A LETTER FROM LONDON

Evening Star, Issue 26135, 24 June 1947, Page 8

A LETTER FROM LONDON

> TB.V AL. s. PItIMMKK.J By and large one can understand how quaint we over here must be compared with those in modern countries such as the U.S.A. and the various British dominions. Just for fun 1 have collected a few “ gems ” of our daily life. Each year on the anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo the Duke of Wellington goes to Windsor Castle, bearing an important small flag. It measures 12in by 16in, has a gold bullion fringe; it is, in fact, a miniature standard identical in everything but size and material with those captured by the Ii J on Duke’s men at Waterloo. Since then this little flag represents the rent (is a “ token rent ”) that must be paid by the owner of Strathfield Saye—the estate given by the nation (cost £26:1,000 in those days'), as a reward for the man who defeated .'Napoleon. In the court room of a small town in Rutlandshire you may see round the walls 400 horseshoes, tolls paid to the lord of the manor by the order of Queen Elizabeth. What has brought Oakham in the papers this week is the question as to whether the Assizes should be held here again after a lapse of 25 years. And even then there were no cases for trial, so the judge received the customary pair of white gloves. Tradition is loved by us—rightly so, I think—and it has now been decided that it just musn’t be done to allow a court assembled for the first time under King John to fade out for ever. So Mr Justice Oroom-Johns decreed that one case should be remitted from Buckingham for hearing at Oakham. And that is why Oakhamites are so pleased to-day. What about the village P.C. who wants the sack, can’t get it, or any pay either? Three hundred years ago

Parliament said that Tealby, in'*Lincolnshire, must have a “ bobby.” in whose care should be the village handcuffs and a staff of office. This official too, is supposed to have the power to find men to look after the village drains, woefully choked from lack of attention during the war. But as no pay is allocated for the work, he must pay the men himself, then levy a drainage tax on the district. ‘(lt’s a free country and I don’t want the job,” says the irate elected one. Villagers maintain, on the other hand, that as they have chosen him above all others he must remain P.C. for his term of office. One wonders what happens to the drains meanwhile. Oldest Public School. A controversy has been ( raging for some time as to which is the oldest public school in England; it is given to revivals, the last outbreak being in 1927. St. Peter’s, York, dates back to a.b. 627, being beaten by a few years by King’s School, Canterbury, 598. Claims were not settled easily, for though one had age on its side, the other had unbroken continuity. It

was founded for “ the sons of tliegns so that they should serve the Church and State faithfully,” hence die term public school, or " public-spirited.” St. Peter’s lias indeed a wonderful record. Its pupils got mixed up in the Battle of the Standard, in Marstnn Moor; and more peacefully provided an*Edueatioti .Minister for Charlemagne in 800. To bring this glory quite up-to-date, it has now provided a captain (Yardley) in one of the test matches against Australia. Love’s Young Dream. Love’s young dream (as in this advertisement) lias not yet been realised. “ Wanted, landlord who believes in love. Young ex-service couple getting married are romantic enough to hope for a small flat.”

How To Get Your Own Way* An acquaintance, a lady, who before the war had such a very modern kitchen that one of its walls was entirely of glass bricks, so that light could filter into the pantry and dairy. As this was dangerous during the war, the glass was removed, and a wood wall fixed up. The war over she wanted the glass' put back, or rather new glass as the other bad been broken in various accidents. So she applied to the Ministry of Supply, who sent back that this replacement • was a Luxury and therefore not admissible under the present shortage. Her faithful abigail then got to work. She sent a complaint to the Ministry of Health about the awful conditions of darkness under which she was supposed to carry out her work, and asked for an inspector to come. He did, and by the time he left, she had convinced him that her health was beginning to suffer, etc., etc.’ Would he look into the matter and insist that the mistress should make working conditions' better? In due course came a note from the Ministry, threatening a fine if the glass were not put hack at once, and all necessary material would be found. Victory for woman’s brains? Too Many Regulations.

Between the outbreak of war and y the end of November last year, no fewer than 15,799 sets of' orders have been made mostly -under the Defence Regulations. Hundreds of them are still in force, with the result that many .otherwise blameless citizens are law-breakers, for who can remember this mass of printed matter? Gradually many, of course, will be revoked, but before then punishments will have been inflicted unworthily, perhaps even unjustly. The poor farmer is possibly the most heckled, what with rules about potatoes, mustard, ricks, and endless forms. Now legal luminaries are beginning to ask whether some redress is not due, to save their valuable time, the equally valuable time of “ criminals,” and the waste of money in many trivial cases that before 19.19 were not cases at all.