The Free Lance

Free Lance, Volume III, Issue 128, 13 December 1902, Page 3

The Free Lance

MR. J A. Phminer, the newly-elect-ed president of the Wellington Liedertafel, is well known un the business, as well as m the musical circles, of Wellington. A son of one of the "Fathers" of the Empire City, Mr. Pkmmer lias crown up with Wellington, and tlhere is scarce an old identity w ith whom he is not familiar. He is aJso Gooaiected with, many of the financial and commercial institutions of the city. He is a director of the "New Zealand Tunes" Company, and recently took his father's seat on the directorate of the Manawatu Railway Company Mr Plimmer lias been an active member of the the Liedertafel since that musical society's inception, and has raised his tenor at all that body's concerts with great enjoyment, for he is an enthusiastic Liedertafelist. * * * The executive of the New Zealand Alliance for the Suppression of the Liquor Traffic is composed of gentlemen whose names axe unknown to the many thousands of people who "struck out the top line," and yet that executive achieved the greatest victory secured by any party since the Ballaiice Party's surprise in 1890. The bestknown member of the executive is the Rev. Frank W. Isitt, who succeeded another clergyman, (the Rev. Edward Walker) as secretary of the Alliance some years ago. Mr. Isitt is the brother of the "great" L. M. 1., who seems to have permanently taken up lecturing work for the Alliance of Great Britain. L. M. I. is at home on the platform , F. W. I. is an able organiser, with the office as his workshop. Working together, the two Isitts would be capable of great things, and the combination may "happen along" three years hen.ee if "the trade" does not mend its ways « ♦ • The secretary of the Alliance' has dome an immense amount of work in organising the no-hoense campaign during, nearly the whole of the present year. The Alliance bad something li.kft twenty-nine lecturers and active propagandists distributed throughout the colony, and their programme was largely shaped bv Mr. Isitt, and their movements directed by him. Besides this organising work, he was a frequent public speaker, and did a great deal of pulmt work He found a very able and enthusiastic assistant in Miss Isitt, and neither father nor daughter spared themselves in their work for the Alliance. Both also had a large hand in compiling the contents of the "Prohibitionist," the weekly oro-an of the Alliance, published in Ohristohureh. » * * Another member of the executive of the Alliance who did not spare himself was the Rev. J. Dawson, the chairman. Mr. Dawson is consistent and enthusiastic in all' he undertakes, and his congregation of the Webb-street Primitive Methodist Church recognise his ability by keeping him on the Wellington circuit. He has just been induced to stay on the Wellington station for yet another year — about the eighth or ninth consecutive year so that he must be putting up a record for a Primitive Methodist pastor. Mr. Dawson was continually on active service during the last months: of the no-license campaign, and finished up by becoming speechless for want of voice. When his voice gave out he put in time in the office

Dunns the re-count of the Nevvtow n local option poll at the end of last « eek Mr. Dwwson acted as poll-clerk to Mr. A. R. Atkinson, and he was the Alliance's representative at the official sorutmv of the same poll * ' * The "Fighting Parson" (Rev. George Bond), and his 'Fneaid Thomas," two clergymen who are. deservedly popular in South Wellington, are also to be reckoned among the fighting leaders of the Alliance Executive. The Rev. W. J. Elliott, pastor of the Thorndon Wesleyan Church, was another energetic member of the executive. He did a great deal of platform work for the Alliance in telling electors about, the Clutha, as he had seen that much-dis-cussed district what time he was a pastor down there. Councillor Evans, of the Forward Movement, helped also to guide the affairs of the Alliance with his keen intellect. Other men who sat at the council board included ; Mr. Arthur Hobv the dentist, who is the guide of the young men of the Vivianstreet Baptist Church . Mr. Helyer, the stone-mason whose friends oa.ll him. "a great barraoker for Prohibirtion" ; and Mr. Niool, the plumber brother of Councillor Nicol, of the Melrose Borough Council, who has lone; been an active member of the Alliance. These are some of the men who ha.ye reason to be nroud of the result of the campaign to which they sacrificed so much of their time and convenience. Miss Phoebe Myers has been Home for nine months, and her friends exnect her to assume the role of a Baedeker's guide or become an animated Bradshaw. Miss Myers has coronated in London, craned her neck to "cricking" point at the "old mastersi" in Italy has been the prey of the hordes of onelegged beggars in Italy, and the fare of the "ritchska wallah" in Colombo. Lots of people have done these things, more or less, have looked at Vesuvius when he is blowing-off at night, and have paid tern times 1 the price for Birmingham commodities on foreign shores at the instigation of black or coffee-coloured natives No two people are impressed alike and Miss Myers is only one person. * # * Miss Myers, thinks that one of the Most striking and picturesque places en route to the Old Country is Colombo. The red, clean roads (clean roads appeal to a Wellingtonian'), the electric cars of to-day running in commetition with the methods of a thousand years ago, the fairy-like tropical vegetation of the Ceylon capital, and its combination of ancient glories and modern conveniences, strike a New Zealander, who has very little other than modern inconveniences to gauge the great world by. Miss Myers went to Mount Lavinia where our fellow subjects, the Boers, were holding holiday, pending- Mr. Seddon's adjustment of the South African difficulty". She sava that there was nothing remarkable about the Dutchmen, except that they were doing absolutely nothin" Shp, therefore, saw them in their native and normal prewar condition. Miss Myers saw the Coronation, procession from the colonial stand, but she is not thirsting to tell us what several millions other people saw, about a little affair that had been torn to rags long ago. She says people in London are beginning to know where New Zealand is, although she laughs merrily when we ask, in an awed voice, if it is really true that the nobility of England and the people are boring New Zealainders with questions about this marvellous land. She says that, from an English aristocrat's standpoint. New Zealand has absolutely no attractions, and that only when the colonies cease to take themselves =enouslv and po in for the Continental style of catering

