LONDON LEITER

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 84, 7 January 1928, Page 24

LONDON LEITER

DISTURBANCES IN HOUSE OF COMMONS

PRINCESS '.ELIZABETH’S UPBRINGING

Dominion Special Service.

November 24, 1927. Any disturbance in the House of . Commons is always followed by expressions of virtuous indignation and disgust on the one side and by vigorous justification front' the other.. Protracted disorder which seriously interferes with the work of the Parliamentary machine.and which hinders it in the discharge of its proper functions cannot be tolerated, but an occasional outburst, may do very little mischief. Indeed, Parliamentary cynics are inclined to regard occasional scenes with an almost benevolent eye. They stimulate interest in the doings of the House among the .electors, and the average voter probably looks at the matter from a sporting point of view. He is by no means so shocked at some breach of Parliamentary decorum as might be. believed, and possibly he is inclined to .consider Parliamentary explosions as evidence of political sincerity. The storm which broke out on the vote of censure in respect of the Government's mining policy, was. to a certain extent premeditated. That is to say, the Labour members had made up their minds that the proper person to answer Mr. Ramsay MacDonald was not Sir Philip Cunliffe Lister, but the Prime Minister himself, and when they found they were not going to have the Prime Minister the trouble broke out. It would be intolerable if an Opposition could call on a Prime Minister to speak whenever it thought it was entitled to the compliment, "but in this' instance there is a feeling in some quarters, that Mr. Baldwin might hi** If have directly taken up the challenge which Air. Ramsay MacDonald had flung down, instead of allowing it to be picked’up by a subordinate Minister. Possibly the storm would not have continued, to rage if any indication had been given that Mr. Baldwin intended to speak at any stage in the discussion, but no such indication was forthcoming, and the sitting had to be closed down. It is only comparatively recently that the Speaker has been given the power to suspend the sitting or adjourn the House if he considers that a state- of disorder will be prolonged. This; is a most useful power, for it enables the Speaker to prevent disorder continuing until it develops into something like a riot. . In the case of the coal debate very little harm was done , by the premature stopping of the discussion. It is quite clear from Air. Ramsay AlacDonald’s. speech that the Labour Party had no immediate or definite remedy to offer for the present plight of the coal trade, and it may be doubted whether, if the Prime Minister had spoken, he. would have been able to suggest anything in the nature of a cure. ROYALTY AND CHRISTMAS. . Despite the general-, scarcity-, of birds this season, the King and his guests have experienced some excellent sport at Sandringham. The bags have been heavy, although nothing like those on King Edward’s 'time, when drives. on the grand scale, with corresponding

wholesale execution amongst the birds, were the order of the day. lhe King, however, prefers his sport run on simpler lines. The members of his shooting parties are invariably picked shots—indifferent marksmanship being anathema to His Majesty, himself one of the finest shots in Europe, While the King has- been out of town, “rough” shooting over his Sandringham estates, the Queen has been attending to domestic duties at Buckingham Palace, and doing much pre-Christmas shopping. On one or two occasions Her Majesty has been attended by her newest and most youthful Lady in-Waiting, Lady Katherine Hamilton, daughter of .the Duke of AL-ercorn. Sandringham, is this year likely to see the first Christmas tree it had had for several years past. Princess Elizabeth is to visit there for the first time, and a- tree in her honour is to be provided. Gifts for this are to be contributed by every member of the Royal b'amily, and will be hung upon it by the Queen. When their Afajcsties’ family was young, a Christmas tree was a very popular institution. For the first time since Sandringham became a Royal residence in the early “sixties” it is now fully covered against loss or damage by fire. King Edward had a rather curious dislike for insurance in any form, either life or fire, but this is by no means shared by King George, who expressed great surprise a few months ago when told that his Norfolk home was not insured. GOLD SWORD FOR THE PRINCE. The Prince of Wales had a surprise when he performed his first local function since he became a county ratepayer and landed proprietor of Nottinghamshire. Just as he was about to ent the white silk cord to open the new bridge over the Trent at. Gunthorpe he was handed a gold miniature sword fashioned after that carried by a Roman centurion of nineteen ceil: turies ago.. It was a reminder of the time when' the Roman legions held sway in the neighbourhood. The Prince caused much laughter bv testing .the weapon on the palm of his hand. Then with a deliberate upward cut be severed the cord as an indication to all that the days of the toll had passed, and that henceforward the Trent at that spot could be crossed free of charge. Delightful weather prevailed, and many thousands, of people assembled to give the Prince a cordial welcome. The Prince remarked that the ceremony. was of considerable importance, not only to the county and to the city, but to" the communications throughout the Midland, area; • “With . the. huge animal increase of automobiles in this country, both for private and commercial use, we have a new and important problem to face. Onr big cities are getting more and more , congested bv a great stream of vehicles, many of them only vehicles of ■ passagej ..and it is necessary to -divert

them. In order to do this these costly and extensive by-pass roads are necessary, and 1 congratulate the Nottinghamshire County Council on this very great tiKng they have done in constructing this by-pass road,” Later the Prince was entertained to luncheon, at which the Duke of Portland, LordLieutenant of the oCunty, presided. He spoke of his happy associations with the county. “I spend very many pleasant days in this district. I spend many pleasant days jumping over—l hope not through—the fences of your neighbourhood. And I am very glad to know that from now onwards I shall be able to cross the Trent—when I cross it by road—without having to put mv hand in my pocket ”

