LONDON CHAT.

Evening Post, Volume LXXI, Issue 136, 9 June 1906, Page 9

LONDON CHAT.

KING ALFONSO'S COURTSHIP. A NEW POWER IN CRICKET. HOSPITAL SCANDALS. THE ROAD TRACTION CONUNDRUM. REMARKABLE REQUEST OF A CHURCH VICAR. BADEN-POWELL ON SPORTk (ni.oll OVR OWN COBRESPO'NDENT.i 27th April. King Edward and Queen Alexandra are in Greece witnessing the Olyrapio Games, and, as usual, they are making themselves extremely popular with everybody. Their tour along the Mediterranean was a continuous series of personal triumphsj and in each place at which they called the visit of the King and Queen of England will long be remembered as a "red letter" event. KING ALFONSO. The King of Spain is at present on a visit to the Isle of Wight. He has come in quite a private and unofficial fashion, and is thoroughly enjoying his experiences of quiet English country life in the company of his pretty fiancee, Princess Ena, and her mother. As usual Alfonso is overflowing with , animal spirits, and causes much amusement to his ladylove, although perhaps some alight annoyance to her mother, by inbisting upon vaulting over every gate which has to be passed instead of going through it opsced iv tho customary way. This latter he deems an exceedingly tame and uninteresting method, and so when a closed gate is seen ahead when he is out with Princess Ena and her mother his course is to take a brisk run forward, leap over the gate, and then open it for the ladies. The two young people seem to be having a very happy time, quite an ideal love-making, and it may be presumed that the young lady also finds plenty to interest * her in the reports which are constantly arriving as to the progress of her trousseau, which 1 hear iv to bt of lavish and almost unparalleled magnificence. A NEW POWER IN CRICKET. The results of Mr. Pelham Warner's* invasion of South Africa have set our cricketers thinking once more. As lit was the man to recover the mythical "ashes" from Australia after two prcvi. ous All-England teams, captained respec tivelv byotoddart and Maclaren, had lost to Australia four out of five test matches on each occasion, it has come as an unpleasant cold douche to English cricketers to find Warner's eleven meeting with the same experience in South Africa as those of Stoddart and Maclaren did in Australia, i.e., losing four out of five test matches. It is true that the team Warner took out to South Africa could not be called an entirely representative one; still, the majority of its members were players who had done good, if not great, things in the Mother Country, and who were regarded as quite up to first-class maTk. Mr. Wiirner, himself, like the thorough cricketer' he is, offers no specious excuses for his defeat. He says frankly that hia men were outplayed, and were beaten by better men ; ill fact, ho virtually paraphrases tho explanation which I personally heard Stoddart give for his loss of, ,four test matches in Australia. . "They bowled *nd batted apd fielded, better,, than we did." An entirely complete and exhaustive explanation! It is recognised tliat England -will have to "buck tip" j£ file i» to retain oricfcetingf pre-<;ini-nence against either Australia or South Africa but it is also felt that in S/»uth Africa has arisen a new power to be reckoned with in the world of cricket. WAR'S AFTERMATH. In one direction after another may be seen the maleficent effects of the wanton expenditure over the war so recklessly provoked in South Africa. It has long been felt by many branches of trade. Ono prominent outcome has been the curtailment of personal disbursement on amusements and' on the higher priced wines; its sinister influence in creating widespread lack of employment and consequent severe distress has long been sufficiently notorious, but tho same malignant influence is now operating severely in yet another and equally unfortunate way. Our public hospitals are feeling severely the lack of money available for beneficent purposes. Year by year during the present century the great London hospitals have fallen into more and more evil case, and now fomc are within measurable view of absolute bankruptcy. It is quite true that ' this unfortunate position is due primarily, at any rate in ft large degree, to tie outrageous and sometimes profligate extravagance displayed in entering upon new building operations. But indefensible as in many instances these have been, the const: quonce would have been felt only • in a minor degree but for the prevalent lack of available cash. All round, .subscriptions are falling off, and the hospital authorities have been obliged to reduce their staffs and beds until now the Charing Cross Hospital, which, although of course nothing like the largest, is one of the most important of all by reason of its centrality of site, has been compelled to admit frankly that unless it receives a liberal helping hand from some quarter as yet undiscernible, it will be compelled to suspend operations. The alternative is plainly indicated — viz , that the hospitals will nave "to come on to rates" — a pleasant prospect for tho already overburdened ratepayers, yet it is abundantly clear that the hospitals must be kept open (Somehow, and equally clear that the rest of tho country cannot bo expected to maintain hospitals for, London itself. It tannot be denied that the situation has become extiemely critical. A HOSPITAL SCANDAL. To make matters ■worse there have