FROM NORTH OF TWEED.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20322, 2 February 1928, Page 14

FROM NORTH OF TWEED.

A LETTER TO OVERSEAS SCOTS. . Written for the Otago Daily Times. By Robert S. Angus. EDINBURGH, December 15. Though it does not directly concern us, the controversy about the Church of England Prayer Book has been followed with lively interest on this side of the Border. It may be due partly to our supposed hereditary love of ecclesiastical questions, partly to a certain personal interest iu watching two shrewd Scots — archbishops—guiding the Church of England along a slippery path, and partly to a long-standing and still latent suspicion of any Romeward drift. The Archbishop of Canterbury made effective argumentative use of the changes which have taken place in our Presbyterian mode of worship during the past generation, and ot the fact that churches like St. Giles and St. Culhbert’s have a ritual of their own which they are free to alter as they choose. Not many of the present day remember the fierce battles of the last century over the introduction of organs, which now. except in the remoter parts of the Highlands, are regarded as a necessary adjunct to public worship, and the late Professor Cooper could tell many amusing stories of the prejudice against the changes he made in the direction ot what was regarded as a dangerous ritualism. It seems a little ungracious that when we have been left free to work out our own salvation, any of our representatives should.seek to interfere in the domestic affairs ot the English Church. The Duke of Buccleuch, for instance, a member of the Scottish Episcopal Church, which has a prayer book of its own embodying some of the changes now proposed south of the Tweed, spoke against the liberty to make them there. CHURCH UNION. Unless I misread the signs of the times our Church leaders need, all their attention at present for their own problems. The attempts to conciliate the minority of the United Free Church hostile to reunion with the Church of Scotland are meeting with little or no response. The extreme voluntary party continues to worry itself over theories of the relations between Church and State which have little interest or practical importance nowadays, and to contemplate with a misn laced pride the possibility of standing out against the great majority of their brethren. I have confidence in the good sense of the official leaders of the two churches, which are supporting each otehr with unswerving loyalty. But Scottish SlesiasEcal history has too many instances of “ thrawness and of exaggerating points which are essentially insiffnificantf to warrant any certainty that a beneficent movement will not he ruined by a recalcitrant minority. Principal Martin admitted the other day that he is haunted day and night by the thought of the great junction of forces being marred through lack of unanimity m carrying it tkrougkjjj-QusTRiAL OUTLOOK. There is no better index to the prosperity of the working classes than the fkuris of the co-operative societies, and one is entitled therefore to derive satisfaction from the fact that completed quarter the sales of the Scottish Wholesale Society amounted to over £4 000 000, an increase of nearly £250,000. xtie society has lone ceased to b.morel, a distributing agency. It manufactures commodities of every sort on a laige scale and in some districts, notaoiy Edinburgh and Aberdeen, does a large proportion of the total trade. One of the blackest spots industrially is the shalefield in Linlithgowshire. But I note that Mr James Kidd, the member for the constituency, declines to take a hopeless view, and in a speech the other night he dropped a hint that science which founded the industry 100 years ago is on the point of coming once more to the Mr Kidd is not in the habit of talking at random, and, if means can be found, for extracting a larger proportion of oil from the shale as well as securing more byproducts, an area which is now m me slough of depression may become ''again a busy centre. I believe the possibilities are being explored by a group which has abundant financial and scientific resources. A FORTUNE FOR DUNDEE. The late Sir James Caird. one of the leaders of the jute industry, was a munificent supporter of many good causes, and while he contributed to them wherever he found them, he did not forget Dundee in whicl he made his wealth. He provided it with its new Town Hall and other amenities. At his death his fortune passed to his sister, Mrs Marryat, and she has bequeathed practically the whole of it for public purposes. A sum of £IOO,OOO is given for the purchase of land in and around the city, so that it is permanently equipped with the means of preserving and extending its open spaces. Twice that amount goes for the establishment of travelling scholarships in engineering and kindred subjects, and the residue, expected to be substantial, is to he divided between the Royal Infirmary and institutions for the benefit of exservice men. It is estimated that the Caird family will have given over a million sterling for public purposes. OUR WOMEN’S PHYSIQUE. A report by the Industrial