THE LEGION OF THE FLANNELLED

NZ Truth, Issue 1143, 27 October 1927, Page 4

THE LEGION OF THE FLANNELLED

KIPLING once coined a famous phrase m which reference was made to "flannelled fools at the wicket." He must have forgotten fop the time, that pre-eminence on the playing field connotes cool judgment, resource and physical excellence. Nothing extraordinarily foolish is there, for instance, about Sir Alfred Roberts of the Empire City. Yet many times m his life has he been found m the flannelled legion of Kipling's merely foolish . , Sir Alfred is a native of Dunedin. He played, his first cricket on the old-time asylum ground, a stone's throw from the paternal mansion. Later years found him m a first-grade eleven of the southern city. He played good cricket m those days of halcyon youth, and he has carried the spirit of the great game into his wider life. Ye ancient game of bat and ball may have been his first and fervent love, but the siren of golf has enchained his fancy of later years. The leaden skies of winter find him on the links of the Hutt Golf Club m concentrated pursuit of a plus colonel or silver king. A successful man of affairs, he is yet hardly of that stern company that has striven to eminence through incalculable difficulties. The education of young Alfred was completed at historic Cambridge. He emerged with a Rugby "blue," the right accent and a just appreciation of old-world culture and tradition. Then he took his rightful and privileged, place m the family concern of Murray Roberts and Company. An artillery officer m the territorial forces, he threw m his werght during the Big War as embarkation officer. At the Wembley Exhibition he was the Dominion's special commissioner and duly dilated upon our primary products to distinguished visitors. The result was an additional knighthood, on the genealogical tree of the house of Roberts. In his pocket borough of Lower Hutt he takes his place at the Council board as a modest representative. A tremendous affront to address a knight by his Christian name it would yet be perfectly permissible m at least one gathering to greet Sir Alfred as' plain "Alf." That would be at the ultrafraternal meetings of the Wellington Rotary Club. A keen man of business, good mixer m a community where privilege enjoys no particular veneration, and citizen of public spirit, Sir Alfred layo claim t# quita a deal of esteem from hi* follow*