FROM NORTH OF TWEED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20708, 4 May 1929, Page 2

FROM NORTH OF TWEED

A LETTER TO OVERSEAS SCOTS. Written for the Otago Daily Times. By Robert S. Anods. EDINBURGH, March 14. Though southern in their origin, the schemes _ which have made their appearance this week for the relief of unemployment are being studied with acute interest on this side of the Tweed. Mr Lloyd George is much more specific than either the Balfour Committee or the Mel-chett-Turner Conference, and he makes much larger claims—the abolition of abnormal unemployment within 12 months without costing the community a penny of extra expenditure. That is obviously too good to be true, and accordingly a good many of those who were meant to nave been impressed have made their comment a .snort of scepticism. His plans for the making of new trunk roads and for an energetic extension of forestry have a particular Scottish interest. But the number of men who can be usefully employed in tree-planting is limited, and I doubt if many, Lanarkshire or Fifeshire miners would care to accept work as navvies in the wilds of Inverness-shire, far removed from their homes and families and with no prospect of decent housing. I fear that the only result of launching such schemes would be to attract a still larger number of labourers from Ireland, The proposals for the assistance of Empire migration are much more promising, and would be better still if the dominions were able to offer more active co-opera-tion. But the painful truth is that they want the men we can least spare—skilled farm workers, who are not in excess of the ’demand for them —and do not want our urban unskilled or semi-skilled men whom we have in superabundance. That is the dilemma which statesmen at home and overseas have to face. COAL TRADE IMPROVEMENT. Happily the prospects that the situation will be alleviated by normal developments are_ still brightening. Sir Adam Nimmo, chairman of the Fife Coal Company, who seldom allows himself •to express the optimism which must underlie his enterprise, told his shareholders this week that the_ outlook is distinctly better, and that, assisted by • the severe frost which has cut off our Continental rivals temporarily from the markets they had_ captured from us, some of the > foreign trade is _ being regained. It is a tribute to the skill with which the Fife company is managed tha» even in a year of depression it has earned a profit. Some of our leaders in the coal industry are actively engaged, in experiments in low-temperature carbonisation and in powdered fuel. The public hears little of these efforts, which are a great deal more promising than those mucliadvertieed enterprises in which it has invested its money with unfortunate results. If present indications are trustworthy, the coal trade is on the brink of great developments, which will enable it to hold its own against oil as fuel and electricity as a power-raising medium. MINERS’ QUARRELS. Gradually, the Scottish miners seem to be “ redding up ” the mesa into which they had allowed their affairs to fall owing to their lethargy in face of Communist activity. Mr William Adamson, M.P. (who is at the moment, an invalid), has ,successfully- launched the union which he set himself to form when the extremists captured the official organisation, and he has now secured its recognition by the Scottish Mine Workers’ Union as the accredited representative of the Fifeshire miners. Mr William Allan, who has been for years a centre of trouble in the west, has been suspended from the secretaryship of the Lanarkshire Union and from membership of the executive of the National Union. It now only remains for the rank and file to support the efforts of the authorised and responsible leaders ih order’ to restore the organisation to something like its former strength, which, it is hoped, will be used more wisely than in the past. SIR JAMES , LEISHMAN. On his retirement from membership of the Scottish Board of Health, Sir James Leishman has been .entertained at dinner by his friends. Having attained freedom from official responsibility he has proceeded to denounce the Local Government Rill (read a third time in the House of Commons on Monday), which he must have had some hand in preparing. I cannot imagine a man of his energy remaining long idle, and should not be surprised if lie were to make his appearance as one of Mr Lloyd George’s candidates. Sir James has a forceful personality, and no fear of making enemies. East Edinburgh has been-suggested as a possible constituency, but many of us, apart from politics, would regret the probable result—the disappearance of Dr Drummond Shiels from the House of Commons. VISCOUNT FINLAY. Scotland has seldom sent south a worthier representative than Viscount Finlay, who has just died at the age of 87, ■ He intended to be a doctor, like his father before him, but after