All Sorts of People

Free Lance, Volume III, Issue 129, 20 December 1902, Page 3

All Sorts of People

REMINISCENCES of the big strike of 1890 are the order of the day, and the gossip of the night since word oame through from Sydney that the seamen were likely to come out on strike. There is no one in this colony cam tell more stirring strike stories than Mj\ Murrell, ex-majiager tor the Hud-diart-Parker Company. When the strike was declared in 1890, Mr. Murrell was manager of the important H.-P. office in Newcastle, the coalopolis of New South Wales. One day, during the course of the strike. Mr. Murrell and a clerk worked a ship, with a cordon of twenty policemen around them to keep off the strikers' ■* * * Mr. Murrell, strange to say, was never personally assaulted by the strikers, though he oame uncomfortably nigh it on several occasions. He was attempting to berth a steamer alongside his company's wharf one arteoioon. As fast as he got the bow lines fastened the strikers threw off the stern lines, and they kept the burly manager sprinting up and down the length of that steamer hours on end. Finally, then- severed the big cable, whereupon he got mad — so mad, indeed, that he offered £100 reward for the man who handled the oamng-knife which did fche severed mystery. It is interesting to recall that Mr. J. A. Millar, long senior member, but now nuddle member, for Dunedin, was the head and front of the New Zealand portion of the great maritime strike. J. A. M. was then general secretary of the Seamen's Un-on of New Zealand and had wonderful influence among the seafaring and water-side workers. He had been to sea himself, had served before the mast and held a mate's certificate. He engineered tlie strike m New Zealand very skilfully, and was one of the men who came out of it with a reputation neater than that which was his before the strike was declared. So prominently had J. A. M. come before the people of Dunedin that he was nominated for a seat at the general elections which followed the strike, and he won his seat easily. One of the peculiar results of that strike was the formation of a New ZeaLand Parliamentary Labour Party, and through that paitrv came the Labour legislation which led to New Zealand being called bv Australian critics "the nursery of experimental lecnslation." When Mi. Millar took up his Parliamentary duties — his Labour colleague, by the way was Mr. (now the Hon.) I>avid Pinkerton a bootmaker, then president of the Dunedin Trades Council — he was succeeded in the secretaryship of the Seamen's Union by Mr W. Belcher. Mr. Millar ha® never been disturbed mi his seat in Parliament, and Mr. Belcher is still general secretary of the union in New Zealand The Wellington secretary of the union at the time of the strike was Mr. "Bob" Seymour who was the first secretary of the Wellington Trades Cbunc" 1 . He afterwards became a r>ubhcan, and was, for a time, licensee of the Britannia Hotel. Cuba-street For the past three or four vfars Mr. Seymour has been mine host of a Viotel in Oarterton but he has not fnr-^^fen thof»e ■stirring days of 'Ninety