foi the people's amusement, will the countiry (from the same standpoint) be fit to live in. Miss Myeirs, who is interested in education went to Girt on, while at Home, and lunched at that awfully blue seat of learning for ladies. She attended the intercessory service for the King at St. Paul's., and was impressed with tihe spectacle. Funny thing you must have a spectiaiole to intercede with, is it not? But this is a colonial interjection, and should not be read. She attended at Cambridge when several Indian princes gorgeous with jewels, were receiving their degrees. It is computed that the jewels worn by those non -qualified Ms. A and LLs.D. would bu,v ud Miramax, or pay for Wellington dock. » ♦ • In travelling on the Continent, it is as well for the New Zealander (who is generally mistaken fox an. American) to take his brains with him. Once let it become known that you come from the little land of the big blow, and they will ask you questions ranging from an inquiry as to the depth of the Waimangu Geyser to the height of tihe colonial estimate of one's self. Talking about Yanks, Miss Myers travelled with an American sculptor and his wife in a railway train at Rome. The Yankee was a tryine individual. He wanted to know if there' was amy educational system in this country. Miss Myers said res, and said tihere was a general franchise. The Yank laughed, and treated the business as a big joke. He didn't believe in education as a general thing. * ♦ » Too much education, in fact. He thought that only one of the sexes should be educated — it would siav.e a lot of trouble. Eis wife searched hi® artistic countenance with a cold, grey eye,, and, in. the words of this colony, "went for him bald-heaided." She wanted to ltnow where he wouJd have been had she, his educated wife, been ac ignorant of the German language as he was during a six-weeks' bout of illness in Frankfort (the haunt of tihe sausage), during which fine the only word he knew that sounded like English was "bier." Her education had saved him from a bier in another sense. The fineet building in the world? Well, the neiw law courts, at Brussels, are siaid to beat the Newtown Library with a bit to spare. It has taken 15,000 men fifteen years to build the place, and now it is finished they are looking for law enough to fill it. Sixtvtwo cleaners are, forever burnishing the inside, of that building, but, as they do not get much money, it would not matter if tihere were seventy. There are 365 churches in Rome, and they are always open. You can stroll in and pray, and come out again and drmk wine until you are sufficiently sinful to stroll in again. Women work in the fields, and so do the broad-backed sons of the Sunny South — when they feel tared of church and the house with the vine branch hanging outside. Nobody gets drunk on the Continent. This is w*- so many Europeans emigrate, to the colonies. You are worshipped on the Continent, if you are a New Zealander, and have money. If you are not a New Zealander the worship is still there roviding the coin is good. Miss M-ers frankly says that the New Zealander at Home, and. at home, is sufficiently imbued with the idea of his own importance and place among the people of the world. He is not modest, and it is only when he travels, and sees for himself what very small potatoes this country is. that he will admit that it takes more than weatherboards and wind to make a country.

