All Sorts of People

Free Lance, Volume III, Issue 111, 16 August 1902, Page 3

All Sorts of People

THE comfortable position of secretary to the Wellington School Commissioners — rendered vacant so suddenly bv the death of Mr. Nat Tone — has fallen to Mr. J. H. W. Wardrop, who was chosen from among well-night a couple of hundred applicants. Mi. Wardrop has had experience which well equips him for his promotion, for he was for some fourteen years on the staff of the Wellington District Land Office. The people of Karaka and Worser Bay will be particularly delighted to hear of Mr. Wardrop's good fortune, for during several years' residence in, those salubrious sea-side resorts, Mr. and Mrs. TV. were the promoters of much of the sociable spirit which permeated the bays named, and organised not a few of the dances of the district during the wmtei seasons. Mr. Wardrop is the son of Professor Wardrop, D.D. (Edinburgh University), one of the professors of theology in the Edinburgh United Free Church College. Wardrop pere was for many years pastor of the U.P. Church at West Calder (Midlothian). It was whilst he was in charge of this church that there came to him, m 1887, a student assistant named William Shirer. In the following year that student received a "call" to St. James's Church, Wellington, New Zealand, and the Rev. Wm. Shirer has been in charge of that church ever since. It is remarkable that when he took charge at Newtown he found that one of the members of his congregation was the son of his past-oral head. Wardrop fils is still a pillar of St. James's Church, and, like the Village Blacksmith, "he sings on Sunday m the choir." Many of the people in the crowd at the Basin Reserve on Coronation Day took Welhngtonians back with a rush to the days when Wellington was a collection of huts poking up out of the mud of Port Nicholson. There was Stanton Workman, hale and hearty, who arrived in Wellington in the ship William Stowell in 1834, after a nine and a-half months' battle with raging seas and salt pork , D. Philps, a "Bentinck" passenger of 1841 , G Tattle, who pitched camp m the same year , and another 1841 emigrant of the ship "Tyne" was H. Sanson. Old "Tom" Whitehouse a youthful arrival of the same year was a lively partaker in the ]ov of the occasion. Mr A. Curtis was there, telling the juveniles of his adventures in New Zealand in 1840, and Mr. J H. Houghton, who was an "Aurora" passenger in that long-gone-by year, had a yarn to spin of scurvy mutiny and Maoris There also was Mr E Tonks, a "Birman" passenger of 1842 Among the nativeboin we noticed Mrs. W. E. Harvey who saw the light in Wellington in 1842 and Mr. Thos. P. Allen, a sturdy veteian who first paddled in Port Nicholsons brine in 1845, and who is a native of the windy capital. Probably, there were many others whose names were familiar fifty years ago, but it was certainly very striking that so many old identities all of whom appeared to be in the best of health and strength, should be congregated to do honour to H-p Kmg who was but a boy when they decided to carve their fortunes out in the cannibal islands of New Zealand in the dim but not forgotten, days of the early Forties.

Mr. DiLuot Sladden, who was teted by the staffs of the Wellington Meat Export Company, at the Ngahauranga wwks last week, pnor to his depaituie to spend a holiday at Home and abroad ha& been a tower of strength to the W.M.E. Company. The company winch Mr Sladden controls was organised as the result of a meeting of fanners in tho Waiirarapa m 1891, Mr. W C Buchanan — who is stall chairman of directois — being the prime mover m the movement Under Mr Sladden's guidance, the company has gone on tow ards greatei prosperity year bv year, until even he has been at times troubled when he has had under conisi deration the problem of the site for the further extension of buildings. The large group of buildings used bv the W.M.E. , at Ngahauranga, has the appearance of a fair-sized village, and well might Mr. Sladden exclaim, as he looks upon that hive of industry "All my work'" *•■**■ Mr. J. W. Copithorne, whose familiar figure is no more to be seen u^>on Queen's Wharf, or about the Harbour Board's offices — having knocked off w r ork to labour more congenially and enthusiastically on tihe repairing of brok-en-down and broken-up musical instruments — has been, and still is, an enthusiastic member of the Wesley Orchestra. For eierhteen years he toiled, (pushing hi® pen upon the wharf, but his heart was always with the musical instruments. Now, whilst still in his prime he drops the scratching pen for the windy reed. That his fellow workers in the employ of the Harbour Board thought well of him was proved bv the handsome presentation made to him the other day. - The latest of the many conferences which have been held in Wellington was that of delegates of the Employers' Associations of New Zealand. This Conference, which was held last week, was the first of the kind held either in this or any other of the colonies. The masters to-day, now that they have organised a Federation of Employers, are astonished that they have been so slow in recognising the unity which is strength, seeing that the Trades Council have been holding their annual conferences for the past decade. The Employers' Association had ite birth in Christ church, which was probably one of the reasons which prompted the Conference held last week to elect the president of the Canterbury Association (Mr G. T. Booth) as the first president of the Federation. * * •» Mr. Booth is head of that enterprising and influential Canterbury firm of agricultural implement manufacturers, Booth, McDonald, and Co. And he is a. proof of the assertion that not all the orators of the colony are to be found in Parliament. Tall, and rather sparely built, his clean-shaven and smiling face gives him an almost boyish appearance It is the face of an exceedingly keen man of business, and Mr. Booth gave ample evidence at the Conference that he was not a timewaster. At the complimentary banquet, given bv the Wellington Association to the visitors', on Friday night, Mr Booth was called upon to respond to the toast of the new Federation. His speech was short and crisp, and amply testified to the wisdom of the Conference in its selection, of Mr. Booth as president. He is a man who believes in m,odern methods and has broad views Under his guidance the Federation should achieve much of the woik it has set out to do. * ♦ • The president of the Wellington Association (Mr. J. Hutchen) occupied the chair when the Conference opened. His speech was one of the briefest on record but Mr. Hutohen is anything but a man of words. He is wont to declare that the business of Stewart and Co.. of which he is the head, was not built up

