SCOTLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13449, 24 November 1905, Page 8

SCOTLAND.

(Feou Oim Ows Correspondent.) TRADE AND INDUSTRY. The probable effects upon trade of the re-cstablisment of peace in tho Far East are naturally being much discussed in commercial and industrial circles. Oil the whole a not very hopeful view is being taken of the prospects of any large improvements in British trade with the regions affected, as it is believed that the lion's share of any new trade will be secured by Japan, whose prestige with China is now so largely increased, and which is upon the spot, in regard to Manchuria and Korea, in the Border towns the orders for clothing for tho Japanese troops are now expected to cease or at all events to bo very greatly reduced; but the Japanese have expressed so much satisfaction with the goods supplied to them that it is hoped that orders of a non-warlike kind may be received, and a permanent trade connection be thus established. 0110 hears no complaints of that shiftiness as to payments which is said to characterise Japanese commercial conduct, so that it may be hoped that, among other things adopted by Japan from Europe, may be the conviction that " honesty is the best policy." Galashiels appears to have been the place where the bulk of ihc Japanese orders were executed, and they came as a perfect godsend at a time when trade was in a. very bad way indeed.

There continue to be signs of healthy activity in regard to tho Scottish iron and coal industries. For instance, one or two of the largest steel manufacturing concerns are reported to have more orders in hand than at any previous time in their history. Sliipbuilders 'and builders of iron bridges are also more than usually busy. In Il'ife the exports ot coal this year to date now cxcccd 3,000,000 tons, showing an increase of 400,000 tons over the total for tho corresponding period of last year. Valuable discoveries of new scams of coal have been made near Prestonpans, and tho coal is to bo at once worked.

Oil September 12 110 loss than 5000 boxes of fish, amounting to 250 tons, were landed at Granton by 35 trawlers, constituting a record catch for tho port- Some 50 waggon loads wero despatched to Glasgow by rail, and when the Edinburgh market had also been supplied a gooii many boxes remained unsold,

Following upon the restoration of its ancient cathedral lona is meeting with revival of another kind. A Swedish syndicate has secured a concession to work tho quarries of white and serpentine marble for which the island was formerly famous. Work will bo begun in theni as speedily as possible. This is the best thing for lona, as for the Highlands generally, whose groat need is not more ecclesiasticism, of which they already have a superabundance, but more genuine labour.

Tho quantity of whisky in warehouse in Scotland scorns to be steadily growing. A return just published gives the total quantity at the close of the financial year as 121,778.039 gallons, which is an increaso of 381,000 gallons for tho year; while the increase in the past five years amounts to no less than 11J million gallons.

As it is an ill wind that blows nobody any good, so the dire calamity which has befallen tho Russian petroleum industry at Baku means profit to the Scottish mineral oil trade, l'or three years the competition with foreign producers, especially in Russia and t.lie United Stales, has been particularly keen, and the Scottish comnauies havo had to rcdnco their prices to the lowest possible figure, by which means they havo regained their own' market. If it be true that, the disaster at Baku is so great that, tho industry theiv will ho paralysed for months to come, it would seem to lie certain that prices must rise, a.* tho devastated region supplies a third of the world's output of- petroleum. As every id per caUon of rise in tho pre of r>n,raflin oil means an addition of $'5,000 per annum to tho profits of the Scottish producers. their onoorfunih- of making a good thin? out of the misfortunes of one of their principal competitors would appear to have arrived. FISHING IX LOCH .LF.VEST. Locli Leven is to Scotch trout-Ushers what St. Andrews is to golfers, and something more, and ilie annual report as to the season's fishing is always road with interest hv those who have known the delights of angling in the loch. The past season was a somewhat peculiar one. Hp to the end of .Tuly it was the most disappointing one known, on account of the drought, causing the water to fall to an unprecedentedly low level. The fish fed at, the bottom on a worm which they foundthere in abundance, so that thev would not rise to a bait. With the advent of a copious rainfall in August all was changed, the fish taking tho bait so readilv that when t.ho season closed the total num'-er of trout caught was found to l>e -331, being an increaso of 2f!37 over last year's figure. Tho heaviest one captured weighed 41b 1?.07.. and the average weight per tro'it. was WjOi, which is £oz above iho annual average. Forty angl'ng clubs held 96 competitions. The ncrs'slent war waged upon pike lias reduced their numbers almost to vanishing point, and anglers are looking forward to grand times when these pirates of the loch are completely exterminated. Perch were caught, in exceptional numbers in the loch this year.

