PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11511, 18 February 1903, Page 8

PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

p. (ihom orn owx ooRREsroxDEXT.) c LONDON, January 9. t From Mr A. W. Horsbrugh I learn tnat B the German Government has offered to j make a trial of the new type of compass j invented by him, and to have it fitted I up on board a German battleship. Mr i Horsbrugh has proposed certain terms, and . I hear that negotiations in the matter are t now proceeding. * It is announced that a marriage has been arranged between Mr Hugh T. Dyke 1 Acland. F.R.C.S., youngest son of Mr J. [ B. A. Acland, of Holmicote, New Zealand, > and Miss Evelyn Mary Ovans, second i daughter of the late Mr J. L. Ovans. of 1 East Sheen, and of Mrs Ovans, of Dorchester. The wedding, 1 hear, will take ■ place in April. According to Mr Sovern, who writes in the current number of the "Popular j Phrenologist," 'Tom Mann, the Labour louder, is endowed with a large organ of 'veneration.'" A London paper think* that this information will "come to many as a surprise." A writer in another paper observes:—"Talking of Australia, I see that Tom Mann has dropped into a 'good thing' there. Since ho helped to obtain the 'Docker's Tanner' Tom has liad a varied career, never sticking to anything long. Years ago he talked of taking Holy Ordeis, but after acting as secretary of the .London Reform Union, he wandered about lecturing and speaking ot labour meetings up and down the country, 'then he 'finally settled' in a publichouse in Long Acre! Tiring of that raulier quickly, he went to America, whence lie drifted to Australia. Now lie has been appointed as a kind of labour propagandist by the principal trades unions of the Commonwealth as a salary of £600 a year. As it is the work he.likes, and the salary is not inconsiderable, he may perhaps once more finally 'squat'—for a year or two!*' It is announced that the Treasury has transmitted to the Colchester Town Council an order upon the Paymaster-General for payment to the Corporation of the sum of £386 10s, being the amount of expenses incurred in obtaining the surrender in NewZealand of the suspected murderer of Alfred Welch. It will be remembered that the man who was arrested was identified as Arthur Blatch by two «_«iL.tester police officers, but when he was brought Home he proved to be Charles Lillywhite. Two women, Mrs Wung Hu, formerly Archer, and Mrs Elizabeth Rash, were responsible for Liilywhite's arrest, but two Colchester policemen who were sent over to New Zealand were also convinced of his identity. When he was brought up at Colchester in June, 1901, however, he proved conclusively that he was in .Tacoina, U.S.A., at the time of the Welch murder, and he had to be handsomely compensated for his wrongful arrest. Referring to Mr Reeves's book, one ot to-day's papers says:—"The publication of Mr W. P. Reeves's book on ' State Experiments in Australia and New Zealand,' has evoked some hostile feeling, if we are to judge from a letfer v which, with name and address, reaches us from Blenheim, in New Zealand. It is as follows, verbatim et literatim: —' You want to be in New Zeland to finde the Bracing Afect Reeves Work has on the country. .It is Bimply a rein of terra. If you have aney one emplayed. I intend to sell my business and leave the country, it is to hot. We get some governet notis by every mail. The country is ruled by servent girls, old age ptnehners, loafers, or swag men, and goverment employes. These and their freinds are sufficient to keep the goverment in power. The man that owns the country is in the minority. It will be a case of defending what you have with a rifel in a fiew years in N.Z., and I enclose one of the lates notices.'" Recent callers at the New/ Zealand Agency General include:—Mr Ralph T. Raynor, Westland; Mr J. H. Chambers, Auckland; Mr Irvine, Christchurch; Air C. Crossley Cox, Auckland; Colonel H. Burton, Auckland; Dr. F. Wallace McKenzie, Wellington; Mr ri. Abbott, Hawke's Bay. By the b.s. Rimutaka last week the Queen's statue for Chris'tchurch was despatched, tlie pedestal having been sent before it in the Turakina. The statue is the work of Mr Williamson, the date "Queen's Sculptor," as he was termed in tlie lifetime of "her late Majesty.