New viceroy arrival set

The Governor-General (Viscount Jellicoe) has received advice that General Sir Charles Fergusson, the Governor-General-elect, has arranged to leave England about November 6 by the Ruahine, which is due to reach Wellington on or about December 11.

Expenses dull governorship

The term of Lord Jellicoe’s sojourn in the community is drawing regrettably near its end, and already we have an announcement of the probable date of the departure from the Old Country for New Zealand of his successor as Governor-General, Sir Charles Fergusson. There has been a good deal of evidence latterly that the prospect of elevation to a dominion governorship has ceased to be particularly attractive to those who may be well qualified to be recipients of the honour involved in its bestowal.

A difficulty over the appointment of Lord Jellicoe’s successor encouraged ventilation of the reasons for the diminished competition for these high overseas appointments. A gallant admiral declined the Governor-Generalship of New Zealand on the grounds, it was frankly stated, that from a financial aspect the position was not sufficiently attractive — in short, that it was too expensive an honour. The Colonial Office has discovered that finance handicaps all the dominion governorships, and has pointed out that, while the post-war cost of upkeep has been practically doubled, the emoluments in the case remain on the pre-war basis.

New Zealand people will have assimilated with interest some more or less intimate particulars of the demands made upon their Governor-General in respect of the suitable maintenance of the dignity of his position. The occupant of the vice-regal office must needs be able to make up, out of his own pocket, the deficiency created by the excess of his official expenditure over his official salary. There is common sense in the suggestion that Governors should not be expected to spend so much upon purposes of entertainment. There is no earthly reason why they should be put to a monetary loss in dispensing social hospitality. The purpose served by such expenditure is to a very large extent the entertainment of a particular class in a particular centre, and from the viewpoint of the community as a whole the vice-regal office would certainly not suffer any loss of prestige through its judicious curtailment. From the gubernatorial point of view a modification of the standard of official expenditure in the direction suggested would surely be welcomed.

— editorial

Thousands of luminous rears

New Zealand’s glow-worms attract much attention from people who go out into the open. They are not worms, although so far as the public are concerned, they will continue to be glow-worms until the end of the chapter. 

They are flies — midges, precisely — members of the great group of two-winged insects, the Diptera. 

The grubs, which give out the beautiful lights, form a kind of web of slimy threads in dark, damp corners. In the centre of each web, there is a slender tube of mucilage, inside which the grub can glide rapidly backward and forward. The mystical change from the grub stage to the chrysalis stage takes place in the web.

The glow-worm’s luminous organ is at the end of its body. It is a gelatinous, semi-transparent structure, capable of extension and contraction and other changes, and, like the light it emits, is under the grub’s complete control.

Ratana’s dual mission

London, August 16: At Hampstead Conservatoire the Ratana concert party gave a Maori entertainment in aid of the League of Mercy Fund, for the support of hospitals. 

All members of the party were dressed in Native costume, and their programme was greatly enjoyed. Prior, Mr Moko explained the objects of the presence of his party in England. 

They were here (1) to disseminate the Power and the Glory of God, and (2) to place before the Imperial Government their grievances, which have been impending for the last hundred years. Almost from the first, the Treaty of Waitangi was not venerated and, as years went on, it became more and more apparent it was not being fulfilled, and now the present Maori race fully recognised the position. They had come to England as representatives of the Maori race, to entreat England to rectify the injustice.

— by ODT London correspondent 

— ODT, 23.9.1924  (Compiled by Peter Dowden)