upon words. Mr. Hutchen has not practised speech-making In Messrs. W. Gable (ironfounder), A. Veitch ( draper N and T. Wairdell (grocer). Wellington had other delegates who are acute thinkers, rather than users of many words But its delegation included 'Willie" Tustm, whose loquacity made moire than amends for the dearth of \a ords of the others ; and Mr. H. Field, also, who is "no mean hand with the tongue," as his Conciliation Board colleague, Andrew Collins, would put it. •V *■ * The Corifeience was also attended bv the secretaries of the Associations of the four centres. The Auckland Clrnsitchuroh and Dunedin Associations have secretaries whose time is wholly occupied in the business of their Associations. In Wellington, Mr. P. Levi (a law yer) is called upon to devote only a portion of his tirie to the business of the Association. In Mr. H. Broadhead, the Canterbury Association has an able secretary, who is up-to-date, even to the qualification of being an expert. short>-han<l writer. # * *- Mr. J. M. E. Garrow, the Dunedin secretary, is also a man with a great capacity for work, and had done much work for members of Garrow, the Dunedin secretary, is also a man with a great capacity for work, and had done much work for members of his Association in conducting cases before the Conciliation Board and Arbitral tion Court. Mr. J. H. Templar, the Auckland secretary, was brought up in the banking business, and had risen to the position of branch manager in the Auckland district. He possesses a keen mind, a sharp pen, and a ready and smart wit. Wellington's secretary (Mr. Levi) follows the- soft seductions of music, being: no mean manipulator of the piano, and an enthusiastic secretary of our Amateur Operatic Society. V- * •*■ There were several notable merchants attending the Employers' Conference as delegates. From the Queen City of the North came the president of its Association, Mr. J. C. Maoky, the head of a prosperous soft goods firm , Mr. David Goidie, who wasi at one time well-known in Wellington by means of his annual visits 1 to the Talking Shop as M.H.R. for Auckland , Mr. Clark, head ot the Auckland- Wellington clothing manufacturing firm, of Archibald Clark and Co. , and George Fowlds, clothier and parliamentarian. The Dunedin contingent included its Association's president, Mr. Keith Ramsay, who paid but a flying visit to the capital city. Mr. Ramsay is one of the best-known of Dunedinites, and it is hard to say in which direction his influence is not felt . Mr. J. McGregor, another Dunedin delegate, was also attending the conference of the colony's ironmasters, who sat here last week. Mr. McGregor is president of the Ironfounders' Association. Mr. W. Scott, another ironmaster, and who is vice president of the Dunedin Employers' Association was also present « * * The Canterbury delegation was a very strong one, for besides Mr. Booth and Mr. Broadhead, there were also in attendance Messrs. K. England, F. Wey mouth, and J. A. Frostick. Mr. Weymouth's is the guiding head and hand behind the Canterbury Meat Freezing Company. It will be remembered that he was one of the representatives of freezing and exporting companies which were in conference with the Farmers' Union in Wellington recently. Mr. Frostick is the active head of the Christchurch firm of boot manufacturers, Skelton, Frostick, and Co., and is ex-president of the New Zealand Federated Boot Manufacturers' Association, and of the Canterbury Employers' Association. The Operative Bootmakers' Union found out the great ability of Mr. Frostick when he opposed its representatives on behalf of the manufactur-