The arrival of Miss Fitzmaurice Gill, and hei dramatic company, from the 'other side," last week, reminds us of the first appearance of F. G. as a leading lady. She had toured the colony as a member of Bland Holt's Company just pnoir to the production, of that lurid melodrama, "The Land of the Maori," written by actor-author-manaiger George Leitoh. Miss Gill 1 was brought over from Australia to create the part of the Maori heroine, and the melodrama first saw the flash of the footlights on the Wellington Opera House stage some seven or eight yeairs ago. The Wellington speculators and Mr Leitoh lost a pot of money in the venture, but Miss Gill, who is a New Zealand girl, got such a liking for leads that she has never gone back or, them since. In fact, she has gone forward, because she is now touring the West Coast (Seddonia) as a manageress and leading lady. There was extra keen rivalry behind the shooting match which took place the other day between teams from the Petone and the Karori Rifle Clubs. The Karons were particularly delighted with their win, as they had a very strone: combination against them. The Petones included two marksmen, who had taken part in the recent Bisley meetme; — "Bill" Ballinger and J. G. Wilson" Uate of Woodville) — and the Karoris had one Bisley man (Harry Hawthorne). The Karons and the Petones will take their keen rivalry to the next Trentiham meetme, and, as at the last meeting, each will care little what outside teams do so> long as the Karorisi beat the Petones, or the Petones beat the Karoris * » « So the familiar name of Baillie and Co. is to disappear off the face of the well-known bookshop in Cuba-street. It was something like thirty "ears ago that Mr. Gordon. Baillie oame to this city from the Lower Wairarapa, where, for about five years, he had carried on the dual business of bookselling and photograph^ Mr. Baillie started bookselling on the "wrong" side of Cubastreet, nearly opposite Te Aro House, but very soon took possession of the premises with which the many presendav patrons are familiar. But death intervened two years later, taking away the head of the house of Baillie. Mrs. Baillie (who still is with us, residing with her eldest son, Herbert) took char.ie of the business for a while. Mrs. Baillie came out to Wellington m one of "the first ships," the Oriental, which dropped anchor in Port Nicholson on the 29th January. 1840. * » * Her eldest son, who was learning the business of bookseller and stationer, with Lyon and Blair, lent Mrs. Baillie much assistance in those days of her trouble, and eventually Herbert B. took entire charge of the business. He also became postmaster for Te Aro a post he carried out with entire satisfaction to the Post and Telegraph Department through a long number of years. His younger brother, John, later on became associated in the business, trading under the name of H. and J. Baillie. Some six years ago, John became seized with a desire to travel, and he dropped his interest in the Cuba-street shop, arid went to London. The firm went an under the title of Herbert Baillie and Co , ■until twelve months ago, when H. B. was appointed librarian of the South Wellington Free Public Library * * * Now, it is announced that Bailhe's has become the Wellington branch of Gordon and Goteh, who are known wherever a paper or magazine is circulated. Mr F. J. Cox, the gentleman who has ]ust completed the arrangements for the Gordon and Gotch branches in Wellington and Ohristchuroh, is> of Melbourne, and is the head-auarters accountant of the big firm. Besides be-

nig a keen man of business, be is an ardent cricketer — so much so that he brought his "plant" over with him and hopes to "have a game" during his brief visit to New Zealand. The firm's Wellington manager, Mr. J. P. Shand, who has been in charge of "Bailhe's" since the Vikmg-loaking H. B. became a hbrairiaim, is also a keen cricketer and the Tradesmen's Club has found him a tower of strength in its "Wednesday matches this season. • • ♦ Mr. Shand, who is a Victorian, nlayed senior cricket in Melbourne for years before comins: to Wellington, and did well with both bat and ball. He was also a prominent member of the Ancient Order of Foresters, having; attained to the highest office in the order when the Wellington promotion! came to him. Mr. W. E. Jackson, whom G. and G. have appointed manager of the newly-estab--ished branch in Christchuroh, is also known in Wellington. He is an enthusiast with the rifle, and the Karori Rifle Club will miss him, as he leaves Wellington on well-deserved promotion immediately. W. E. J. has been secretary of the K.R.C. during his stay in Wellington, and has kept well up in the club's aggregates during the season. He represented the club at the last Tren-t-ham meeting, and also did very well for it in the match against the Petone Club the other day. • * ♦ Members of that Contingent have stated, since their return to the colony from London, that they were given wretched quarters originally, but, thanks to the personal interest of Colonel Pentor the quarters, were improved, and the New Zealanders came off best after all. Sir Arthur Douglas, who is our Under-Secretary of Defence, is Home on furlough. Some folk® have a notion that he does not intend to return to New Zealand. But, this assumption is based upon tlhe thought that as both Sir Arthur and Lady Douglas have influential relatives in the Service at Home, a more lucrative post than that which hei has enioyed in the Greater Britain of the South may be his for the asking. As Sir Arthur and his good lady think that they did "a deal for the Empire" when New Zealand Contingents went out to war- — well, something might happen' • *■ ♦ Among the tourists attracted to New Zealand are Mr. and Mrs. Harold Baring, who are at present enjoying their honeymoon in Maonland. This young and handsome couple came down overland from Rotorua to Pipiriki, and thence down the Wanganui River, at the end of last week. After a few days' stay in Wellington, they went on to Nelson, to do the West Coast trip. Mr. Baring is a junior member of the great British house of financiers and diplomats. Distinguished members of that historic family include Earl Cromer, the Earl of Northbrook, and Baron Revelstoke. The best-known of the Barings is undoubtedly. Lord Cromer, the magician who has practically created modern Egypt. The ninth son of Mr. Henry Barine, one-time M.P. for Southampton, the Egyptian diplomat that was to be started life in the British Army, m which, twenty five years ago, he held the rank of major in the Royal Artillery. His first appointment outside of military routine was in connection with the Commission under Sir Henry Stocks, which inauired into the suppression of the Jamaica outbreak by Governor Eyre. In 1892, the major was created a baron, and he became a Viscount in 1898 and last year he was elevated to the Peerage. Lord Cromer is sixty-one.