Misg Guise, a New Zealand schoolteacher, who went to Africa to teach the little Boers to love their dear kind English benefactors, is "pleasantly situated" according to a Canterbury paper, at Waiberval Boven. People nave not always been pleasantly situated at that delightful spot. The name of Waterval appealed to the Boers during the war as a proper place to situate Tommies who had fallen into their hands, and some hundreds of them were regaled at Waterval Boren for some months on "mealie pap." It is freezingly cold at Waterval Bovem, and these Tommies had no blankets, beoause their oaptors could not get them. Also, they could not get food, as the Britlisih wanted it all. Waterval Onder and Waterval (plain) were also snots where the Tommy was more or less pleasantly situated. Five thousand of him were located at tihe latter place for many moons. "It's eramd to be a girl sometimes," as San Toy says. * • * Miramax Limited sprang a surprise on the city last week with its proposal re a fifty-acre park in the Valley of Content. Citizens had not ceased railing at the loss of tihe estate, dospite the fact that they had had tihe chance to acquire it, and refused ; so thait when 1 Miramair Limited came out with its litSble offer the public began, to think that it was not a case of "Lost Miramair" after all. The enterprising provisional directors who have made the tempting proposal are all well-known in tihe city, and Mr. Chase Morris's knickers are not the least conspicuous part of the syndicate. * • # At the time of writing Miramar Limited consists of Messrs. Thos. Wardell, 0. H. Treadwell, M. Myers, Chase Morris, and Dr. Faulke. It will be seen that the professional element is very strong in tne composition of the enterprising directorate. The law is represented by Messrs. Myers and Treadwedl, medicine by Br. Faulke, and life assurance by Mr. Morris. Trade has representation in Mr. Wardell, head 1 of the flourishing firm of Wardell Bros. Mr. Myers is a rising young lawyer — in fact, it may be said that he has risen, or, as the French have it. he has "arrived," seeing that he is the junior member of the firm of Bell, Gully, Bell, and Myers, one of the oldest of Wellington's legal firms. ' Mr. Treadwell is a partner in another oldestablished firm (Stafford and Treadwell), which, at one time, had the late Sir Patrick Buckle" M.L.C. (AttorneyGeneral in two Ministries), as a member. * • » The Board of Benevolent Trustees particularly, and the cause of economy in the administration of charitable aid generally, have suffered by the rejection of Mr. George Webb and Mrs. E. F. Allan. Mr. Webb, who has for yeara carried, on a large and successful «toeery business, devoted a great deal of attention to the detail work in connection with the rations department of the Trustees' work. In fact, it was owing to the presence of a practical grocer on the Board that prompted Mr. W. A. Evans to bring down his reorganisation scheme, which resulted in the Trustees establishing their own ration der>artment. Under the old system, the Trustees annually let contracts for the supply of bread, groceries, etc., and orders upon the contractors were given to recipients of aid. • • The organising of its 1 own grocery department helped largely in a more economical conduct of their affairs by the Trustees. Mr. Webb was as enthusiastic in seeing that the store was properly run as though he was scoring off a rival tradesman. Mrs. Allan was also* a very faithful Trustee, and, during her twelve months' occupancy of a chair at the meetings, faithfully carried