taking his medical degree he changed his mind, and went to the English bar. Many a time have I heard the late Sir Henry Littlejohn boast that Viscount Finlay, then Attorney-general, had been the medallist in his medical jurisprudence class—a fact to which he did not hesitate to attribute •most of his pupil’s subsequent success.. Viscount Finlay, though he spent the whole of hip working hfO in England, remained to the end a thorough Soot. His political association with his native country was repeatedly interrupted by the fickleness of the Inverness Burghs, but he spent most of his holidays at hie pleasant residence at Nairn, and unti he was over 80 Was a familiar figure on the golf course there. MONS MEG. Every visitor to Edinburgli Castle is familiar with Mons Meg, the ancient cannon which occupies a place of honour on the Argyll battery. Its origin and name are wrapped in obscurity and controversy, but it is believed to date from the late fifteenth century, and to have no association with the Belgian battlefield Many are not aware that for 75 years it was in the Tower of London, having been re» .moved there in 1754 finder an instruction for the removal of obsolete. ordinance. The transfer seems to have raised no protest at the time- —a fact which may be noted by those who argue that the spirit of Scottish Nationalism is less alert now than in former days. The return of Mons Meg, whih took place exactly 100 years' ago. was mainly due to the activity of Sir Walter Scott., who approached George the Fourth on the matter during his Edinburgh visit of_ 1822. Meg was burst through overloading in 1682, when a salute was being fired in honour of the Duke of Yoru, and after events were held to have confirmed the belief that it was an ill-omen. “ COMMERCIALISED BRUTALITY.” Glasgow Corporation- has decided by a narrow majority not to let its KelvinHalf for -an exhibition of professional boxing, which one member denounced as “ commercialised brutality,” likely to attract the most undesirable elements. The attitude seems a little inconsistent, seeing that the corporation has no qualms aboutencouraging boxing competitions among the members of its own police force. Indeed. Mr Dollan, one of the Socialist leaders, bluntly called (he opposition • humbug and hypocrisy." So long as boxing was desired it was better that it should tnke place under proper control. ■ The opposition prevailed, however", however. Here, in the Waverley market,” boxing competitions have been a regular feature for many years, and the promoters ot the Glasgow enterprise will no doubt find another hall, so that the only result will be the loss of a good deal of revenue to the corporation. ABERDEENSHIRE EX-CONVENER. Aberdeenshire has lost one of its oldest leaders by the death, at the age of 80 of Mr Henry D. M’Conibic, who, till the end of Inst year, was convener of the County. He had been a member of tile council s ; nee its formation in 1800, and 1 believe that the decision not to re-elect him in consequence of his advanced age hurt him deeply. Mr M’Conibie, who was a farmer on « large scale, retired in favour of his eon about 20 years ago in order to devote himself entirely to public work. He was a man of great independence of character, and, though engaged in many hot controversies, retained the respect of his opponents. In the district of Komnay, where he spent the whole of his life, he will be greatly missed. EARL HAIG FUND. Though mere figures cannot give an adequate impression of the work done by the Scottish branch of the Earl Haig fund, it is worth mentioning that last year it gave relief to 17,000 officers and men and their dependents. The income was some £36,000, of which £6OOO was paid to the poppy factory in Edinburgh, where

52 disabled men are employed. Special attention has been given to the assistance of ox-service miners, and in that way nearly £9OO was spent. The administrative work is done by a committee of es-offic-ers and men with the assistance of a Ladies’ Committee. A PROMISE OF SPRING. After the severe weather of recent weeks, the return of milder conditions is welcome. It has enabled agricultural work, at present considerably in arrear, to be resumed, and has given the football players and golfers a chance. A correspondent, writing from within four miles of Inverness, mentions that there has been no snow there this winter, and that brilliant sunshine has been enjoyed for practically tlio last two months, reaching a temperature of 82 degrees the other day. I have always known that district to be famous for the mildness of its climate, but this experience seems exceptional. Speaking of football, the influx of spectators from the south for the Rugby match against Ebgland promises to surpass all records, and all the hotels have had their accommodation engaged. Not merely the Eossesskm of the Calcutta Cup is at stake, ut the international championship for the year.