Old Frank Mountain, who crossed the "Great Divide" the other day, was as well-known to the old identities of WeL. lington and Wairarapa as is the Rimiutakas. -A native of England, he had an adventurous spirit as a youth, and came out to the Australian goldfields in the great days of the rushes. He became noted as an ideal Oobb and Co. man, and Mr. Hastwell — the Cobb and Co. of the Wellington-Wairarapa line — • brought F. M. over. He drove on the old road for some time, and then went the way of many another Jehu — he took a hotel. His first house was The Travellers' Rest, at the Taita, his next at Greytown • then he came into the cdty, and built TaittersalPs (now known as the Cambridge) Hotel, and his last experience as a Dublioan was in the New Zealander Hotel, in Mannersstreet. For several years prior to his death, which found him enfeebled and in his seventieth year, he was employed in the city tramway service. • * # The management of the New Zealand Band has secured an excellent secretary for the proposed English tour in Mr. G. W. Wilton. He is a good business man as he has proved during his experience in Wellington as a chemist, and he is a man of enterprise, as an inspection of his business premises proves. Mr. Wilton is also an enthusiastic musician, &o that he will be in thorough sympathy with the bandsmen. He is an organist of no mean ability, and has presided occasionally at the organ in both, St. Peter's and St. Mark's. Mr. Wilton ib a Marton boy, and there his oec^e still reside, and, as a business man, the Martonite will look after our representative band's affairs like a. martinet. • • • Detective Boddam and Miss Lydia Fuller were married in Wellington, without ostentation!, last week. Miss Fuller has many friends in Wellington, and she became a familiar personality to playgoers during the time she was treasurer and chief of the doorkeepers at the Choral Hall. She is a daughter of Mr. John Fuller, who has not yot lost the tenor voice which did so much towards making the fame of the Fuller Family of entertainers. Miss Lydia also has a touch of family talent, her gifts lying in the elocutionary direction. Everybody who is well-known to the police knows Detective Boddam. He has had experience in the secret service department of our police force in various parts of the colony. He has a military carriage, which is inherited from a family which has won high places in the British Army for generations. His father is a major-general, and he has a brother who is a colonel. • * • The Rev. William Thomson, defendant in that slander case, the outcome of which was a farthing, has been prominently before the Wellington public for the past three years. For several years he was in charge of the Presbyterian Church at Palmerston North. There came dissension in the church, and Mr. Thomson removed to Wellington, after an animated correspondence with the Wanganui Presbytery, which had direction of the Palmerston district. In Wellington Mr. Thomson made a big effort to build a memorial church in Thorndon on the enthusiasm which prevailed over the operation of our troops in South Africa. He circularised prominent citizens to the effect that it would be a fine thing to erect a church as a memorial of our fallen troopers. But, that church was not erected. • » • Something over a year ago, the Soots Church foundation-stone was laid, in Abel-Smith-street, bv the Premier, and later on Sir Hector Macdonald unveiled a tablet erected in the church, to the memory of fallen troopers. The Minister of Public Works is among the lay gentlemen who have occupied the Scots

