LORD INCHCAPE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 31 July 1922, Page 2

LORD INCHCAPE.

INCIDENTS IN A NOTABLE CAREER. SALARY OF £5 A YEAR. LONDON, June 9. Lord Inchcape was richly reminiscent when he returned thanks after being presented with the freedom of the burgh of Arbroath. Amongst other things he announced that he intended to make the town a gift of £20,000, the interest on which he desired the Town Council to disburse among the widows and dependent relatives of men connected with the sea. He referred to his work oh the Geddes Committee, which met first at his house at Glenapp. "AVeek in, week out. after we left Glenapp we sat at the Treasury in London from 10 to 7, and often later,*.', he said. "The Treasury were very good to us, and we had half an hour for a frugal lunch which they supplied. AYe felt extremely grate, ful, and after we had finished our work and sent in our report an incident occurred which led us to think that economy had really begun. AYe each received a bill for our luncheons, which we paid without a murmur. Any success or supposed success I may have achieved is not due to myself. Had it not been for my good fortune in winning the lady who sits by my side I am perfectly certain you would not have been givinir me the freedom of the burgh to-day. All through our married life she has been my chum and my constant adviser, to say nothing of what she has done for me by a very stern course of discipline. It is to this more than to anything else that I attribute any good fortune I may be supposed to have had. "Some eleven years ago, when the King was graciously pleased to give me a peerage, we looked out for a name, and came to the conclusion that nothing could be more appropriate tluin to take the title of 'Inchcape,' the revolving light which we had both seen from our childhood. Shortly after this the late Judge Snagg, a great humorist, who had taken my" wife down to dinner, said to her: 'I have had a good many agreeable surprises m my life, but I never expected to'find myself sitting beside the Inchcape Bell.' "Speaking of the Inchcape Rock reminds me of a visit I paid to jt when a boy. I went off in the sailing tender which used to take out reliefs and supplies once a month. One of the crew, Sandy Cargill, had been applying himself to the jars rather freely, and ihe several times, without result, pressed me to join ~him. He got rather nettled, and said, 'Man, laddie, 'tak a drap o' that ale; it's no' very good, but it's a dashed sicht better than water!' AVhen we landed on the Rock, covered with slippery seaweed, Sandy's legs gave way, and he had to be lifted back into the boat with a sprained ankle." There was an idea abroad that there should be nothing'• more than fortytwo or forty-eight hours' work a week, and that the other 126 or 120 hours should be devoted to rest and recreation. He was within the mark when he said that.his average week of work for the lust fifty years had not been forty-eight hours; it had been nearer or had exceeded ninety-eight hours sx week. His experience was that there was no greater pleasure in this world than that which was derived from work. Occupation was the cheapest form of amusement, and idleness "the most expensive. He found that his name was to be on the burgess roll with that of Viscount Morley. "I wonder if I might tell you ,a story about him," •said Lord Inchcape. "After he had retired from the India Office he became Lord President of the Council, and I was su:ceeded .by the Marquis of j Crewe. Lord Crewe got ill, raid Lord Morley was called upon in the emergency to act as .Secretary for India for a few months. Sir Edward Grey, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, also got ill, and Lord Morley took over his duties too. A .serious divergence of opinion arseo between the Foreign Office and the India Office on a certain subject. AVith the Permanent Undersecretary I was called in by Lord Morley to arose between the Foreign Office and to the best of our ability. Lord Morley. having heard what we had to say, with a twiiikle in his eye, said 'The Secretary of State for India is 'seized wth the Indian point of view and he will now collaborate with the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and if these two dignitaries don't agree he will refer the matter to the Lord President c- c the Council.'' Lord Inchcape said that ho acquire^ the rudiments of his business training in the office of his revered master, the late Mr. Francis AVebster. He had the magnificent salary of £5 the first year £10 the second, and £15 the third, but there was compensation for the meagre salary in the long office hours.