TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 13982, 3 March 1911, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Mr Winston Churchill Tho Shepherd and Mr Lloyd Georgo of Dartmoor, must wish that the

shepherd of Dartmoor had been dead and buried before the latter thought to use him to enrich his famous Mile End oration. It is not as if he was such an invaluable "property" ; indeed, it is somewhat difficult to understand what he was doing in the speech at all. Ho scema so very much "out of the picture" that ono is almost forced to the preposterous conclusion that for the moment Mr Lloyd George had run short of verbal bricks to throw at the Lords, and that he dragged the venerable pastoralist in by his white hairs, while ho ransacked his brain for another epithet or two. He said that ho and the Home Secretary had paid a. visit to Dartmoor a few days previously. "On that bleak,. mist-sodden upland I saw an old man of sixty-five- in the convict's carb. He had been sentenced to thirteen years' penal servitude because, under the influence of drink, he had broken into a churcli poor-box and stolen 2s. ("Shame!"); and the next time I am called a thief and a robber because I venture to propose a tax upon the wealthy, I will say: 'You are living now, and you are living well, upon the proceeds of the church poor-box your ancestors robbed.'" One story being good until another is told, Mr Lloyd George's story was received with a howl of indignation that "in this so-called civilised age," and so forth, an old man could be so harshly treated for what a number of the Chancellor's Mile End supporters no doubt regarded as an extremely venial offence. Public excitement cooled down considerably, however, when it was learned that the old shepherd was in reality an old gaolbird, with thirty-three years' life in prison to his record, and that the "thirteen years' penal servitude" included ten years of detention under the new Act passed by the Government of which Mr Lloyd George was a member. Before all this camo out, however, Mr Churchill, as Homo Secretary, had ordered the release of the old man, for whom a situation was found in Wales, on condition that he stayed for six months. Hβ stood it for two days and then bolted. Respectable liberty was not to his taste. He has an incurable mania for petty theft, and he was in every way a suitable subject for preventive detention, while it adds to the humour of the situation when Sir Alfred, formerly Mr Justice, Wills tells of the o?d fellow's regret at being released from Dartmoor and deprived of the care of the prison flock of sheep. Sir Alfred, who knew the old man well, declares that he was always. happy in gaol, and was a model prisoner, while when at liberty he was always stealing, apparently with the intention of getting back into prison. Sir Alfred's remarks on the exercise by the Minister of a "useless and mischievous clemency" have probably not been overlooked by the young bloods of the Unionist party, who are so pertinaciously enquiring of Mr Winston Churchill whether he has heard anything about "the old shepherd of Dartmoor. "•' Recently the "Daily A Graphic" celebrated its Journalistic coming of age, and the Majority. pioneer of illustrated

daily papers was overwhelmed with congratulations from eminent men in every profession, as well as from his Majesty the King. Mr Carmichael Thomas, son of the late Sir W. l>. Thomas, the man who first conceived and carried into effect the idea of illustrating the daily newspapers, contributes to the "Graphic" some chatty reminiscence's of the days when the paper was in its infancy. Experiments were* once made with carrier pigeons, the artists making their sketches on thin tracing paper, and

attaching them to the feathers of the birds. "I remember,"' says Mr Thomas, "on one occasion the artist, having made several sketches of the Derby, attached them to the pigeons and let them go. He was horrified to see them, after circling in tho air,settling down comfortably for the rest of the day on the roof of the grand j stand. : ' an experience, it may bo added, that has occasionally befallen racing reporters at Riccarton. In the case of the "Daily Graphic" birds, however, their failure to fly home as fast as possible was due to the fact that they were not "homers" at all, but merely of the farmyard "pigeon-pie" species. The mechanical department of the new daily illustrated paper was not without its early trials. The machinery was of a noisy character, and brought discord to tho neighbourhood and legal actions to the proprietors. A girl informed the jury, in one of the ensuing eases, that the vibration was so great that when she got into bed her head "bumped up and down on the pillow." One of the "Daily Graphic's" illustrations was responsible for an even greater disturbance. It depicted a scene from the Chino-Japaneso war—tho attack on Wei-hai-Wci. Japanese and British ships figured prominently, but stowed away in ono corner was a tiny ship and i underneath tho words, "German flagship, under sail only." It was by the aid of this picture that the Kaiser stimulated the passing of tho Naval vote. Every member of the Reichstag found on his seat a copy of the drawing, and, written across, the words, "Welch em Hohn liegt darin," which is translated, "What a mockery this is." The "Graphic" was fortunate enough to publish many of Phil Mi.y's inimitable- drawings, but never as many as it wanted. So much did desiro outrun performance that on one occasion Mr Thomas induced Phil May's landlord at the seaside to let him stick printed labels all over his rooms bearing the inscription: 'Do not forget that 'Daily Graphic' drawing." A sandwich man, bearing a poster with tho same pathetic legend, also paraded in front of the artist's house. But it was not until months afterwards that tho "Daily Graphic" got the sketch.

The London corrcsponLodgings dont of the "Sydney in London. Morning Herald" lias

some .advieo for Australians who purpose- seeing the Coronation, which may bo of use to-some New Zealanders. Ordinarily, }u« says, the stream of visitors from tho Commonwealth runs in a curiously well-defined course. Those who know could name a dozen hotels or boarding-houses which arc never without their contingent of Australians. But these places will be already filled. In one case a private hotel had all its accommodation booked six tnonthe ago. Ho lays it down as a rule that the hunter for lodgings in the Metropolis should never take anything for granted, because, generally, it will not be granted if he does. Theprice quoted for rooms may not include gas, tires, attendance, or the use of bathroom. In fact, if the bathroom is not specially mentioned, it probably does not exist. The word "bath" may imply an affair like an enlarged soupplate, a can of hot wat.er —and nothing more. It must not be forgotten that much, of London was built before whut> wo now regard as national habits were formed. Board is not usually included in tho terms quoted in tho answer to an advertisement for apartments. The landlady probably adds "meals as required." "Partial board" means breakfast and dinner. Prices of meals in these houses vary according to circumstance, but tho writer gives dinner as costing from Is 3d to &i 6d, with other meals at proportionate rates. In small houses, near Earl's Court, or in the southern suburbs, there is usually no regular charge for meals, tho landlady acting as a sort of housekeeper, ordering what food she is asked for and rendering a weekly account. She makes a charge for cooking. There are a few modern boarding-houses which advertise a regular tariff for board and lodging, as in Australia, but they arc generally for men only. The tariff at these places runs from about 30s to £2 2s. Two bedrooms and a sitting-room in a good quarter cost about three guineas a week, and board, roughly, another two guineas. Of course, cheaper board and lodging can be obtained even in thrjso favoured places. In tho huge district of lodging-houses around tho British Museum, or in Bayswater or Earl's Court, the cost of board and lodging combined might work out at from 30s to £2 10s per week. Taking a brigiit view, he states that there are still to be found women who have had domestic training, and, though they may not bo able to spell,! they keep their houses cleaner than a model dairy. He ends with a pious wish that Australians may fall into the good hands of such as these. Yet the visitor from these parts of the world, if he recalls the most pathetic sketch that George Mooro ever made, may mingle fears with his hopes.