PRINCESS ELIZABETH’S NURSERY Princess Elizabeth is a modern baby in the sense that she is being brought up on the most approved modern lines, but she does not inhabit a modern nursery. While the Duchess of York has personally studied the science of child welfare and has the most up-to-date ideas as to diet, fresh air and so forth, she is by no means an unqualified admirer of the modern nursery Such, a room, with its bare white walls, hvgienic enamel-topped tables, special white furniture painted in rather crude colourings, and miniature furniture does not meet with the fancy of the Duchess. Her nursery is designed with regard to beauty as well as hygiene. The Duchess thinks that if a

child is brought up among genuinely old and lovelv things, its sense of form and colour will be considerably m< ulded.

Little Princess Elizabeth’s, day nursery in her London home is at first glance just a pleasant, sunny sittingroom. The walls are washable, but in a soft shade of blue, and there is n deep dado of cream-painted wood. •\ soft, warm carpet covers the floor. Among the furniture there are two chairs for the special use of the baby Princess. One is a child’s chair of old oak some centuries ch-„ in which the Duchess herself used to sit as a child When Princess Elizabeth is in her special high chair at meal-times her favourite teddy bear, ..early us large as herself and coloured old rose instead of the orthodox brown, is generally esconced in it. The toy cupboard is a beautiful glass-fronted rosewood bureau of the kind generally used to hold priceless china. It holds but a small selection- of the baby Princess’s countless . toys but these are changed at intervals. She is -never given more than

two to play with at a time. lhere is a grandfather clock in the corner of the room which is specially loved bv the little princess, on account of its loud “tic-toc.” The only piece, of orthodox nursery furniture is the high brass fender before the coal lire. Really artistic nurserv furniture made by the disabled soldiers finds its place m the night nursery, where there is a white wooden screen bearing the legend of the little nut tree, with appropriate pictures. LADY IVEAGH, ALP.

Ladv Iveagh, who has been returned to'Parliament in succession to her husband, who, as Air. R. E. C. Guinness, and later as Lord Elveden, has represented Southend for the past fifteen years, will be the twenty-second member of the Onslow family to become one of England’s legislators. Her first ALP. ancestor sat for a Buckinghamshire constituency in the distant days of Marv Tudor, and the next, Richard Onslow, was Speaker and Solicitor-General in the reign of Elizabeth. With such an ancestry it is not surprising that Lad;.' Iveagh’s associations with politics have been close and prolonged. When she was only 1G she began to act as private secretary to her father, who succeeded to the peerage at the age of 18, and therefore/to his lasting regret, had no opportunitv of sitting in the Lower House. For nearly a quarter of a century she has never ceased to be a close student of current affairs. On nine occasions she has actively sisted her husband in his Parliamentary election campaigns. But, apart from her husband’s political and local government activities, Lady Iveagh has always taken an active interest in political' life. From the time of its inception, just after the war, she acted as vice-chairman of the Women’s Unionist Organisation, and it is largely owing to' her efforts and to her personality that that organisation is as efficient as it is to-day. Three years ago she succeeded Dame Caroline Bridgeman as chairman, and in that capacity has travelled throughout the country to address local associations. All this, however, ...is only a part of Lady Iveagh’s public work.

During the war, when, among other things, she was the head of of a committee which supplied, comforts to interned men of the Naval Division and the R.N.V.R., she travelled with her husband through Canada on a recruiting campaign lor the Navy. Her speeches during this tour were marked by an extraordinary vigour, and had an excellent effect on the recruiting figures. This journey was only one of