ers what tame the boot industry was before the Arbitration Court. * # ■* The memory is stirred on. learning that the Imperial long-service medal had been awarded to Stewart Menzies, who was at one time an enthusiastic, if rugged, member of the Heretaunga Mounted Rifles. It is not to military matters, however, that our memory goes back witih regard to the past history of S. M. It has to do with his connection with what is known in criminal records as the Silverstream murder of some five or six years ago. It may be remembered that two mates (Hawthorne and Philpott) dwelt in tents under the Silverstream range at that time, and both were customers of Menzies, who kept a store thereabouts. * * • In the course of time, Hawthorne disappeared. Mr. Menzies grew suspicious, and conveyed his suspicions to the police. He searched the neighbourhood for days and weeks, and at last found the missing man's body huddled up in a hole away up in the scanty bush on the brow of the hill immediately behind where the Silverstream brickworks are now located. Mr. Menzies is not an over-quiet man in his calmest moods, but he was naturally greatly excited that day when the police and Dr. Cahill exhumed the body of the murdered man. The credit of the discovery was wholly Mr. Menzies'. Philpott was tried, found guilty, and hung for his dastardly deed. Strange that this memory should be revived by the presentation of a military medal! * * * Mr. Joseph Harkness, who last week was re-elected president of the National Dairy Association at the Stratford meeting, was at one time well-known in the colony's public life. It is iust probable that still more will be heard of him, for once the Parliamentary microbe has assailed a subject the germ is. seldom or never eradicated. Mr. Harkness sat in the House something like a decade ago for the Nelson seat. After his defeat, he moved, out of that idistrict, settling in Taranaki, where, ever since, he has taken a keen interest in farming matters. He was one of the pioneers of, and most enthusiastic believer in, the dairy industry. • • » Oolonel Davies, C.8., who came home the other day in command of the troops on the much-discussed Britannic, may be easily described as a military enthusiast.. Ten years ago he joined the Hawera Mounted Rifles as a private, and he has worked himself up by every grade to the high rank he now holds. It will be remembered that "the little colonel" was given a staff appointment as instructor of Mounted Rifles in 1899, with the rank of major, and that he consented to forego his majority to be allowed to take second in command on the First Contingent. His work with the "First" was absolutely thorough, and the men of that corps still swear by him as the best man sent to the front from New Zealand. In 1900, he left the "First" at Pretoria, with Captain Matthews — also a Hawera Mounted Rifleman Privates George Payne and Goble and with ai Cape cart travelled through hostile country to Mafeking where he met the "Fourth," and took command of that regiment. He returned to New Zealand in 1901, and was made C.8., and given command of the Auckland district. * * • Then, they wanted a man for the First New Zealand Brigade, and Colonel Davies refused to take command unless he was allowed to choose his officers, and, this bein^ conceded, he returned to Africa. General lan Hamilton, when he observed the fine work of the New Zealandera in their first drive, was exceedingly complimentary to the Colonel, and gave him command of a column. Colonel Davies is the only

colonial offtcei who has been entrusted with a column, the otliei colonials — GeneiaJ Brabant and Colonel Viclels (W.A ) having pie<viousl;\ beeai Imperial officers. Colonel Da vies had pieviously taken command of Colonel de Lisle's column for a few weeks, while that smart officer was in hospital. He has been mentioned three times m despatches, has been on active service longei than any other colonial officei and he is a bit sorry it is all over. * * * The little Colonel" was one time a suivevor, amd, although an Englishman, came to the colony at the age of seventeen. Colonel Davies laughingly says, in relation to the Britannic "bother," that he knows something of the influence of the press in this as in other matters. H)s father was one time editoi of the London Daily News," his uncle, Roger Acton piesnded ovei the destinies of the Illustrated London News" Henry Acton, another uncle, was editor of the "Manchester Guardian," and Richard Hutton, the godfathei fiom whom lie takes one of his Christian names, is proprietor of the London "Spectator." He is very proud of his brigade, as it contained fifty officers and two hundred men who had previously seen service, and he is rather disappointed that, they had not the opportunity of distinguishing themselves to the same exent that other Contingents have done. He says he hopes to be a soldier to tihe end of his life, and his hardy frame, keen bold eye, and mahogany complexion tell you at once that he is as fit and well as he was when in October, 1900 he was rather afraid the First would be too late for the fight ' Perhaps CV.onel Collins and Lieutenant Hisilop were the proudest men on the Basm Reserve on Saturday, when the Governor handed them the handsome Imperial insignia and wan-ant of the V.D. (volunteers' decoration). Thus were both the navy and the army honoured in the sight of the great gathering. Lieut. -Commander A. R. Hislop is an Otagan. and Lieut.-Colonel Collins is a Tarana,kian, so that both Islands were equally honoured. Mr. Huslop started his volunteeiing in his boyhood as a cadet m 1866 — • away back m days when the cadet was a great deal more honoured and encouraged than he is to-day. He became, whilst still a lad, Cantain of Richardson's Fusiliers — a corps of High School artillery cadets, named after the Hon Colonel Richardson. M.L.C. On coming to Wellington, Mr. Hislop infused new life into the naval movement, and was one of the officers who promoted the Petone Navals. Mr. Hislop was in hie first -"ears in Wellington the occupant of a watchmaker's and jeweller's shop , in his latter days he has been the popular and energetic secretary of the Institute of Marine Engineers, and agent for several] manufacturers. * ■* •* The person who knows not Colonel Collins, V.D.. knows not even the town clock. It would be hard to say exactly when lie first put a uniform on, and he himself has a lively recollection of the warlike times of Taranaki. He has always had a great enthusiasm for the volunteer movement, and has worked ■himself right up from the ranks to the permanent rank of Lieutenant-Colonel He started his Wellington experience with, one star on hols shoulder after ten yefairs as a private and non-commission-ed officer in TaranaM. His original corps here was the City Rifles, and he has always had a warm place in his heart for the corps, though the attainment of his majority took him from its captaincy in 1896.