been lately a number of very grave complaints against certain London hospitals on. the ground of gross negligence or incapacity or misfeasance. In the case of one of the most celebrated of all, a whole string of cases appears in one of to-day'a London papers showing the carelessness or neglect of duty, or both, that is to say, the least gravely culpable. In " one instance, the coroner's jury, at the inquest on an unfortunate victim whose death was directly due to neglect on the part of ono hospital, appended to their verdict a rider which amounted very 'nearly to a verdict of manslaughter, but tho coroner took >"t upon himself to refuse to accept this rider. Fortunately, however, it had found publication in the press, and so helped to open the ey»s of tho public to what is going on. Only a day or two ago an unfortunate woman met her death through the failure of diagnosis on tho pait of the medical officers, or perhaps I ehould •ay, the m«dieal etudents, of one eminent hospital, who, as tho event clearly proved, did not even tako the trouble to attempt bd accurate diagnosis. The woman's sufferings could have been relieved and her life saved by a timely operation, but she was brutally refused admission and died within an hour or so afterwards. Cases of this kind do not tend to inspire in the public mind any eagcrnr-ss to furnish the additional funds do ur-

gently required, especially in view of the monstrous outlay that has lately been disclosed upon costly and unnecessary sites or buildings which would have been far better located in » less costly neighbourhood. Moreover, thero eeema but too much reason for the feeling so largely prevalent among tho lower orders that patients of their class are used very extensively as subjects for the experiments of students. Two or three cases that have come to light do certainly seem to go a long way toward justifying the outcry that has arisen against "human vivisection." For instance, a young girl had undergone tracheotomy, and the tube had been placed in position. So far as she was concerned, there was admittedly not the slightest reason for disturbing her or causing her further Buffering. Yet it is declared, and virtually admitted to be a fact, that that tube was inserted and removed a number of times in succession sin\ply in order thirt the medical students present might practise the proceeding and ' become accustomed to doing it. One of the girl's parents who was present probested earnestly against such needless pain and discomfort being caused to his daughter, but was abruptly silenced, and was told that this was the only way in which the students f-ould learn their business — very small comfort indeed this was to him or to the victim ! I could mention other cases that have come under my cognisance, but a single instance like this is sufficient to 6how the light in which the poorer hospital patients are too often regarded, and show also that 'among a large class the bare idea of admittance to one of these presumably beneficient institutions excites a horror little short of death. In such circumstances it is clear that the London hospitals where such practices prevail will have to mend their ways very materially if they expect to attract from the general public tho funds which are rssential to keep them in existence, or, at any rate, in . operation. AN ART EXHIBITION. The so-called , New Gallery — a kind of younger sister of the Royal Academy — oj)ened its nineteenth summer exhibition in its Regent-street rooms thia week. The total exhibits number about 600. The exhibitors include : H.R.H. Princess Patricia of C'onnaught, who shows three very charming flower studies; Sir Philip Burne-Jones, tho Hon. John Collier, Mr. Walter Crane, Mr. H. W. Davis, R.A., Mr. H. Draper, Mr. A. Drury, Mr. Alfred East, A.R.A., Mr. Arthur Hacker, A.R.A., Mr. Napier Hemy — unrivalled in sea pictures — Professor' Hubert yon Herkomer, Sir James Linton, Mr. J. MacWhirter, R.A., Miss Montalba, Mr, James Orrock, Miss Perugini, Mr. H. Rifiere, Mr. J. S. Sargent, R.A., Mr. Herbert Schmalz, Mr. J. J. Shannon, A.R.A., Mr. Byam Shaw, Mr. Harold Speed, Miss Stoddart, Miss Ethel Wright — a sufficiently brilliant galaxy of British artists. The gliow on the whole is of fair average merit, but hardly calls for much detailed criticism. Many of the portraits and landscapes are admirable, and one is not disposed to weep bitterly over the general absence of those allegorical or quasi-imaginative pictures which find so much favour in the Royal Academy, but which are so rarely successful or impressivo or even pleasing. The Royal Academy, by the way, holds its Private View next week, Jnd opens to the public on the following Monday. There -is an unusually large crop .'of rumours as to its probable quality, but these are so utterly contradictory that 'it is quite impossible ,to gather any definite idea, und time did not permit my visiting the various studios. So I mils*-- reserve judgment until 'next week. MOTOR 'BUS v. TRAMWAY. - It has long been believed by those best informed on the. subject that the era of extensive systems of tramways, electric-motor or otherwise propelled, is passed, and that the automobile in «oj»o form, most probably that of thcTmotor'bus, will supersede it. Thts is almost, j albeit tacitly, admitted, t..e only ques- I tion being "When" «nd "How"? Tlio advantage of not being obliged do lay down and' maintain specially costly