Fatigue Research Board issued this week has some surprising disclosures in regard to the phvsique of our women. It tells, for instance, of a Glasgow chemical factory where 40 girls were found doing navvy work, shovelling about 25 tons of material during a day of 10 hours, and working barefooted. “ The movements involved seemed to bo of a type that ensured muscular development and poise, as without exception their carriage . and physique was literally remarkable.” The notable circumstance is that the girls are recruited from the surrounding district, which is one of the slummiest in Glas- •, god—and that is saying a good deal. On the other hand, as one would expect, un- ( employed young women were found to be markedly inferior in height and muscular development to an equal number of •. college students. The moral of the investigation would seem to be that hard ' physical work is the best specific for phy 1 sical fitness. ' FUTURE OF THE HOSPITALS. | Sir John Gilmour received this week a deputation from the voluntary hospitals, anxious to find out how these institutions will be affetced by the Poor Law ] reform which has been projected. The ' Scottish Secretary, while not commit- ’ ting himself to details, gave an assurance i that no change was likely to curtail the - work of the infirmaries. On the con- J trary, the aim would be to incorporate i them more formally as part of the public t health- service, and to bring the poor law , hospitals up to their level. He pointed . to the co-operation with the local autho- ‘ rities already established in such places • as Aberdeen. Glasgow, Stirling, and Fal- J kirk, and suggested that development , along the same lines might to a large -j extent solve the difficulties in anticipa- 1 tion of legislation. Several of the < speakers pleaded for State support for ; the infirmaries, but there is a serious ; danger that such a step would dry up ] the stream of private benevolence, wlm e as indicated by the case of Mrs Marryatt ] already mentioned, has flowed in considerable abundance. The meeting was imam- , mous in its view that steps should be i taken to extend the system of enabling ] patients who can do so to pay for their • treatment. On the whole, our infirmaries 1 are better off than those of any other < country, and their invested funds must t amount to a vast sum. i SCOTTISH HISTORY AND TEXT ‘ SOCIETIES. * I have mentioned more than once the * admirable work which is done by the ( Scottish History Society and the Scottish 1 Text Society. They exist to publish for s the benefit of their members and the public libraries documents which, although of great interest, would not be remunerative if issued through the ordi- , nary commercial channels. The material i available seems to be almost inexhaust- s jble. Both societies arc fairly prosperous, 1 hut they could do with more members. * The subscription entitles the member to 1 copies of the publications—generally at f least two a year,—and these have a way ’ of becoming valuable to the collector. 1 Most of the editorial work is clone by < experts without fee. < THE HOME RULE MOVEMENT. j After another long wrangle the various ( sections and associations which have been \ formed to promote Scottish Home Rule , decided this week that the formation of , a separate National Party would he futile. ] They adopted an amendment to the effect f that the best chance of success lies i through inducing the three political (

parties to include the question in their programmes. As the total attendance was under _ 100, and the delegates were sharply divided both as to means and end, I remain sceptical. The truth is that if the present Parliamentary representatives of Scotland could agree on any subject whatsoever they would get all they want through the Imperial Parliament. I have never known them united. GIGANTIC EXCURSION’. Arrangements are now practically completed for one of the largest and most interesting excursions ever planned. For some years parties of Scottish school boys have been taken to London and various parts of the Continent of Europe. This year it is proposed that a party of about 1000 should go to Canada, leaving about the end of June, and returning two months later. A troopship has been secured for the purpose, and it is estimated that the cost will be about £ls each. The only difficulty will probably be to cut down the applicants. The boys will be accompanied by masters in the proportion of one in 10, and will be accommodated in holiday _ camps in various parts of the Dominion. It is hoped that the ship which takes the Scottish boys out will bring back an equal number of Canadian boys, who will spend six weeks in this country, but that part of the scheme is not yet definitely arranged. The education authorities on this side are taking a warm interest in the project, and the time the boys spend in travel will be counted as school attendance. I believe the various Canadian Governments are also keen about the scheme, which obviously has great propagandist value, since many of the lads will see enough of the Dominion to induce them to return there when they have to made their way in the world.