FROM NORTH OF TWEED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20701, 26 April 1929, Page 14

FROM NORTH OF TWEED

A LETTER TO OVERSEAS SCOTS. By Robert S. Angus. EDINBURGH, February 28. A few days ago spring flattered us with a hope that it was about to arrive. But it flattered only to deceive, for we are again in the grip of winter. Snow has not been so heavy or so general as before and the frost lias been -just keen enough to withstand the bright sunshine—not unpleasant conditions .*-s • a whole, but seriously interfering with work out of doors. An indication of the extent of that factor is given by the statement that over the country as a whole the number of unemployed has increased by over 115,000, a grave, if temporary set-back to the recent improvement. The spurt in the coal trade, to which I recently alluded, still continues and, even allowing for the influence of’ the cold weather both here and in Europe, there are grounds for believing that some part at least of the improvement will be maintained. One of the best proofs that trade as a whole, apart froin the heavy industries, is slowly improving is that the turn-over of the Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society, a good measure of the spending power of the working classes, increased by almost 0 per cent, during the last six ■ POLITICAL ACTIVITY. W ith a general election only about three months off all the political parties are now exceedingly active. They are having a preliminary minor skirmish at North Lanark bye-election. The Unionists chose as their candidate Lord Scone, the Earl of Mansfield's son, and though he is well spoken of, I should not have thought that the heir to a. peerage Was a_ wise selection for a constituency in which miners predominate. To make matters worse, lie has been attacked by the prevalent epidemic of influenza and will be able to take little part in the campaign. His only, advantage is that both his opponents are women. I am not indulging in sex-prejudice but merely stating the experience of all three parties when I say that hitherto electors have not favoured women candidates. None the less, the favourite at the moment is the Socialist, Miss Jenny Lee, a Fifeshire school teacher, the daughter of a miner, a graduate of Edinburgh, 25 years of age and said to be more than passably good-looking. Sir Robert Hutchison,' the Liberal Chief Whip, is accused, of having engineered a deal with the local Tories not to oppose him in Montrose Burghs and to have arranged in return that they shall have a clear run, in, the Kirkcaldy Burghs. Sir Robert strenuously denies any such compact, but I shall not be surprised if a good many such arrangements are tacitly in effect when the election comes. THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT. , So far the Scottish Nationalists have not decided to try their hand in North Lanark, and I doubt if they will. Thev had a meeting in Edinburgh at the end of last week and had an odd assortment on the platform—the Duke of Montrose, Sir Archibald Sinclair, Sir Henry Keith, and that political veteran, Mr A. L, Brown, of Galashiels.' Having read the speeches, I am still at a loss to .understand, not so much their grievances as their remedy. A great deal was said, for instance, about the depopulation of the Highlands, but no explanation is given as to how a Parliament sitting in Edinburgh, with only Scottish taxation to draw upon, would be either abler or more willing to provide the money to counteract that movement than the* Imperial Parliament with its command of the purse of the whole United Kingdom. An Edinburgh Parliament would bo dominated by the representatives from the densely populated industrial region of the west, and its political' complexion might astonish arid certainly would not please the Duke of Montrose. MEDICAL PROGRESS. That even under present conditions we do not stand still was abundantly shown by the speeches made the other day when the Scottish medical officers of health presented Sir Leslie Mackenzie with hia portrait on the occasion of his retirement from the Scottish Board of Health. Sir Leslie recalled that a quarter of a century ago, when he took. up , his appointment, infant mortality was the great subject of discussion; now, thanks to the establishment of medical inspection in the schools, the problems are referred to as child health; child welfare, and maternity service. In another sphere which came under review this week, the treatment of the insane, Professor G. M, Robertson, the superintendent of Morniugside—rthe largest institution of its kind in the world and one of the most progressive—was able to report a great improvement both in methods and in results.. These, it is hoped, will be markedly increased by a new enterprise, the opening of a hospital for the treatment of “nerves," which are often the prelude to mental breakdown, , This institution, starting free from the prejudice which attache? to asylums, will, it is believed, attract yoiuntary patients and thereby enable the doctors to deal with cases while they are still 3a the curable stage. QUEEN ALEXANDRA MEMORIAL. I mentioned at the time the remarkable response that Scotland made to the appeal for the Queen Alexandra Mcmonal Fund in aid of the Queen Victoria Ju.mee Institute of Nursing. In spite ot being crippled by the general strike, the effort realised over £87,000, or about one-third of the total for the whole of r’£nVn 1 i t ° d Kn^do! "‘ 0f that sum, ±25,000 has gone to district nursing associations and the balance to the institute, including £6OOO to the pension fund. Jiyeryoue familiar with conditions in our targe towns and in sparselv populated areas knows what a boon'the Jubilee nurses have been. These skilled and sympathetic women, making long journeys through slum streets and along lonelv country roads at all hours of the day and night, have brought help and hope to many a sorely-stricken household. It would be a disgrace to the community if so beneficient a movement were handicapped by lack of funds. CHURCH UNION. Congregational voting on the question of church union is still in progress, but thc_ figures so. far indicate that the majmity in favour will be overwhelming. There is no sign, however, that they will Itaie much influence on what remains of the hostile minority. Its leaders pride themselves on. their democratic principles, but these, it seems, are to be'disregarded when they conflict' with outworn prejudices on ecclesiastical problems. EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY PRINCIPAL. According -to an authorised announcement the Curators of Patronage in Edinburgh University—a body half-municipal and half-academic—have approached a gentleman of ” University administrative experience and academic distinction ” to succeed Sir Alfred Ewing as principal. I do not pretend to be in the secret, but the phrase quoted fits Sir George Macdonald, whoso name 1 recently mentioned in this connection. It is'tnac that he is 67 years of age, but that should not be a fatal barrier. . A VETERAN JOURNALIST. Scotland has lost its oldest journalist by the death of Mr Hugh Younie, in his ninetieth year. A native of Elgin, where he began bis newspaper work, he was afterwards stationed in Dundee m-d Edinburgh , before going to Gasgow. where, as a member of the Herald sUJE he spent most., ot Ms working IUo. Twenty years ago. he retired on pension, and ho has’since then lived in Edinburgh, amusing himself by writing an occasional reminiscent article.' To the public he was little known, but his fellow-

journalists respected and loved Mm for his genial modesty and his professional competence. MR WILLIAM ELLIOT OF LANARK. One o! the Pest known ‘figures in South of Scotland agriculture lias been lost by the sudden death of Mr William Elliot, for over <0 year* ibe proprietor of Lanark Auctiot .Mart. The son of a Selkirkshire farmer, tit bought the business hi 1886, and though crippled at-the outset by nearly 22, months’ stoppage owing tc- the yrevaleuce cf contagions disease, be faced the situation with cheery courage, and, with the gradual change from the old method of annual local trysts to weekly auctions he hnilt up n large business. In that success his shrewd personality and recognised probity were the main elements,. His only surviving son is Major Walter Elliot, M.P., the Scottish Under-Secretary, with whom his rcations were fraternal rather than parental. The, major received the > news of his father’s death as he was on hia way to the House of Commons, and Sit John Gilmour r being on the sick list, he had to carry on his work for fire hours when his thoughts must have'been elsewhere —a trying ordeal in which he had the sympathy of all who knew.