road and appliances as is' inevitable where | tramways are -employed, is so great that it cannot fail to impress itself sooner or later on the general apprehension, even of local bodies. But the point now at issue is : What is to be the motive power.' Petrol is doing very well, and is still very popular. Should a rumour prove true of a simple and inexpensive process by which the petrol motor could be enabled to consume its own stinK and emit an odour of heliotrope instead, there can be little doubt that the popularity | of the petrol system will be materially enhanced — perhaps, I should rather say its excessive unpopularity -with non-users on the score of its foetid effluvia will be diminished. But the newest plan is an electrically controlled motor-bus, which has the advantage of having already received a terso and popular designation— the electrobus. Some of these electrobuses — or should the plural be electrobi? — are being constructed, and great tilings are prophesied therefrom. But some discouraging opinions are published to-day,' which havt rather damped down public enthusiasm, or at any rate the eagerness to invest in electrobustic shares. It is asserted by those who ought to know that it will be only possible to work these electrobuses — or electrobi — by means of accumulators, which are necessarily very heavy and cumbersome, and occupy considerable space, while in the event of undue delays or of abnormal output of power being necessitated for hill-climbing, the • electrobus might be left stranded with part of its journey unaccomplished, as the accumulators could only be recharged at particular stations. It is evident that a big controversy is opening up upon this point, in which both the petrolists and the electrobusts will have a great deal — a deplorable deal — to say. To tell the truth we ure just now only at the parting of the ways In respect, of road-traction. We are beginning to turn away from horsehaulage, but wo are not yet at all sure what will be its successor. 'Experienceof the electrification of the Underground Railway has been the reverse of encouraging, seeing that not only have breakdowns, accidonts, and fires been alarmingly numerous, but also the discovery has been made that the rails are wearing away under the new traction at such a rapid rate as to threaten a formidable financial problem in respect of maintenance and renewals. CHURCH BAZAAR, AND LIQUOR LICENSE. Leighton Buzzard is rather a pretty vilage forty miles north-west of London. Itk parish church needs a new organ, and money is being raised in order to procure one. To this end a three-days' bazaar is to be held immediately New ZcalandeTs are well accustomed to this method of church finance, by which gambling is tlaught under religious authority by the practice of holding raffles and so-called art unions. But to the Vicar of Leighton Buzzard ib has occurred that anotuer vice may be called into aid for tha promotion of true religion by means of a. new organ. He has actually applied to the local bench for per mission to sell intoxicating liquors duiing the continuance of thia bazaar. It is not) surprising to learn that v lhe Ma git. | trates expressed utter amazement at the idea of a liquor-bar being provided as an officially recognised adjunct to a church bazaar. They declared tlhat they had ! never heard of such a thing before, and they really appeared too much paralysed with astonishment at' the request tia be • able to come to any decision. Oddly

enough the application was actaally supported by the superintendent of police, who stated very innocently that ho was afraid tho vicar would not be able to dispose of all the goods unless the attractions of a liquor- bar were employed aa a means in. aid. Ultimately the bench pulled itself together and adjourned tiha case until it should receive a personal statement from the vicar as- tb the grounds upon which he could possibly de fend such an astounding application. The idea is doubtless an ingenious one, and might be taken into, account by some of the more impecuniour churches oi parishes in New Zealand. A three days' liquor bazaar in aid of church funds might result in a -considerable sum being raised. Upon the moral aspect of the case itl is not my function to dilate BADEN-POWELL ON SPORT. Latterly it has been a reproach against Britons till a*, the modern idea of sport is to look on while other people play tho game. General Baden-Powell has just hammered in this idea raiher severely. Somebody asked him for his views on the mattter, whereupon he Teplied as follows:—"(1) I do not in the abstract stb any harm in" young men going to look on at football matches on Satlurday afternoons.