Although second in command m the Tieasury Department — which means that he 1&1 a busy officer m a busy Department — Colonel Collins finds time and mclinaition to do lots of work for the New Zealand Rifle Association, of the executive^oi which he has been a member since 1879, plus treasurer and statistical officer of the Association (since 1886) He is also a member of the Central Board of Examiners of Volunteer Officers, and president of the Wellington Board of Examiners. Certainly, a, busy man, and popular with a!, is Colonel Collins. Torn Lynch, the wharf labourer, who wrote an interesting lettei to Saturday's "Post," descriptive of his experiences in a New York and the Wellington Hospital — saying all that was bad of the Yankee system, and all that was good of his treatment under Dr. Ewarts method — is a man w hose opinion is considered of some value along the waterside. Tom has been an active member of the Wharf Labourers' Union, and has represented that body on the Trades Council — to the edification of some and the pin-pricking sensation of others. To the minds of some delegates, Tom Lynch's criticisms are as painfully free as that law to which his name is applied in the- States and a spice is given to the bitterness- of Ins tongue by a drawl acquired during a sojourn in United States, America Tom has not hesitated to call some of the Trades Hall delegates "time wasters," and they equally freely retorted that he >was "a. crank — a singleth.ough.ted single-tax er." For he is the leader of the single-tax advocates of the Wharf Labourers' Union, and it is whispered that it was Tom Lynch who led the agitation which has resulted in the secession of his Union from the Trades Council. He does not think much of many institutions in New Zealand, but he hasi given his word in writing that he thinks "a deal" of our Hospital. * « • Mr. John, Newton, the Wellington merchant who manufactures his wares at smellsome Kaiwarra, is the head of a family of well-known amateur entertainers, and the "braw (and broad)

Scot" is himself no mean entertainer. He is a much-travelled man, and can crack a joke wi the best o' folks who gather m the Commercial Travellers' Club. J. N. is proud of the topical coronation fact that he was bom in the same week in which Queen Victoria was crowned. Therefore, the genial Scot is three score years and five — a lot of yeans 1 older thon he really looks ■* * * Volunteers throughout the colony will hear with pleased feelings the announcement that our Defence Department has secured the services of "The Dandy Seven" drill instructors for another term of two years. The "Dandies" aie Tommies all, and are made free of every camp in the colon}'. Sergt. W. Sanderson belongs to< the second battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment Sergt. Peacock is of the second batta^ lion of the Staffordshires , Colour-Ser^t. Oheator is numbered 1309 in the Manchester Regiment , Colour-Sergt. Farthmg belones to the Shropshire Li^ht Infantry Colour-Sergt. Taylor is an Englishman who was wont to parade in the colours of the Scottish Rifles , Sergt. Wm. Knee came away from the second battalion of the Dorsets and Sergt. Mm. Hoar is of the "left half" of the South Hampshire Regiment. These smart graduated Tommies arrived hi the colony what time our First Contingent were in camp at Karori, and all have since done good service in smartening up our infantry corps. * * * "I care not who makes 1 your laws, if onJy you will let me write your hymns '" This old quotation (slightly altered) applies very aptly to the Pastor of Trinity Church, Neiwtown. For, at the coronation service held at St. James's, on Saturday lais/t, two of the four hymns sung were written for the occasion by the Rev. George Bond. There is, we believe, only one other poet-parson in our land, and that is the Rev. D. McKee 1 Wright, of Nelson. It is strange that Mr. Bond should take to hymnwriting, for he has hitherto been known throughout the Wesley an Church as "The Fighting Parson." This name he won during his pastorate at Wanganui, in those days when our first contintingents w r ere being organised.