NEWS BY MAIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 January 1925, Page 1

NEWS BY MAIL.

BRITISH MOTOR-CYCLES. LONDON, November 5. Among the biggest foreign buyers of British motor-evcles at the cycle and motor-cycle exhibition at Olympia, Kensington. AY., have boon the Germans. Agents for German dealers, accompanied by interpreters, were yesterday giving orders for batches of TOO machines at a time. Their explanation was that the motor-cycle is making great headway in their own country because few people can now afford ears. A more probable reason is that the Germans have never yet made a really reliable motor-cycle, and have come over here knowing that our machines are the best. Foreign orders generally have been or. a. bigger scale than at any previous show and British makers are looking forward to a record year’s export trade. Orders have been received from Fi ance, Belgium. Italy, Holland, Hungary, and Czeeho-Slovakin. The reduction in price has already led to an increased business in the homo market, and a number of exhibitors have bad to telegraph to the factories to expedite and increase production. One firm showing a new inexpensive general utility machine has already received orders for 0,000. GABRTEL Fal‘RE. LONDON, November 5. The death took place in Paris yesterday at the age of 70 of Gabriel Enure, the “grand old man’’ of French music. ■Hi.s larger works are not much known and are little appreciated in. England, but be was the most esteemed of French song-writers hero, and the. tenderness, the refinement, and melodious charm of scores of his songs won him the name, the “French Schumann.” Entire was for a time Principal of the Paris Conservatory (appointed-in 1005. resigned in 1919). His pupils included Ravel. Among his larger works are an opera, “l’enolope”, and a Requiem. His host known chamber-work is tho piano Quartet in G minor. His songs are a treasury of delicate and affecting things. They arc not strong and not powerfully original music. They arc often redolent of the drawing-room. But the beautiful finish of the writing, tho faultless taste, and the feminine grace of them will ensure their long survival. The cycle “La Bonne Chanson” (text liy Yerlainc) represents Faurc at hi.s liest. DISMISSED BY A QUEEN. I SUVA, November 5. Away hack in 1885 King George I. decided that Tonga should have a Church of its own. He established the Tongnn Free Church and appointed the Rev. Mr AVntkin as its first president for life. For some reason or other his granddaughter Queen Salotte desires her little church amalgamated with the Wesleyan Church, which has had a mission in Tonga for more tint half a century. She was advised that her first step should be to remove Air AYntkin, who, at 8t) years, was still a very active president of the Free Church. *- A conference was held, at which, owing to the attitude of the Queen. Mr AYntkin and the representatives of the AA'ee Frees left and 10 representatives of the amalgamating party decided that the two churches should join, I hen Mr AYatkiu was asked by the Queen to lefiign. Jsut the Queen did not receive Hie coveted resignation, so the royal secretary wrote him a letter of quite a different tone. It said that as Air AYatkiu refused to do as lis was asked, tbe Queen as “ heart of the Church” would herself attend, the conference and see tlia.t, it ratified the agreement arrived at by the “ noble IC.” At the conference the Queen immediately announced that Air AAaikin had been dismissed from office, but could remain at the meeting. Mr AYatkin, accompanied by his church offieeis, walked out of the church, in hi.s absence the agreement was ratified.