NEW ZEALAND IN ENGLAND

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 315, 31 May 1911, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND IN ENGLAND

INTERESTING EXPERIENCES. Mr. Harold Jennings, son of the M.P. I for Taumarunui, who left New Plymouth I about twelve mouths ago for the Old Country, has secured a position in the : National Bank of New Zealand in Eondon. In a very chatty and interesting letter which came to hand via San Francisco on Saturday, he gives some of his experiences. He has met a great number of New Zealanders, including Mr. Sumner, who took part in "The Magistrate" with him in New Plymouth; Mr. Jack Dockrill, who has gone on to Dublin to pursue his medical studies; and young Laing-Meason, of Christchurch, who has been studying music under Paderewski for some years. He plays divinely, and is coining to Australia with Melha. Mr. Jennings went to hear "Elijah." There were 1000 voices in the chorus, the orchestra numbered 250, and the soloists were the picked voices of London. It was very different' to the "Elijah" that he took part in in New Plymouth!

Mr. Jennings was present at the banquet and ball held at the Hotel Cecil, London, on St. Patrick's Day. There were over 700 present, and Mr. John Redmond, M.P., was chairman. It was at this banquet that Mr. Redmond made his "peace of the world" speech. The menu card is a beautiful specimen of typographical art, and the items are printed in Irish and French. One of the vocalists was Miss Hanna Sweeney, of Wellington. The ball was a briiliant function; and he says he never saw prettier women and finer men anywhere than those at the function. The Irish reel was danced by the men, who wore Irish kilts, which'he thinks arc better than the Scotch. Mr. Devlin, M.P., got him tickets for the House of Commons, and he heard Messrs Asquith, Balfour and Winston Churchill speak. Mr Devlin also invited him and some other New Zealanders to lunch on the celebrated terrace attached to the House of Commons.

Mr, Jennings is charmed with London, and says Paris cannot be compared to it, notwithstanding its fogs, its snow, and the terrible poverty that can be seen in some parts. The working people, he thinks, are more happy and contented than those he has noticed elsewhere. They see the best of everything, and go everywhere so cheaply, but he says it is terrible to be out' of work in London, and he knows of New Zealanders that have had a hard and bitter struggle. One young Aueklander had tried for nearly twelve months to get a show at anything! For one situation there will be over 500 application, and if one is unknown it is hopeless. There was a gathering of young New Zealanders at Sidcup one Saturday afternoon, and over sixty were present. Mr. Moss Davie, formerly of New Zealand, but now living in London, has been very kind to stranded Maorilanders.

Mr. Jennings thinks a great deal of the younger Englishmen. He has met a large number who attend St. Wilfrid's Club room, attached to Little Brompton Oratory. They have a dramatic club, and he had seen a final dress rehearsal of "The Magistrate" by the club members, and they wanted him to take his old part of "Isodore," as performed in New Plymouth. He has joined the Brotherhood of the Oratory, which includes the Duke of Norfolk, Lord Talbot and Lord Howard.

Owing to being attached to the New Zealand court at the White City Exhibition when it was running, he became acquainted with New Zealanders from all parts of the dominions, and he was surprised at the number who knew "Dad." He had a run on the mono-rail, with its inventor, Rrennan, at the wheel, and it was most enjoyable. He was of the opinion that the English railways were "just a little" ahead of the Dominion's, for he had gone from London to Weston-super-Mare, a distance of 150 miles, in a little over two hours and a-half, and'the return fare was under live shillings. This was by the excursion express which runs on Sundays.