LATHER BRUSH TO PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13202, 13 June 1906, Page 1 (Supplement)

LATHER BRUSH TO PARLIAMENT.

I.v former • times the barber's craft was dignified with the title of profession, be it known. It was conjoined with the art of surgery. In the time- of Henry VIII. of England it was enacted that the barbers should confine themselves to the minor operations of blood-letting and drawing teeth, while the surgeons were prohibited from barbery or shaving. Later onabout the middle of the eighteenth century—the two callings were entirely separate. The striped pole in front of shops to-day is symbolic of former times, suggesting the period when the barber was also a' surgeon and indicating the ribbon for bandaging the arm in. bleeding. It was lung alter the vocations became distinct that Edward Burtenshaw Sugden rose to umiuence. Sugden was the son of a hairdressci in Duke-street. Westminster, and was assistant in the shop. When he was 41 years of age lie was made King's Counsel and* chosen a .bencher, of Lincoln's Inn. Under the first Administration of Lord Derby he was raised to the peerage as Lord St. Leonards.

» It goes without saying that there were not lacking envious persons to .twit him with his former occupation, and this story is told: Once when addressing a rowel In the interest of his own candidacy to Parliament a man called out to know what soap was worth and how lather was made. "I am particularly obliged to that gentleman for reminding me of my origin," said Sir Edward. It is true that lam a barber's ton and was once 'myself a barber. If the gentleman who sc politely reminded me of these facts had been a barber he shows here that he would have remained one to the end of his life."

It has been said of an inventive Englishman :—" While his inventions have conferred infinitely more real benefit on his own country than she could have derived from the absolute dominion of Mexico and Peru, they have been 'universally productive of wealth and enjoyment." This genius was Sir Richard Arkwright, and his inventions were. in the cotton-spin-ning industry-. He was born in 1732. turned from wig-making when the trade fell off, became enormously wealthy, -\riis made a. peer, and then died in the sixtieth year of his age. ■ ■