Church pulpit. Mr. Thomson fraternised with the Socialist Party of Wellington, just before the elections, and it was thought that he had political intentions. But, he found the S.P. was not strong enough to put any man in the House. He is the son of a Scottish crofter, and told a meeting of the carpenters' Union recently that this fact imbued him with a great sympathy for the workers of Wellington. » • • The sittings of Lord Elgin's War Commission at Home have had some passing interest for New Zealanders generally and WeUmgtonian® m particular. The cable-man has told us that, among the witnesses examined were Colonel Peaton and Sir Arthur Douglas. Absence had made us almost forget the one and overlook the other. Our late Commandant went out under something of a cloud, owing to the mamner, of his talk to our mounted riflemen on that memorable occasion in *^wtown Park what time the Prince and Princess of Wales were here in Wellington. Colonel Penton redeemed himself in the eyes of some of the men whom he insulted at Newtown Park by the courtesies he showed to the New Zealand Coronation Contingent. * * *" Mr A. S. Atkinson, who P^sed away quietly at Nelson last week, had lived a retired life for very many years. In the early days, he was accounted by competent critics to be a brainier man than his better-known brother, Major Sir Harry. He was a lawyer, and Jus ££ Tft. A. (ex-M,H.R. for Wellington) has followed in hi® steps. Anotner eon who settled in Taranaki is perhaps, best known as a rifle shot, and is to be met at annual meetings of the NZB A. The Lance remembers once hearing a good story about the latelydSSXl A. S. A. An Englishman some score of years ago, had told a friend that he was going out to New Zealand. "Oh " exclaimed the friend ; "then I'll give you an introduction to the cleverest man m the colony. His name is Atkinson." * • * "I've heard of him," said the emigrant. "You mean Major Atkinson, the politician." "Oh, no, not he," said the friend, in a disparaging tone , 1 mean the chap who knows all about insects' For A. S. A. was a member of the JNeleom Association for the Promotion of Science and Industry (a branch of our Philosophical Institute), and contributed able papers on entomology. * * In paving a tribute of respect to the memory of Mrs. Gibbons, who passed away at the Thames the other day, tJie "Observer" says:— "lt is worth noting that the Gibbons family fill a considerable soace in the life of New Zealand today. Mr. J. E. Gibbons is chief reporter to the Wellington "Evening Post," and occupies much the same position in Wellington journalism as tihe late G. M. Main did in Aucklandknows the cdtv and its affairs as well as his alphabet, and is liked by everybody. Mr. Frank Gibbons is one of the most trusted mechanical engineers at the Thames; Captain Robert Gibbons is the popular master of the Northern Company's steamer Rotomahana ; Mr. Fred. Gibbons is an operator in the Thames Telegraph Office, and Mr. Edward Gibbons is also a capable engineer. Captain Alex. Farquhar. of the Wakatere, is a brother-in-law of the deceased lady, and the ramifications of the family tree in other parts of the rwovinoe are manifold."

Mr. E. Oliver, a wealthy Ohicagoan, who is at present globe trotting to kill tame, hit an Wellington last week. We hit on him, and he is a very solid citizen indeed, to bump up against. We reckon the American gentleman would tip the beam at twenty stone, and he looks as if he had stirolled out of a picture of "Judge" when that paper is cartooning the trust kings of the States. Mr. Oliver remarks, in an accent in which the burr of the Yorkshireman and the drone of the American strive for mastery, that this city is away ahead of anytihing of its size in any country he has visited. * * * He was surprised to find that we hustled in, Wellington. You see, he has been studying our labour legislation, amid he laughs until he is purple at it. Are they interested in our labour laws in America? Waal, yes , 'hoy'se so interested that if any of the fool stuff was introduced thereaway there would be a revolution, next morning. Mr. Oliver stays that New Zealand is protected in a measure by being "one side." That is, in plain English, that we are so small as to be beneath consideration as a commercial power. We cannot i?et larger at any great pace for the interference of the law with manufacturing enterprise will make us parochial or colonial until the nail is in the coffin of "fool legislation." * * * Mr. Oliver, forty years ago, was a youth of twenty-one belonging to a Yorkshire city and he went to Chicago to get into the -rain business. Since that time he has employed labour and he now has about 15,000 hands working for him. He says he has never had a word with any of them but, when Saturday comes, and the hands quit, his resiponsibility ends. If he does not want them any more, the law does not threaten him. ' He says there is n • grandmotherly business between employer and employed in the States Th© employees have no claim on the bosses except for wages, and if a man does not ca.ry the number of sacks laid down lor I.m he quits. We cannot be a great people, according to the Yorkshire American, until! the Government stops "playing granny with the workers. He calculate® that the New Zealand working man. will, in a few years, become so dependent on the Government that h* \JI lequire to be spoon-fed. Perfect industrial freedom is the reason of Americas supremacy, and don't you forget it. There is immense wealth and shocking poverty in the States, but it is the weak who go to the wall, and why nor ? Oui New Zealand legislation helps the weak. Why should it? There would be> poverty if we grew. We cannot grow with "fool legislation." Are we satisfied? Nearly as satisfied as Mr. Oliver who is world wandering to "kill time." m King Dick is at home at sea, or anywhere else. He happened to be there on Friday last, when the "Union Company gave a lunch to Wellington's, representative men, on board the magnificent new boat, the Moeraki. King IMck had to

