OUR LONDON LETTER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8208, 11 August 1906, Page 6

OUR LONDON LETTER.

(Prom Our Own Correspondent)

LONDON, June 27. 1 am informed that the Marjleboue Cricket Club will send au amateur team to New Zoaland during the coming winter. The New Zealand and River Plate Land Mortguge Company hnvo declared an interim dividend at the rate of 7 per cent, per annum for the six months ended April 30th, payable on July 2nd. The tenth annual meeting of the Colonial Nursing Association, held at the Colonial Offices, whs largely attended, about 200 ladies and gentlemeu prominently associated with the movement, or specinlly interested iu the oolouies, being present. Lord Elgin, who, with Lady Blgiu, has long taken an active part in the work of the Scottish branch ofthe Association, extended a hearty welcome to the visitors, and paid a warm tribute of appreciation to the excellent work which the organisation had accomplished in frhe oolonies. The object of the Association is to provide trained nurses for huspital and private work in British oolonies and dependencies, and the annual report showed that during the past year 144 qualified British nurses bad been at work in various parts of the Empire. Altogether over 300 nurses have been Bent out by the Association. Lord Ampthill, Presidont, moved the adoption of the report, and other speeches were delivered by Sir Frederick Hodgson, Mrs Pember Reeves, and Sir A. Hime. Miss Beresford Maude, of Napier, better known in New Zealand as Miss H. Maade-Smitb, was referred to brieflj in my last letter. Before coming to England, she bad closed a most successful tour through Canada aud the United States appearing both as monologuist and actress. She filled the rolea of Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Pauline in Lady of Lyons, Lear in The Jewess, Mary Lyster in Marriage of William Ashe, and Darners of others, meeting with marked success. She was also the fortunate recipient of the handsome gold olasp presented to the winner of the highest all-round marks for dramatic art out of the whole of America. The competition was held iu connection with the Paul Gersou Dramatic School, Sun Franoisco, in June of last year. There were 500 competitors. She was entertained royally, especially in New York, and was presented at White House while in Washington. Still, «»h« says, she is grateful to be again on British soil, and is charmed with beautiful England and a devoted worshipper of glorious London. On June 22nd she gave her dramatic recital in London in oonjunotion with Madame Plunket, the celebrated singer, who is a relative of LerdPlunket, the present Governor of New Zealand. Later on Miss Maude will join Mr F. R. Benson's Shakespeare Company for a 42 weeks autumn tour.

Sir James Ferguson, formerly Governor of New Zealand, was among us at lunoh on board the Amazon, on the 14th inst. Other distinguished visitors were Sir Frederick Young, vice-president of the Royal Colonial Institute; Captain R. M. Collins, R.N., representing the Commonwealth of Australia, and thtf AgentsGeneral for New South, Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, and Tas mania. The new liner was found to be a splendid steamer, towering high above the wharf, with blaok sides, and one huge buff coloured funnel, flying from her mast a flag beariug a red St. Andrew's cross on a white ground, with a gold crown at the crossing of the bars—-the flag whioh has stood for 1 the R.M.S.F. since 1839. Exceptional spaciousness and elegance were the first impressions made on entering at the gangway, and this impression was kept up throughout. Five tiers rise, one above another, from what ÜBed to be the top deck of the old-fashioned ship, and these tiers contain all the first-class oabinß (fifty of them single berth rooms); there are none below. It would be tedious to go through the list, even of the newer features introduced as novelties in marine construction; but there is one faofc bo continuously reiterated that I oannot pass it by; its iterations may be all summed up in the one word—"electricity 1 ." In the laundry your clothes are washed, your shirts are starched and ironed by electrioity, electricity turns ihe brushes in the hair-cutting saloon, electric fans, great and small, are put into every plaoe where they will fit, electrioity heats the curling irons and shaving water, even lights the cigars in the smoke-rooms. The latest applianoes for refrigeration, suitable both for fruit and meat, have been fitted in the holds. 'lhey form a feature of considerable importance from the Australasian point of view, as they give the steamers enormous oapacity for carrying fruit, meat, and refrigerated cargo of every description.