the combination against the Government on their Army proposals, is a man who ought to be in the Ministry. He has everything in his favour —considerable ability, industry, ambition, huge wealth, and the world-wide experience of the globe-trot-ter. One of the most curious and characteristic things 1 have seen in our topsy-turvy House of Commons had Mr Beckett as its central figure (says T. P. O'Connor in ‘‘M.A.P.”), It was at the time when everybody was concerned about t hina, and the then very fierce, though hidden conflict between the Powers of Europe for John Chinaman’s trade. Mr Beckett did just the right thing for a legislator who had leisure and time —he took a trip out to China, and he came back with knowledge gained on the spot. The afternoon at last came when China was under debate, and Mr Beckett was ready there with his speech containing the results of Ids experiences. He got up a dozen times; a dozen times he failed to catch the Speaker’s eye; and yet lie was practical ly the only man who had anything to say. It looked as if this little speech, which it had taken many thousands of miles of travel and many months of time to prepare, would remain undelivered, for the debate was to -«“t mil, three or four hours, and there were speakers who could have kept it going for a week. At last Mr Beckett did get his chance, and in twenty minutes he delivered a most excellent little speech; but what a narrow shave!

The Governor’s A.DC. Since his arrival in the colony. Lord Northland has acted as A.D.C. to his father, the Governor of this colony. He

is an admirable specimen of the best type of man turned out by English public schools, and his ready courtesy, frank good nature, and entire absence of selfeonseiouness or “side,” have won for him the respect of all who have been brought into contact with him in his official capacity. Lord Northland is tall and well-built, and is athletic in appearance, being a far bigger built man than would be surmised by those who have only seen his portrait.

A Leader* of Society. Of the younger g neration of society leaders in England just at the present time is undoubtedly the charming Duchess of Marlborough, who, like so many of the wives of the British nobility, hails America as her birthplace. She was Miss Consu 'lo Vanderbilt, and the Vanderbilt millions have done much to restore Blenheim to its former glory. The Duchess has just returned to England from the Durbar at Delhi, and her home-coming was hailed with delight in the eircl s in which she is sueh a verv

brilliant figure. It has fallen to her lot to entertain royalty on more than one occasion.

I’he deep sorrow caused among her friends by the death of the late Miss McLeod, for many years infant mistress at the Ponsonby school, was eloquent testimony of the love and respect she wen during her busy and all too short life. The affection which her pupils displayed tor her was remarkable and most unusual, hundreds of Ponsonby children have passed through her hands, and they all look back with feelings of pleasure to the time when they were under her charge. There was always an excellent tone in her classes. She not only imparted knowledge to them, but moulded their characters to a large extent. She was their friend as well as their teacher, and won their love as it has been the lot of few teachers to do. Miss McLeod was wonderfully pcprlsr. and many a morning in Ponsenby road the passer-by might have ob served little groups of school children laden with lesson books waiting at the corner to escort her down to the school. They say that to live in the hearts of those we leave behind us is not to die, and if that be true many a long day must come and go before the memory of Miss McLeod will pass away. The funeral of deceased took place on Tuesday. The high esteem in which the deceased teacher was held was shown by the large attendance at the funeral, and the numerous beautiful wreaths forwarded to her mother’s residence at the top of Shortland-street. The Ponsonby school was closed at noon in order to enable the scholars to pay a last tribute of respect to their former teacher. Mi- Dickenson and his staff of teachers were all present, and many of the younger children were attended by their parents. The girls all wore black bows in token of mourning. The school cadet corps was also in attendance, with the drum covered by crape. The interment took place at the Symonds-street Cemetery. o o o o o