^ But I do see gTeat harm to themselves 'and to the nation in tiheir payIng other- people to play their games for them, and in going -in big drinking parties to have a gamble on a match on days when they should be working. (2) I am the last to object to good, healthy English games, played for, the good of the players, but I do not like to see us gradually becoming a nation of onlookers at games, like the RoxiaiiM had becomb immediately before that empire fell *to pieces. As a nation, we now spend more tiime in looking on at races, football, cricket, etc., and we have more unemployed and loafeTs in every walk of lifethan any other country. Though I am myself very fond of sport in almost- every form, I quite realise that in many quarters in all rank>» jf society in Great Britain, the importance of sport and games is Becoming unduly exaggerated; , it is carried to an excess at the expense of solid woTk." I think most sensible people will cordially concur in these expressions of the gallant General. A NEWSPAPER TROUBLE. Most people know and like Mr. T. P. O'Connor's pleasantly-written little , paper which he chose whimiscally to entitle M.A.P. (being Mainly About People). It may be Remembered that "Tay Pay" originally adopted these letters as the heading of his brightly-writ-ten personal notes in the London Evening Star, of which he was the founder. It may also be remembered that when he decided to start a penny weekly paper he adopted the same' letters as its title. But Mr. O'Connor is a veiy shrewd business ' man as well as a very able journalist, and so soon as he had made the Star a complete success tie mold it at a large profit, and then started a rival evening paper, which he called -The Sun. Ultimately he sold that also, and started M.A.P. It now turns oat that he has sold M.A.P. iv turn, and that Messrs. Pearson are thepurchasers. That fact only came out through some curious legal proceedings which have been initiated by the gur-' chasers against the vendor. It appears that Mr. O'Connor has- resolved to repeat his former ingenious and successful tactics, and had arranged that so soon us he should be free of M,A.P. he' would, bring out a new penny weekly paper on virtually identical lines, to be entitled P.T.O. These initials, commonly understood to mean "Please Turn Over," were' intended by Mr. O'Connor to be taken - as convening "People Of." The .idea seems slightly farfetched, but at any rate- the ."please turn over" interpretation will be equally appropriate.' His editorship- of M.A.P. does not terminate until the first -iv&elv m Jaine, and Massia. reaxbon complain that while he continues to edit the paper which they have purchased, he is at the same time actively engaged in promoting this new paper which is intended to be a formidable rival, and which they maintain, is a "colourable imitation" of M.A.P., calculated *to mislead purchasers. They ako complain that lie is practically utilising his editorship of M.A.P. to advertise far and wide the coming P.T.O. Wherefore they seek for an injunction to restrain, him. The. learned Judge, however, declared that nobody in his senses could possibly mistake P.T.O. for M.A.P., and refused to grant the injunction sought until much tuller information ■ shall have been supplied him. Accordingly the case stands over. "RAGGING." Recently I referred to the scandalous "ragging" case in the Scots Guards. It will be recollected that a young subaltern, accused of personal uncleanliness, was shamefully maltreated by his brother subalterns, boing drenched in motor oil and having jtito plastered on his" head and feathers "stuck on his body. The War Office took up the matter stringently, these intolerable ebullitions of barbarism having been strictly prohibited, and the decision has now been published. Colonel Cuthbert — who took all the blame on himself on the ground that the subalterns had believed they were acting on ,his suggestion, although in reality they had misunderstood his meaning — has been deprived of his command and placed on naif-pay. All the officers concerned have been severely censured, and put back as to their promotion. People are very sorry for Colonel Cuthbert. who is a gallant and able officer, but it cannot be denied that his directions to the subalterns to "deal with" Lieutenant Kennedy, were closely analogous to the old Irish intimation, "There's an informer, boys, don't put him under the pump !" Colonel Cuthbert said in effect, "Lieut. Kennedy is a discredit to the regiment, boys, but don't duck him." And yet they did so! Strange misapprehension!

■IOTMMMMMMMIMMMMMMMJMV A} young married cotlple, tho bridegroom a , state school teacher near Bal- | larat, made rather an unpromising beginning of wedded life. The bridegroom was sued by an hotelkeeper for £7 75., board and lodging. The plaintiff said that defendant spent his honeymoon at the hotel, and • loft without paying. Agked; for tho money, hn wrote to sify that he owed £38, and unless his creditors acted leniently with him he would ..file -his schedule. An order for the amount, with costs, was made. Professor David, who is going to Mexico to attend a congress in connection with the world's Universities, exhibited at a recent lecture a unique specimen with which he has been entrusted. It is a diamond, embedded in a matrix of ultra-basic basalt, and is probably tho only specimen of a diamond in situ ever discovered. _ Tho scientific value, therefore, is far in oxcess of its intrinsic worth, and the Professor asserted that he would not havo a calm moment until it was safely returned to Sydnoy. Not th.it he doubted tho honesty of hjs colleagues, at the Congress, but professors, ho said — particularly German professors — always wanted to got to the back of things. They would probably try to ascertain whether the gem had boon artifieally put in its curious setting, and he would eye every pocket knife with a certain amount of fear. A Japanese team of fifteen from the visiting warships competed in a rifle match with a team from the council of the New South Wales Rifle Association on 25th Slay. The Japanese were easily defeated, scoring only 186 to their onno-' nents' 309,