Who’s Who on the Aorangi

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 123, 15 August 1927, Page 10

Who’s Who on the Aorangi

Brief Interviews With Passengers With over 600 passengers, the Aorangi arrived at Auckland yesterday afternoon. There was a large number of interesting people aboard. Mr. Alfred Mace, an evangelist, is preparing for a tour in New Zealand. He is the son of that famous boxer, Jem Mace, and naturally he is not allowed to forget it iu America. Mr. Mace has been an evangelist for 50 years. “I was always good friends with my father,” he said, “and I conducted the burial service when he died.” Mr. Mace is making his second visit to New Zealand. After an absence of 25 years abroad Professor M. A. Hunter is returning to Auckland with his wife and two children. He is now Professor of Electro-Chemistry and Metallurgy at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, and says that in America professors are well-treated and given every opportunity to study and to carry out research work. Professor Hunter left Auckland after gaining a scholarship at the Auckland University, and went to study in London. Proceeding Sydney-wards, Mr. and Mrs. George Armstrong, son and daughter-in-law of Dame Nellie Melba, are returning after a long stay in Europe. With them is their small daughter Palema, reputed to be the apple of her distinguished grandmother’s eye. In all probability, she will in time be one of Australia’s bestknown heiresses—that is, when the diva has concluded her series of farewell “farewells.”

The Hon. James Craigie, M.L.C., of Timaru, again has exemplified his love of the Scottish poets by his latest mission abroad. On this occasion Mr. Craigie presented a panel to the church of St. Giles in Edinburgh in memory of Robert Fergusson, a poet not as well-known as his favourite Burns in this part of the world. Mr. Craigie has been abroad since January.

New Zealand is known to Americans as the “little country in the Pacific whose inhabitants always refer to England as Home.” At least this is what Dr. G. H. Blakeslee, of Clark University, Massachusetts, confessed. New Zealand is also known in America, he said, for the general excellence of its universities. Dr. Blakeslee is returning from Honolulu much impressed with the deliberations of the Pacific Relations Institute, of which he is a member. The professor is one of the few Americans not particularly anxious to see Rotorua. He is more interested in our varsity life. Rather than visit the thermal regions he would prefer to know something about our social and economic life.

Mr. R. Piddington is also trending his .way homewards after attending the Honolulu Conference. He is a son of Mr. Piddington, K.C., New South Wales Industrial Commissioner, whose unexpected return from Auckland, when en route to the conference, was the subject of much comment until it was known that he had been cabled for by his friend, Mr. Lang.

Sir George Fairburn, one of Victoria’s best-known pastoralists, is returning to Melbourne after representing his State in London for the past three years as Agent-General. Sir GeoTge is convinced that Britain is making a good recovery after the coal strike, and that conditions generally are more settled than they have been for some time. “It is really remarkable what little harm the strike did, except in the case of a number of iron companies,” he said. Wool was selling reasonably well, but both mutton and beef were not satisfactory. Sir George Fairburn, who is accompanied by Lady Fairburn, was educated at Geelong Grammar School and at Jesus College, Cambridge. He comes of Australia’s earliest squatter stock, and has played an important part in the political life of his State.

The last passengers on board the Aorangi on her departure from Canada were Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Godhard, well-known Sydney-siders. Throu jh the quartermaster inadvertently putting up an incorrect notice, Mr. and Mrs. Godhard and their party occupied the extra two hours in Vancouver by a motor drive. The result was that they had to motor to the end of Vancouver Island, a distance of over 80 miles, which was traversed iu two hours. There they boarded the liner and continued their voyage to Australia

“But it was worth while for the scenery on the island was magnificent.” said Mr. Godhard, who was also enthusiastic over the beauties of Lake Louise and at Banff. Afater 18 trips around the world he has come to Lhe conclusion that Northern Canada has scenic attractions to offer that cannot possibly be excelled. Mrs. Godhard, who is an expert on hospital administration, organised the New South Wales cancer appeal before she left for abroad. The sum, which it was hoped to raise by the sale of stamps, was £25,000. Mrs. Godhard succeeded iu adding over £33,000, however, to the fund, and more than sustained her reputation as one of Australia’s most efficient organisers. While in England and on the Continent, Mrs. Godhard gave much atteution to this subject. The death rate in England from cancer, she says, is now one in eight. The most modern treatment at Munich and other centres, says Mrs. Godhard, is by rays and radium treatment. Operations are seldom, or never, undertaken.

Travelling with Mr., Mrs., and Miss Godhard is Mrs. M. Bullock, mother of Mrs. Godhard. Dr. Howard Bullock, one of Sydney’s best-known surgeons, is her son.

A busman's holiday might well describe the visit of the Bishop of Goulburn, the Right Dr. L. B. R. Radford, D.D., one of Australia’s best-known Anglicans, to Suva. During his brief stay there he twice preached for the vicar. The bishop, who is now ou his way back to his diocese, also visited the recently-established Chinese school there. Some of the boys even come to school armed with fountain pens. Their desire, Dr. Radford explained, was undoubtedly to learn English for commercial purposes. The kanaka school, where children were being taught by a native catechist, was also inspected by the bishop. In the majority of cases these descendants of labourers, originally brought, to . Fiji in some iu-

stances by “black-birders,” had forgotten their mother tongue. Bishop Radford declared that the Indian problem in Fiji was “so big” that he could not possibly touch upon it. “There is no doubt about the fact that the Indians want more direct representation in the Legislative Council,” he said, “and I believe the colonial authorities are agreed that this should be granted.” Just what form this would take, however, was a moot point. The Bishop is returning to Australia armed with Blue Books and all the information he could possibly obtain on this difficult problem of Empire.