DEGRADATION IN.LEWIS. . Scotland's " most distressful island" would appear to bo that of Lewis, which is ever cropping up in an unpleasant fashion. Its latest shadow is east by a report which has just been issued as a parliamentary paper. It has been mndo to the Local Government Board by Dr F. Dittmar, the medical inspector, and Mr A. B. Millar, general superintendent of poor and inspecting officer under the Public Health Act. The state of things described by these gentlemen is shocking in the extreme. The houses in the townships examined were found to bo of the most squalid description. They consisted usually of three apartments—a byre, a

"living room," anil a sleeping room. There was only one entrance for the human beings and live stock, and the living room, which ww in the centre, was separated from the oilier two rooms by a wooden partition on either sido six oi seven feet high. Consequently, the whole abode was filled with the odour from the byre, where the manure was four or five feet deep, and the upper part of it was so soft that the animals sank in it up to the knees. Added to this the liquid from the byre in one house flowed into the sleeping room of the next one, if the latter was at a lower level. In one house the occupant, before the eyes of the inspectors, baled out several buckets of liquid manure which had thus flowed in. The living room had no chimney—only a hole in the roof to allow the soot to escape,—and as the result "icicles" of soot Jiung down from the roof beams. The floors were of clay, and women, children, sheep, and fowls often sat on them side by side. In one " awful den, not fit for a pig, there are housed two wretched old paupers, who are compelled to crouch over the peat fire, as there is no bed to retire to-" The inspectors were astonished to find healthylooking young men and women in these miserable surroundings. Young children and old women, however, had a pale and aniemie appearance, and, as might be exneetcd, pliihsis is rife. The water supply is mostly from shallow wells, which are greatly contaminated, and cases of typhoid are traceable to them. It sounds like arim irony to read that in townships like these " the rates are very high." Not a word is said as to the churches doing anything to ameliorate the condition of people at their doors, who arc worse housed than the savages of New Guinea or the New Hebrides. And it is to he feared that in suite of these disclosures nothing will lie done now. The public does not mind the mild sensation of being shocked for a day or two. if it is not forced to do something to imnrovo matters,

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE ON A WIPE'S GRAVE. An extraordinary affair lias happened at Upper Kilfcowie, near Clydebank, just l)elo\v Glasgow. A labourer named Toner, living at Duntoeher, whose wife had died a fortnight previously, went to her grave and there cut his throat with a razor, inflicting a very severe wound. Putting down the razor, he wont to the cemeterykeeper's house and rang the bell. A young woman opened the door, and when Toner, covered with blood, foil into her arms slie naturally screamed, Help arrived, and Toner was carried into the house. There was found upon him a note in which he announced his intention of doing away with himself. He is only 25 years of age. OBITUARY RECORD. Mr John Duncan, of Parkhill, near Arbroath, who would have completed his 102 nd year if lie had lived till the 22nd December, died on September 11. He was greatly revered in Arbroath, where, throughout his prolonged life, lie was a most liberal and judicious supporter of every good work, though it was not until the day after. his 100 th birthday that, ho received the freedom of the burgh in rocognition of his many services to it. That, however, will not surprise anyono who knows the people of Arbroath. Sir Duncan

was also an able agriculturist and man of business, and he retained all his faculties up to the last. The Parkhill estate passes to his only son, who has a property near Montrose. Sir Duncan's funeral was a public one, and was very largely attended. Another centenarian—Airs Alexander Gordon, of Stirling, near Peterhead—has' also passed away. Like Mr Duncan, she was in her 102 nd year, and clear-headed to the last, Her husband, who survives her, is 96, and was for nearly 60 years manager of the granite quarries at StirlingHill.

Mr .Tohn P.ae Smith, a, widely-known bookseller and publisher in Aberdeen, has died in his seventy-eighth year. He was an active and useful man, both in business and in ecclesiastical life. Several sons and daughters survive him.

Ex-provost William Thomson, of Wlshaw, has died at tho age of 82. For almost 50 years lie has taken a leading part in tho municipal affairs of the burgh, retiring into private ljfo only a year ago. Two sudden deaths of well-known farmers are reported. The one was that of Mr Wm. Kelman, of Burnside, Bantfishire, who, in stooping down to pick up some corn, injured himself internally, and died in 24 hours. He was 72 years oi age. The other death was that oi Mr John White, of Edgefield. Loanhead. .Midlothian. Ho was driving in a pony trap across a field oil his farm when he died suddenly from heart failure.

