People We Hear About

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVI, Issue 9, 5 March 1908, Page 28

People We Hear About

Fourteen Catholics were returned' at- the- recent general elections in Queensland.-' There were sixteen in the last Parliament). George Horace Lorimer, author of the _' Letters of a Self-mad* Merchant to His Son,' began life as a mes-sage-boy in Armour's pork-packing works. "The Kirns of Italy spends three hours in his study every day reading past and current literature. -He is a groat admirer of the works of English authors. Viscount Llandaff has just entered on his 83rd year. As Mr. Henry Matthews, he _ sat in the House of Commons for Dungarvan as a Liberal-Conservative, and. afterwards as Unionist representative of East Birmingham. In Lord Salisbury's second administration he held Cabinet office as Home Secretary, t Every year the Empress Eugenic receives Sir Thomas Lipton a|t her villa at Cap Martin, and' hasi made many cruises on the ' Erin.' Sir Thomas had always been telling her that, though the Rhiera js beautiful and Italy fascinating, there is no, place in the world where nature is seen to such advantage in all its aspects as Cey/on. Hence her trip. Sir Thomas Lipton went out to Ceylon ahead of the Empress to make all arrangements for her comfort. After a recital which he gave in the Queen's Hall, London, PaderewsH had the satisfaction of learning! that his net profit for the afternoon's work was over £10U0. And yet seventeen years ago, so few were Paderewski's admireis in England that the money obtained from the sale of tickets for his first concert at the St. James's Hall only amounted to £5. Aff one time Paderowski lived in Paris in a condition of extreme poverty. But t'hfc turning point in Ms career came when a foreign princess engaged him' for a private performance afc <a fee of lOOfr. There was 1 a lashionable audience, and Patlerewski played his best. His efforts were successful ana the congratulatory remarks of some members of the audience were crowned 'by the princess's reqpest that he should use her carriage to ride home in. But if Paderewski was poor he was proud. ' Madam,' he said, 'my carriage is at the door.' Seizing *a.n oDportunity, he slipped out by another door and walked home. The new Premier of Belgium, M. Schollaert, is a native of Louvain, where he was born in 1851. He began his political career as a Provincial Councillor for Brabant. In 1888 he was elected a deputy, and< seven years afterwards he obtained a portfolio as Minister of. the inferior and of Public Instruction in -the first Cabinet of Smet de hayer. He retained the post in the Cabinet of Vamdenpeereboom. When the Minister fell through having opposed the agitation for proportional representation, M. Schollafcrfc was elected Vice-President of the Chamber »if Deputies and then President. His firmness on certain .questions drew from the .Socialists ihb accusation of partiality, but no man knows better than M. Sohollaert how to take different shades oE opinion into account. His services in maintaining harmony amongst the varioas fractions of the Parliamentary Right hx\e been invaluable to his party. It is fairly certain that if he does not disarm the opposition of the Radic, Is and Socialists to the annexation of the Congo, he vail bring back the dissident group on the Right to the Ministerial majority. It has been estimated that no -fewer than 100 titled ladies are to-day making very good livings out of running small businesses of various kinds. Many noblemen are actively engaged in business. Lord Londonderry is a large coal dealer. Lord Harrington raises some of the finest fruit in the world, and is often to be seen in his fruit store at" Charing Cross. Another famous frudt tradesman from the r a nl<s of the nobility is the Marquis, of Bute. He owns the only vineyard in England, and raises grapes which have no rival. •He makes an enormous profit each year from his vineyard. Lord Iveagh and his brother, Lord^Ardrlaun, are the head of the famous Guinness' stout trade. Another peer in the beer trade is "Sir Arthur -Bass, created Baoron Burton in 1881. Lord Ashton has an enormous caxpet factory at Parkfield, Lancaster. Lord Masham owns the Manninj;haan plush mills* one of the largest businesses of this ' land in the world. Lord de' la Warr— whose family goes back to Barcn de la Warr in 1209-is the actu a l proprietor of an hotel at Boxhill-on-Sea. Lord Armstrong is a makr-r of Hg guns ; Lord G-lenesk runs the ' Morning Post ' ; Lord Wolverton is in the ti'nplate business ; Lords Farqiwhar and Revelstoke are in the 'banking business.