out her duties. And she also did a great deal of visiting among the indigent, acquiring knowledge of our Submerged Tenth which proved valuable at the weekly deliberations of the Trustees. Yet, all the practical knowledge of Mr. Webb, and the experience acquired by Mrs. Allan, hare been rejected without apparent consideration ot the value of expert advice- and of experience- " • . • • Why these changes? It would appear that the local bodies which contribute to the up-keep of the city's charitable aid have suddenly decided that they shlrald be represented by, their\own members rather than by nooih members, who were prepared to sacrifice time and service. So, Mrs. Allan, and Messrs. Webb and Sample, were replaced at the annual meeting last Monday by Messrs. 11. B. Williamsi 'Mayor of Onslow), Councillor Bould (Hut* County Council), and Councillor James Reid (Melrose Borough Council). * * • Archdeacon - Haidley , who, , . by > the way, has given his name to am Adelaide main sta-eet, and and also to a flourishing township, is a real old-fashioned bush cleric. Recently, he "told .his hearfers of tihe establishment of his first little church in the Kelly country to jwhioh "the people used to bring their own pews" — which were shingles, with augur holes bored at the corners, into which sections of saplings were thrust. The reading desk was made of a sapling and a piece of quartering, the latter covered with freshly-stripped bark. "And," said the Archdeacon, "when a lady from Melbourne came to ohurdh ,one day, and brought a red-covered cushion with her. those Puritans of the VUb were very much disturbed, and .wondered in, their inner hearts whether they wer& not becoming too Hich Church!" We are still more civilised in Wellington. Ladies have been noticed to absent-mindedly produce a "yellow-baok" when the hymn has been given out. Misfortunes never coin© singly. This Mr. Jesse Piper, who contested the Nelson seat in the recent election, must have proved. He lost his wife at tihe beginning of the campaign. Mr. Piper, however, did not allow the deter Kirn from going to the poll. He spair him, and went to the poll. He sustained another shock when he found he had only polled 500 odd votes (three candidates in the field). Six years ago Mr. Piper ran Mr. Graham to within 200 votes. He is one of the bestknown and oldest residents of Nelson. In hia time he has been of a very ambitions nature, and his aspirations have , resulted in his being elected a member of various local bodies and societies. ♦ • • Mr. Piper belongs to the Baptist denomination, and has also gained proijninence in Friendly Societies. He is .an enthusiastic and energetic Recha- ■ bite, and some years ago was very suo- / oeaaful in touring the colony in the in.tereste of that order. Mr. Piper has laboured throup'h life with the use of <mly one arm. A handicap to his Parliamentary success is that he cherishes too many pet fade and theories 1 . Now - and again he startles "Sleepy Hollow" ,iritih the profundity of some extraor- ■ dinary scheme, and then the drowsy citizens rash into print, and ask, "Who . is going to pay the piper P" • ♦ * What might have been did not occur to Mr. Ernest Lowe, in connection with the wreok of the Enngamite, and he is a very thankful man to-day. Mr. Lowe is a Wellingtonian, and the son <>f that Mr. John Lowe who resigned an important post in the New Zealand

Railway Department, in order to undertake mission work in India. After finishing his dental studies with Mr. Hoby, Mr. Ernest Lowe went to England, where he graduated into full honours "as dentist, and hung out his own shingle. In the course of a not very long time he assumed further responsibilities, for he ftwk unto himself as wife an Englishwoman. ~ N Then, came an excellent offer to return to Wellington to rejoin Mr. Hoby's staff, and it was accepted. # Mr. Lowe and his bride oame out via America, and j thereby hangs tihe incident concerning this tale — and an incident to which Mr. and Mrs. Lowe think they <*we their lives. Whilst journeying through America, Mr. Lowe met an American ,who had a brother who had settled in Australia. The American asked the New Zealander to "keep an eve open" for his brother, and give him his brotherly regards. It appeared r that the brother in Australia bore a striking resemblance to the one in the - United' States-. - • • • The Lowes reached Sydney in due course, and took their passes for New Zealand by the klingamite, and, when Mr. Lowe was overlooking his luggage on the wharl prior to embarking, he observed a gentleman standing near, who was the replica of the American with the lost brother. Approaching the stranger, the Wellingtonian addressed him by the name of the American brother— and it was the very same long-lost relative. The Austral-American insisted upon Mr and Mrs. Lowe going out to his place in the country— and that is \<m it came about that Mr. and Mrs. Lowe came on to Wellington by the steamer which lett Sydney two weeks after the departure of the ill-fated Elingainite. • * • Our daily papers announced unanimously last week that Messrs. Aitken and Duthie, the senior and middle members for Wellington, had gone North for a whole week's holiday toeether "Hello!" exclaimed folks who lad not got over their election fever, "these two heavy-weight politicians have gone away to prepare a vote ot noconfidence in the Seddon Administration.!" Then, oame a whisper rrom Wanganui to the effect that when the two comspirators— who were accompanied bv Mr. Aitken's faithful henchman (Mr Wm. Allan)— reached Wanganui they were met bv that extinct political volcano, Mr. John Bryce, the whitehorse hero of Parihaka. But, the gossips did not say that it was Mr. Ihithie who was the object of Mr. Bryee's rerrd, and that Mayor Aitkem was warmcongratulated upon the attainment ot political honours— by a cousin, the only relative Mr. Aitkennas in the colony. • » * En passant, it may be mentioned that Mr. Bryce. who is almost forgotten by the present generation of politicians, was a great fore© in our legislative halls in the days of Major (Sir Harry) Atkinson, and the Continuous Ministry. He attained unto Oabrnet rank and was a levelheaded politician.