Miss Bet-hia. Russell Eliot, of the wellknown Border family of Eliot of Stobs, has died in Edinburgh. She and Sir Walter Scott were both descended; from Walter Scott, of Harden; and Miss .Eliot also traced her descent from Princess Mary Stuart (Countess of Angus), daughter of King Robert HI. Mr Wm. Meiklc, late actuary of Glasgow Savings Bank, and a prominent man in business circles in that city, has died at tho age of 90. When he entered the bank's service in 1840 its funds amounted to only £154,690. In 1849, when he became actuary, they totalled £406,000; while now they amount to £10,000,000. The Glasgow Savings Bank is, in fact, the largest institution of the kind in the Kingdom not. connected with the Government: and it is mainly to Mr Meiklc that it owes its great progress. A brother of his, Mr Christopher Meiklc, who survives him. was for many years actuary of the Edinburgh Savings Bank,

Rev. John Thomson, for many years minister of St. Adraiu's, West Wemyss, died 011 September 18; aged 71. He was apparently in his usual health, when he was suddenly seized with heart trouble, and died in an hour. He was an accomplished man, and much esteemed. GENERAL NEWS. Two years ago a plebiscite taken in Dundee resulted in the rejection of a proposal to run tramway ears there on Sundays. This decision has been reversed by another plebiscite, in which tho majority in favour of Sunday cars was 4129'0ut of a total poll of 19,121. The cars aro now running regularly 011 Sundays.

Steps are being taken to enlarge the area of the burgh of Alloa to the extent of 168 acres, 86 of which are already built upon. Tho ground in question is on the west and south oi the town, and includes tho harbour.

A boy at the village of Chapel, Lanarkshire, being sent by his parents with some whisky for a relative, drank some on the road, where ho fell down and soon expired.

Tho U.F. manse at Burntisland, formerly occupied by tho Rev. A. W. Kinmont. now so well known in Ota?o. was broken into the other day and £4 4s 3d and three bankdeposit receipts for £10 each were stolen. Tho latter have sincc been recovered. Tho alleged depredators, a man and woman, were traced and caught. The woman was exonerated, but the man was convicted and sent to prison for 60 days.

A bazaar held at Blair Hustle, Perthshire, in aid of the funds of tho Scottish Horse, resulted in drawings amounting to the very respectable total of "2418.

A Danish vessel, named Do Tvondro Brodre. which was built in 1786. has just been discharging a cargo of timber from Norway in Granton Harbour. She is still staunch and strong, in spite of her 119 years of service.

A woman charged with wilfully breaking a shop window, made her 215 th appearance at the City Police Court, Edinburgh, a few davs ago.

The graves and cairn on Cullodon Moor which mark the historic contest I here, having fallen into a neglected condition since the death of Mr Duncan Forbes, of Cullodon, 10 years ago. they have now been placed in srod older by a committee of citizens of Inverness. An interesting ceremony took place to mark the completion of the work, when Ex-provost Maeßoan made ? short speech.

The postal authorities have been posed by the bucolic simplic'tv of the address on

a letter pested near Dollar. 'J'lie address in question reads thus:—"John Ross, 3 stairs up. Glcska."

Last Sunday, while some bullock* were Vein!; c'rivnn along tho Gnllowpnto. ftlasgow. one of them gazed at the unslmttevod window of a cvoccv , c pimp. Pivr>hal>lv secinsi his own reflection in it, and imagining it was another animal, lie drove l>i= lieail throuoh it. and "then. alarmed at the smashing of the glass, hastily rejoined his fellows.

On the day of the roval review tho Edinburgh tramways carried 450,000 passengers. The next highest total in their history was 350.000 on the Coronation Day. On Sunday. September 17, they carried 200,000 passengers. which is a record total for Sunday.

The following personal estates of deceived individuals have been recorded this month: Mr David Moncur. Ex-provost of Dundee, £315 658; Mr David Oavins (of Bowman and Co.. coal-wasters and briokjiiakors. TUickha-ven). of Ornil. £143.3?6: Mr R. B. Shaw, chairman of W. Shaw and Son (Limited l , contractors and property valuators, Glasgow, £36 4R7: Mr David I. Urquhart. of Thos. Burr and Co., coalmasters. Glasgow. £34.587; Mr .Tames Allan, jun., Edinburgh, formerly of Ko'ness, £33.311; Rev. Dr Norman Walker, exminister of the U.F. Church. Dysart, £6161.

It is announced to-dav that pronosak for the amalgamation of the Great North of Scotland and Pishland railways are under consideration. Aberdeen is named as the headquarters of tho joint concern.

MISS MORRISON IN REPLY TO MR ADAMS. TO TJIE EDITOR. Sin,—ln your report of Mr Adams's meeting, hold Inst evening, Mr Adams is reported to have said that "I had made statements regarding his (Mr Adams's) Ladies' Committee, but since I had admitted that the ladies wore not members of his committee." Sir, I bog to give this statement a most unqualified denial. What I did say appeared in tho press, and that statement I have never withdrawn, liccausn it is true. But the continuation of (he same tactics has necessitated our issuing the present circular, so that the people in the district will know for themselves should they bo called upon by any woman or man of the stain)) I have mentioned— namely, "professional slanderers."—l am, etc.. 11. E. Mokribo}!. November 23.