many tours to distant parts of. the Empire. OLYMPIA MOTOR SHOW. In design, workmanship, and novelty, the International Commercial Alotor Transport Show at Olympia, London, indicates a great improvement. Side by side are small motor-cycle side-cars, huge six-wheeled lorries capable of carrying twelve tons, and maniiiioth.de luxe motor buses capable of carrying more than 100 passengers. The show is the world’s largest display of utility vehicles under one roof Three powerful enemies of the tram which runs on rails have appeared at the exhibition. There is a beautifully upholstered all-enclosed tram driven by electricity, which runs on rubber tires. It obtains its power from an overhead wire. There is another type, just as luxurious, which receives its power from H.T accumulators, and a further ingenuious type which generates its own electrical current by means of a motor which drives a dynamo, which in turn supplies electricity for the motors which propel the tram. The show marks the passing of the old, uncomfortable c-har-a-bi'iic, with its solid tires and hard seats. Makers are now concentrating on luxury saloons to meet the demand of the road-travelling public. There are dozens of handsome vehicles fitted with all sorts of appliances for the comfort of long-distance passengers One model has reached what is surely the pinnacle of road travelling comfort —a saloon in which twenty passengers can travel from London to the Riviera. Another has a raised observation saloon intended for the use of those who want an uninterrupted view of the scenery through wliicn they are passing. There is a double decker omnibus, seating over a hundred passengers. There are machines suitable for every conceivable industry, ranging in price from £46 to £3OOO. The majority of the large buses,. char-a-bancs, and fast commercial lorries are equipped with six wheels, with pneumatic tires. ROYAL SCOTS GREYS RETURN. There is particular joy attached to most homecomings, and when the Royal Scots Greys—Scotland’s own regimentarrived in Edinburgh the whole country, felt a thrill of pride. It is some years since Edinburgh wished “God-speed” to her world-renowned cavalry regiment, ere officers and men depaited to take their spell of duty in India, and their return almost coincides with the 246th anniversary of the raising of the unit. Aleniories are stirred bv tlie mere mention of the Royal Scots Greys, with their distinctive headdress—the bearskin—and with their glorious tradition of service on far-off fields of battle. History, it is said, repeates itself, and of the “Greys,” as the regiment is fondly called, this is undoubtedly true, looking to their long line of victories. They covered themselves with glory at Blenheim, Ramillies, Oudenarde, Aialplaquet, and various symbols on theii standards are silent witnesses to notable achievetnenes at Dettingen, Warburg, and Willems. And what Scot—or Briton for that matter—does not recall with glowing pride the “Greys’ ” famous charges at Waterloo and Balaclava? Of the “Greys” an officer, writing from the front in the early days- of the Great War, said: “As they passed with many empty saddles, showing the sacrifices thev had made, the men of the battalion leaped to their feetfi lined the roadside, and cheered the 'Greys’ again and again ” “Those terrible Greys,” said Napoleon of them after they had vanquished the French cavalry No higher tribute can be paid than by an enemy, who can gaze on Lady Butler’s painting, “Scotland for Ever,” depicting the combined wild ride of the Greys, Inuiskillings, and Royals into the teeth of the French infantry defence, cutting passages in the enemy ranks without capturing, in imagination, something of the glamour of that thrilling charge? It was at Waterloo that the Greys won their regimental badge —the French eagle with wings outspread—which Sergeant-Alajor Ewart wrested from three Frenchmen in the heat of an' engagement, NEW PUBLICITY AIETHODS. A stentorian loudspeaker device that will enable airmen to speak direct to an entire city from a height of 5000 feet, and a new method of sky-writing, are among the aerial publicity methods of the near future with which America threatens us. Alost sensational of all, and the one which will probably be the least acceptable to the British public, is the 'plane speaker. It is reminiscent of the “babble machines” that were so vulgar a feature of social life of the world three hundred years hence, portrayed in Air. Wells’s “When the Sleeper Wakes.” The 'plane speaker is a mechanicallyoperated stentorphone of gigantic power and range. Carried in an aeroplane, it bawls its message to the world from a, height of 3000 to 5000 feet. Two people are required to operate the device, and it is said that, in'spite of the great amplification, the tone is quite undistorted The corporation exploiting the invention has projected an elaborate programme of concerts to be inflicted on a large number of American cities Time will show whether the expositions will be tolerated bv the involuntary audience, or even M. ie ’ ther the American local authorities will permit them. Another plan for the use of aeroplanes in publicity work is the construction of a 'plane with a large wing spread. On the under side of this, by means of electric lights, advertisements will be displayed. The new form of sky-writing employs explosive cartridges similar to those used for Verey lights. Each letter is form ed bv causing the barrels of a combination pistol to point in different directions and simultaneously to explode smoke cartridges. A word of ordinary length can be completed in a few seconds, each letter being approximately 80 yards square. There is little likelihood, happily, that nuisances of this sort will be allowed in this countrv The Air Alinistry has very considerable powers, and if these are insufficient Parliament will gladlv come to the rescue.

Is the frequent use of a motor horn the indirect cause of accidents? Menbers of the general coininittee of the Taranaki Automobile Association believe that it is. Another opinion expressed at a meeting this week was that just as drownings had been reduced in number bv education, so might motor accidents (reports the "News”)- That fully 80 per cent, of the accidents were preventitle was the opinion expressed by Mr A. S. Clark. He had come to this conclusion after investigating numerous insurance claims. Deaths by drowning had occurred at the rate of hundreds a year not so long ago and it might be regarded as a national accident. He thought motoring mishaps would take its place unless something were done to educate the people. Drowning was not common nowadavs. simply because warnings and suitable instruction had been given in the schools and elsewhere, and he saw no reason why motor accidents could not be reduced in number by the same means. The association should issue a caution. A doctor who had asked him the other day whether the association could not do something to reduce the likelihood of accidents bad said he would sfon them immediately by removing the horns from cars. His horn had not worked for a week, and it had been surprising how careful it made the driver when rounding corners. New motor-cars are expected to appear on the British roads at the rate of 3540 a week next year. Britain consumes about 15.000 tons of pepper, or about 81b. per head of the population annually. There are more old people, in proI portion to population, in Chelsea li than in any other London borough.