PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXII, Issue X, 5 March 1904, Page 47

PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

(From Our Special Correspondent.)

LONDON, January 22.

An Aucklander has been selected, out of 33 applicants, for the position of director of the Technical College of Wellington. Last Tuesday the selec-

tion committee, consisting of the AgentGeneral, Professor . C. Maclaurin (N.Z.), and Dr. Garnett interviewed the six most likely candidates, and finally chose Mr William S. La Trobe, M.A., assistant demonstrator in the engineering laboratory at Cambridge University. Of Mr La Trobe’s educational career you will have had particulars. Me La Trobe has excellent credentials. Professor J. H. Ewing, whom he has been asi sting at Cambridge, says: “His teaching has been of a thoroughly practical kind, and he is well acustomed to manage large classes successfully. I can speak iu the highest terms of his success and ability as a teacher, of bis appreciation of the practical side of scientie training, his wide knowledge of technical science, his sound judgment and his attractive personality It would, in my opinion, be difficult to find a candidate better fitted for such a post.” Mr l.a Trobe is married, but has no family. The study of art has been his chief recreation since the age of nineteen, when he definitely gave up his previous intention of making it his profession. Mr Charles Wilson, librarian to the New Zealand Parliament, arrived in LojiPdon this week, after an interesting voyage from New Zealand via America. His journey across Canada, being made in the depths of winter, was a pilgrimage through snow and ice; in Winnipeg the temperature was 16 deg. below zero Fahrenheit, and Niagara Falls were transformed into great festoons of ice. . Mr Wilson landed at Plymouth on Monday, lie had a narrow escape from sharing in the terrible disaster at the. Iroquois Theatre in Chicago. While travelling across the Continent by the Canadian-Pacific railway, an acquaintance suggested that the two of them should break the journey at Chicago that evening. “And we can go and see the pantomime,” he added. Mr Wilson fell in with the idea, but eventually they decided that they could not spare the time, and the plan was dropped. The fire occurred at the Iroquois Theatre on the very night on which they had intended to be present. Visitors from N.Z. have not been numerous at the Agency-General this week. The following registered their names:—Mr J. S. Bouskill (Auckland), Mr 11. B. Williamson (Wanganui). Mr Marcus F. Marks (Wellington), and Mr Alex. R. Falconer, M.B. (Dunedin). Mr Marcus F. Marks. “Hansard” supervisor in Wellington, is at present on a visit to this country. He arrived in London last Sunday, having travelled via Suez ami overland from Marseilles. Mr Marks purposes spending about six weeks in the metropolis, visiting Scotland, Ireland and the Continent. He returns to New Zealand before the opening of the next session of Parliament. Miss Elcanore Bush, of Christchurch, who is a pupil of Madame Belle Cole, makes her first appearance as a vocalist and solo pianist on Thursday next at the Steinway Hall, in conjunction witli Madame Flora .Arnold, Mr John Cross and Mr Frank Richardson (vocalists), Mr Sydney Brooks ('eellist), and Mr AL. Davies (tlautist). Mr John Prouse, the Wellington baritone, is also to make a first appearance in London next week, singing at a concert to be given by Madatne Kalliwoda at St James's Hall, under the management of Mr Hugo Gorlitz.

Brave old Admiral Sir Henry Keppel, who lived under five Sovereigns and

weathered his ninety fourth birthday last Jone, brought his adventurous life’s voyage to a close this week. The Grand Oid Man of the Navy was a universal favourite, and his death has called forth the warmest expressions of affection and regret on every hand. Upon Admiral Keppel’s remarkable career I need not dwell, for his celebrity was world wide. Ar hint the King and Queen have lost ®ne of their most valued friends. Only the other day a Loudon illustrated paper published an interesting photograph wheh showed the gallant old sailor arminaini with her Majesty the Queen on bonrd the Royal yacht. The King, the Queen and the German Emperor all sent wreaths for the funeral on Thursday, and accompanying the Queen’s was the touching inscription, written in her own hand: “In loving memory of my beloved little Admiral, the best and bravest of men. From Alexandra. Rest in peace.” Mr Seddon is now the record Premier of the Southern Hemisphere having passed the ten years and six months of Sir John Forrest’s reign in Western Australia. But, as the “Westminster Ga»ette” points out. he will have to remain at the head of affairs in New Zealand for another seven years in order to lower the record of the Northern Hemisphere in this connection. The late Sir John Macdonald was Prime Minister of Canada for the unprecedented period of seventeen years. The present Liberal Premier. Sir Wilfrid Laurier, also seems sei for a long innings.

The Colonial Secretary of State has quite an accumulation of prizes in the form of colonial governorships to bestow just now. and the filling of the vacancies is being looked forward to with unusual interest. That of New Zealand is an important and coveted office, with

abundance of Government House accommodation, £5OOO salary and £2OOO

a year of an allowance for hospitality

Mauritius, a pleasant colony for a Governor, is worth £5OOO a year; and Tasmanian £5500. with easy work and a bracing and pleasant climate. The Singapore post carries a salary of £5OOO, but the work calls for an expert and diplomatic administrator. British North Borneo has pay in dollars to the odd tune of 14,000: while British Honduras, with another class of dollar, finds its Governor 8748 a year. It is not often (says the “Westminster Gazette”) that a Colonial Secretary has such a heavy and varied batch of governorships in his patronage at one time, and Mr Lyttelton will no doubt, be glad when he has arranged them all.