People We Hear About

New Zealand Tablet, 8 May 1913, Page 41

People We Hear About

.■.-■lu' As a mark; of special appreciation of his services to the Liberal Party, the committee have elected Baron de Forest a member of the Eighty Club. Recently, it will be recalled, a minor political sensation was created by the ■ Baron being blackballed on ; nomination for membership of the Reform Club, and by the consequent resignation from the club of prominent members of the Government. V-' - - • v '..

.... Rev. William F. Rigge, , S.J., of. Creighton University, Omaha, Neb., has been made a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, which is one of the highest honors conferred on a scientist in America. -It is bestowed only on those -who are recognised as leaders in their chosen fields . in the scientific world, and who, by their work, have succeeded in advancing the; cause of science. Father Rigge has been a member of the association during the past two years, and read a paper before its last convention. Since 1896 Father Rigge has been instructor in astronomy, physics, chemistry, and geology at Creighton. He is a frequent contributor to scientific journals, and his advice on scientific problems has been often sought by other authorities. *. * --\ V

Mr. John Redmond entertained at dinner at the House of Commons on March 13 a number of prominent Australians who are at present in London, including Sir Joseph Ward, ex-Premier of New Zealand, and Lady Ward; Mr. J. Molloy, ex-Mayor of Perth, Western Australia; Mr. W. A. Holman, AttorneyGeneral -of N. S. Wales, and Mrs. Holman; and Mr. Martin Kennedy, of Wellington, Is 1 ew, Zealand, and his two daughters. The Hon. Thomas Scaddeh, Premier of Western Australia, was also expected, but was unavoidably prevented from being present. Mr. Redmond invited to meet his visitors those members of the Irish Party who have taken part in Australasian missions in the past, including Mr. Dillon, Mr. Devlin, Mr. William Redmond, sen., Mr. William Redmond, jun., Sir Thomas Esmonde, and Mr. Hazleton. I Miss Emily Hickey, who was recently honored by the Holy Father, is a Wexford lady, the daughter of the late Rev. Canon Hickey, of Mackmine Castle, Enmscorthy, County Wexford, her grandfather I being the Rev. Mr. Hickey, rector of Mulrankin, who wrote a popular series of handbooks for farmers under the nom-de-plume of . ' Martin Doyle.' Miss Hickey was received into the Catholic Church some sever! v years ago, and has devoted herself since to Catholic'social and philanthropic work. One of her first volumes since she became a Catholic, Thoughts for Creedless Women, has been the means of attracting more than one of her scholarly friends to join the Catholic Church. Miss Hickey holds Cambridge University Ist Class Honors, and has published more than a dozen volumes. Her cousin, the late Mr. W. R. Hickey, was -Receiver General of Inland Revenue in Dublin for many years.. Lord Haldane, who has just been created a Knight of the Order of the Thistle, is a brilliant scholar. He received part of his ; education at Edinburgh University, and afterwards became scholar in philosophy at otherScottish Universities. Some time ago, when he visited Edinburgh Academy, to inspect • the cadet corps attached to the school, he related some - interesting experiences. It is a great joy to me,' he said, 'to be once more in the old school. You are, I think, a little more luxurious than we were then. -I am told that the boys sometimes spend twopence, and even threepence, on their lunches. Now, we never had more than a penny. . . I recall how we used to fight for a currant bun and half an albert across the bar in the janitor's window. The only drinking water that was to be got was in a trough under the swaying bodies of the mass of boys fighting to get their lunches, and you dipped down as well as you could, and you got a jugful of water and crumbs, and slaked your thirst for the day. It was a good, hardy time.'