His Holiness. With the lengthening l years the old apprehensions about the health of the Pope have given way to an ever-increasing trustfulness in his longevity. Nor perhaps at any period were notions of abdicating further remote from the Pontiff’s thoughts than now. A decade of years ago, or more, an aged hermit, with a re putation for sanctity, left his mountain solitude in the Abruzzi, and, coming on foot to the Vatican, sought and obtained an audience with the Pope. On entering the room where the white-clad figure of Leo XIII. was seated, the old hermit bowed himself to the ground, and saluted the Father of Catholic Christendom with the words, “Hail! thou who art destined to see the years of Peter.” Leo confided in the saintly old man’s prophecy; and has often since given expression to his assurance that he should be alive to celebrate

the red-letter event of to-day. But a few weeks ago great crowds were filing before tue corpse of a once-power-ful Cardinal, as it lay in state in a vast hall of the Cancelleria Palace at Rome. The form and features had undergone such change through physical and mental anguish as to be almost unrecognisable even to those who knew him well. T.ast but one of the surviving electors of T.eo XIII.. Cardinal Parocchi—for he it was — had already kept the silver jubilee of his own election to the Sacred College. In the prime of manhood he had hastened back after the Conclave of 1878 to his archdiocese of Bologna to announce formally to his flock the newly-elected Pontiff. This he is recorded as having done from his cathedral pulpit in the following terms: “The Cardinals have fixed their choice upon an old man of 67. who has taken to himse'f the name of Leo XTII. He is in very delicate health, and I fear that I shall soon be called upon to undertake another journey to Rome to attend another Conclave.”

Twenty-five years have passed since then; Paroechi is dead; the “delicate” Pope Peeci still lives on. What an irony of events! o o o o o A King- on the Press. “To reflect the state of opinion, and to become the echo of its needs without prejudices, and with serenity of mind enough to sacrifice the secondary end to the common good, is a most beautiful ideal, and one that falls perfectly within the scope of the mission of the Press. I read newspapers with interest and take especial delight in those which, like “Die Woche’ for instance.

keep their readers informed of advances made in science and industry. I think that it is expedient, and even necessary, that the current daily narrative of events in the world which excite public curiosity, and at times anxiety, should be associated with art. which delights as well as instructs, and with science, whose discoveries should be popularised, especially those that affect industry, so that all who need instruction may have what is useful, side by side with what is recreative.” The above prosy remarks are credited in a Spanish paper called “A.B.C.”—somewhat after the style of the English “M.A.P.” —to the boyish King of Spain, who was asked by the editor for his ideas about the modern press. If His Majesty did really give vent to his feel-

ings, as “A.8.C.” says he did. he must approach very nearly John Morley’s definition of a prig—“Small animals overfed for their size.” He is a sayer “of undoubted things in such a solemn way” that one feels almost convinced that, whether consciously or no, he is a disciple of the Kaiser —that most commanding figure in the coterie of European royalties. And it makes one

quite convinced that the clever young Royalty must be a bit trying in the days of his youth. o o o o o

An Enlightened N«gro Even the most bitter enemies of the negro race in America admit that Dr. Booker T. Washington is a remarkable man. in spite of his colour, and that his endeavours to elevate his compatriots, in order that they may occupy an honourable place in society are sincere ami worthy of praise and commendation. Mr Andrew Carnegie, the millionaire, is the latest man to show his approval of Dr. Washington’s aims, by making a substantial donation to the institute started by this remarkable man. Mr Carnegie thinks Washington’s plan is the only solution of the negro race problem, and Washington’s opinion is that the colour problem would best be solved by the negro so weaving himself into the industrial interests of America that his worth and necessity would be recognised, and that there would be a demand for what he educates and trains himself to produce, especially if that output be the best procurable. Booker T. Washington has been called the Apostle of Humble Labour. He is possessed of the magnetic gift of eloquence, and uses it to draw his people into the right path. “The humbler trades and the employment of the skilled artisan are our fields of industry, and they mean to us the life blood of our race. If they seem too humble, let us dignify them by giving our best to them and doing them as no other race can.’’ This is an excerpt from one of Washington’s recent ad dresses to a coloured audience, and embodies the germ of his teaching.