say nice things about the boat, and, speaking as am expert, he said some that were well deserved. He said, among other things, that the progress of tihe Union Company was synonomous wun the progress of the colony. There would, he believed, be in the new boat am absence of the vibration felt in the old Takapuna for instance, said Richard, and, as he looked round for the laughter of the "gods," tihe "gods" laughed. ■* * * But, Mr. Seddon did not go back to the old days of the "Maori" and "The Beautiful Stor," when those two little boats under their respective skippers, Captains Ormond and Malcolm, used to crawl round the West Coast. Nor did he revert to the days prior to 1875, when a small paddle steamer was all-sufficient for the requirements of the provincial district of Otago. From five small steamers, the Union Company has grown to its present size and influence. By the way, that old boat, the Maori, was sold recently to po to Eobart, and tihe last heard of her she 1 was stuck on a bar outside the Tasmanian capital. It i? interesting to know that Mr. Mills, the company's managing director, was born in Wellington. ♦ # ♦ Mr. Holdsworth, too, the general manager, is a Wellington native, and so also is Mr. W. H. Kennedy, the able and popular Wellington manager. Twenty-five years ago, Mr. Kennedy entered the service of the company as an "embryo manager," to use his own expression, although he makes no bones about admittime: tihiat he "humped letter boxes and things, and generally roused about" in those days. Mr. Kenned^ is a perfect encyclopaedia of information on the subject of the Union Company, although he had no torn© to tell the rjeople about it on tihe Moeraki on Friday. By the way, Mr. Holdsworth referred to Captain Chatfield, tihe old sikipper of the new boat, as one of the most competent sailors in New Zealand. His competence does not run to talking. He said that he was a rough old sailor, and could not speechify. Never mind, skipper, there are plenty of people at luncheons who can, and will, and always do, but who cannot navigate a boat. If the menu provided on Friday is an indication of the average meal on board the Moeraki, it is a good boat for epicures. ♦ • v Mr. W. J. Napier, ex-senior member for Auckland City, paid a visit to Wellington at the end of last week, and left on Monday on his return home. He confessed to the Lance that his defeat at the poll was a surprise and a great disappointment, but he felt wounded aaid humiliated to find himself beneath a carpet-bagger from Sydney like Richardson, the street advocate of Prohibition. Mr. Napier traces his defeat to a combination) of dissimilar causes. The Labour Party, he says, plumped for their own candidate, and told Mr Napier afterwards tihey had considered him absolutely safe without their votes. The Conservatives!, having no candidate of their own, passed round the word to make a solid tioketl of Witheford, Kidd, and Baume, so as to keep Napier out,

and tihue puai'shj him. for justifying the policy and administration of the Government. * * * Finally, he says the "Herald" deprivhinx of quite 2000 votes by asserting editorially on the daiv before the election that his firm drew enormous fees from tike Government for acting as solicitor* to the Advances to Settlers Office, whereas this work d'd not average moire than £150 a year. The votes he did teoeive were all Liberal votes. The exsenior member is not at all dismayed, and has not the slightest intention of retiring from politics. He is sorry to be out of the arena, but means to get back with the least possible delay. w * * Mr. Fred. Duval's genial face il.i 1 . uminated Lambton Quay for a few days last week. He is stall managing for Percy Dix down at Dunedin, and had come up for conference with ._is prineinal. Mr. Duval is a keen observer of events and, after watchin the last local option poll in the South, he has arrived at the conviction that the next one. three veare hence, will carry Prohibition riefht throughout the South Island. He does not want it himself, because he savg it plays the mischief with theatrical business — tlhat has been tine experience in America' — but still he cannot shut Mb eyes to the fact that the popular feeling im favour of fTohibition is rising steadily all the tome im. tihe # South. Therefore, Mr. Duval prophesies! that three years hence Dunedin and Christohureh, as well as all the smaller towns, will vote prohibition.