He and Mr. Duthie were very cloee friends, their friendship dating back to those days when Mr.- Duthie was building in Wanganui the foundations of hia present prosperous business. - Well, to return to our "inuttoms/' there was no political cabal in Wanganui. The three 'Wellingtonians went up the" "Rhine," spent a night at PipirikL, and then, casme back again. The Mayor wa» back in town before his friends wetfe aware that he "had gone away. Mr. Aitken is fond, of work I • ♦ • Tinuaru is feeling mightily proud of itself in having been chosen, by Lard and Lady Hanfurly as the locality of tihe vice-regal summer residence. When the Governor and his family, witihi the indispensable Captain Alexander in attendance, arrived, at the South Canterbury seaport last week, from their visit to the Governor's Milidura estate, they wore oiven ai public welcome by tihe people of Timaru. Mayor Craigie, who, by the way, ia (wna of tihe nuoskenrthusiastio of trans-pacdfib admirers of the Poet Burns, and lectures "upon the Scottish'poet on the slightest provocation, made a neait little speech] at the railway station. • -♦ • The Mayor scored a topical hit by asking the viceregal party to compare the green hills of South Canterbury with the parched' plains of Victoria. The comparison induced even Lady Ranfurly — who carries the keen eye of an artist for comparisons*— 4x> make a speeoMet, to the effect that it would indeed be a most pleasant change to them to reside amid green hills after their experience in drought-stricken Victoria. There is no doubt the Governor and his fasmilv will enjoy their summer-time in South Canterbury, for the house in which they are residing — witihin three miles of Timaru — is the centr© of a rilcih agricultural and pastoral district, and catches ai dailv whiff of tihe Pacific Ocean from -tine East Coast. • • • His Excellency will daiihr enjoy himself in a fellowship with old-established fanners of the English type, and tihe Countess will charm the folksi of the neighbourhood with her graciousness as she takes bet" walks and drives along the well-kept South ' Canterbury roads. There is some excellent shooting to be obtained near tihe summer residence of the Ranfurlys. and' the rivers and streams which, abound thereabouts axe supplying good sport this season. Lord Rajnfurly has had. a desire for several years to spend a summer in the Timairu district — no doubt fired by the enthusiasm of the member for the prosperous seaport (the Minister for Public Works) — but had previously failed to get a house which suited him. • • • It came as a surprise, and a pleasant bit of news to> Wellingtonians to learn that in the re-arrangement of matters for the comfort of tourists in the South, Mr. J, B. Gould had, a place. Time was when J. B. G. was very well known in our city affairs. As stationmaster aib Thorndon, for the Man&watu Railway ComDany, he came in contact

with, many thousands of our citizens, and it is easy to recall to Blind the active, bustling Gould. After growing grey in the service of the company, he hod the courage and energy to hit out" for himself as "something in the city." For a while he seemed to be everywhere where everybody gatahered. Then, he became a manager of ai business in amother city — and we had almost forgotten J. B. G. Now, he has been appointed manager of the Spa, at Hamner Springs, Canterbury, under the Tourist and Health Resorts Department. Mr. Donne knows a good manager when he sees one, and, as an. old railway man himself , he knows that he has a. man of mettle in Mr. Gould. * Eugen Sandow,. introduced by other mighty men! at the Council Chambers, on Monday created surprise by being a mere man. When Mayor Aitken had emphasised the need for more muscle, and Sir Joseph Ward had remarked that he intended "developing" lesser physical proportions, the little man with tihe finest muscle in the world arose. He stands true, and straight, and €jasy, does the f aar-fciaired Saxon, and tfeere is nothing of the "buUooky" appearance about him. He speaks in a deep, guttural *voieey- with- ~a -very German accent, and is nervous. He is pale compleqrioned, and hag tired quickly-moving eyes, and the 'brushed up moustaches, in the well-known style of the Kaiser, reveal & mobile mouth, not at all of the square-jawed type. *i* . • The whole appearance of' the great physical culturiet denotes a keenly-sensi-tive, nervous, intellectual temperament, and, ac Sir Joseph Ward said, should he want to give up the physical strongman business, he could find a plate among the intellectual giants of politics in New Zealand. To those people who think that Sandow should stand eight feet, and bulge through bis clothes, tihe little man is a disappointment. He is just a clean-limbed, medium-sued genitileiman, of about thirty-five, of a retiring disposition, who is perhaps triad to have the adulation over, amdi to get away for a quiet smoke.