A NOTABLE PAIR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 116, 9 October 1914, Page 6

A NOTABLE PAIR.

MR. AND MRS. PHILIP SNOWDEN.

(Contributed.)

!Mr and Mrs. Philip Snowden are a notable pair truly. Ho is known in the British House of Commons, where he gits as the mesiber for Blackburne, aa "Philip the Incorruptible," while Mrs Snowdeu is in the first rank as a platform orator. »She is said to have addressed more ipeopla during last year than any other public speaker in all England. They arrived in Auckland only on Friday, 25th September, and have iilieady caught cn with every on; vho enjoys a good, inspiring speech. And who does not?

Unfortunately, Mr Snowden is still Buffering from the results of ptomaine poisoning, contracted in Canada, and "s not quite fit yet for a full share of tlw work" they came to our country to do. Mrs Snowden, however, is a host in h.<rself, and if at any time Mr Snowden is i i.able to meet his appointment she tan quite w<li fill the situation. One friend who has semi and heard him says that he'looks fit for the hospital, for he is quite lame, "but when he stands up to speak he is a lion." The weleora meeting was held in the Town Hall, Auckland, on Saturday, tlui day after the arrival. Saturday is not a good night for getting an audience to listen to spocches, yet the hall was well -fiaed. Presiding over the meeting was the popular Bishop of Auckland. Bishop Averill, who is in hearty sympathy with the object of Mr and Mrs Snowden's visit to New Zealand. As indicated! above, Mr Snowden was not al ie to 'be present at this meeting, but Mrs Snowden, who is a fine, tall, handsome woman, and, as the ladies -iv who were present, was becomingly dressed in the height of fashion, was ready to do her part. She was welcomed to our shorrg and work by the Bishop and De Florence Keller. As one who was present, said: "Will all the womanly grace wieeh charact«H"S the I'.uen-travelieJ woman, s'i > threw on to a chair on the platfonu a shut eoat 9he wis wearing and stood before her large audience to deliver her .first address in Kew Zealand." Sho spoke for about 40 minutes, and from first to last held her audience in a way that must have quite satisfied -her warmest adimirere. She is an educated and cultured woman bavin;; be n for really years ft si'lwv*teacher, and her ahlrew dsplaved Ijol'i her wisdom and also her wit—for she has a fund of jo'-:es, all new and orig'nal. So humorou's was i>lie at tune.-* that the mo-it solemn face had to yield, and ih., laughter, even on. the platform., was al-mo.-.t uproarious. Their Auckland plan included two meetings oil Sunday, again en Mondavi and Tuesday.

Mr Snowden was unable to appear on Sunday or Monday, but his wife was well abV to take his place before the l.irge audiences in the Y.IJ.C.A. in the afti moon, and in the Opera House in the cvrning of Sunday, when many people -were turned away, being una.ble to Set irside .On Monday Mrs. Snowden ijave an .address on '"Child. Life," >wh'ch Appears to. l>e one of her strong si:f tjee «, and to which she has given great attention, and has had much experien -e. Air Snowden himself, -with the aid of 1 is strong, noble wife, was able to mc-t the Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday i.t midday, and also to take his share in the great meeting in the Town Hall on the evening of the same day. From first to last our notable pa'r has \ipturcd and held the Auckland audiences as very few indeed havci ever done before.

From all this it is quite evident that they are going to do a great work in this Dominion on behalf of social and economic Teform, but more particularly for the Prohibition movement, to which they are earneslV.i devoted.