FROM NORTH OF TWEED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20811, 2 September 1929, Page 13

FROM NORTH OF TWEED

A UTTER TO OVERSEAS SOOTS. Written for the Otago Daily Tnn«. By Robert S. Angus. . .. EDINBURGH, July 18. At the height of the holiday season we have been plunged into a minor political controversy, which, I gather, is causing a good deal of excitement in London, but is regarded coolly enough, here. During the general election some of the Socialist candidates, notably Mr Tom. Johnston, who is now Scottish Under-secretary, and Mr Joseph Wedgewood, who has become the Secretary of State’s secretary, used strong language in denunciation of the recentlypassed Local Government Act, which unifies the administration of all the local public services as a . sequel necessary to the process of de-rating. When they came into office the 'Scottish Ministers- found that pledges rashly given could not be fulfilled, Repeal of the Act' as a whole was impossible without .causing djrc confusion, and the only part .which lent itself to suspension was that which places education, under th» town and county councils. Accordingly, in response' to the pressure • \ ™beral amendment to the Address in the House of Commons, the Govern-nient,-after.much hesitation, brought in a ,“1 to Suspend the.education provisions, although these are the part of the Act to which they have least objection; The municipal bodies and most of their leading officials are at present on. holiday; but they have sent scratch deputations to London to protest against the Bill. The Educational Institute, which is the organisation of 25,000 teachers, also became active, and - even the Socialist Teachers’ Society posted representatives off to London in a hurry to warn their political , at they were making a mistake. What the effect of these efforts will be I mi not yet know, but X'shall be surprised If the ™ easur ? makes any further proS r ®ss. The Prime Minister was obviously half-hearted about it, and he has nothing to] gain by offending the large body of teachers—who include many of his: own supporters and the large local authorities. If;anything could have been .done to save , the small •burghs, something might ■ be said for; it on grounds of historical sentiment, but they will feel all the angrier if they are-left to’their fate while an effort is made on. behalf of the education authorities which' were established' only-some. 10. years ago. " j HOLIDAYS AND THE WEATHER. • TH 8 i®. Glasgow " Fair ” week, and the .industry in that city and district is .practically at a standstill while its citizens are spreading, themselves all over the .country. In the old days “ doon the waiter. ” was practically .the pole resort of the Glasgow workman and his family. But they have come to realise that, beautiful as the-lower reaches of the Clyde are, they lack the invigorating properties which people living in a relaxing climate should have when on holiday. The result is that in recent years the workers of the,west as well as .the well-to-do have tended to’ come more and more to our Fifeshire and other ea%t coast resorts, while Edinburgh goes to the Clyde. The ’ arrangement has many advantages. • I see that one writer, perhaps with a slightly irohigal intent, suggests that .the best time to see Glas,gow is during .the. ‘/Fair”.week,,when it is as nearly as possible deserted arid its smoke is reduced to- a minimum. But .the statement is literallytrue... I'know it is rather the fashion to. deny--. Glasgow any natural, beauty. , But. having Ijved and- worked in that city, during the six happiest l years of my <life, I have, never been, among its detractors, and I know BP urban Eceue thafc;tlie view from the heights of Gilmorehill. or the long andulatjng sweep of the Great Western road when the street. lamps are . gleaming against a.hachground of fading'afterglow. Happilyv for the holiday, makers, the west is not at present.justifying its reputation for raininess, and ; they, are having ideal conditions. r HARVEST PROSPECTS. But what is happiness for the holiday maker threatens 1 serious loss to the farWM. , The col . d winds' of June,. with loifc night temperatures, have been followed "7 an arid July, .and . in many districts hay and straw, threatens to be below the average. Grub la axnonjj the oats, and weeds are troublesome; in some districts root crops have had to be .resown, and unless r e i —f me war m rain soon'the outlook will be. poor. On the other - hand, our fruit harvest promises to be good. THE NATIONAL LIBRARY. If our Scpttish Nationalists, instead Of' wasting their iri demands for immediate Home Rule, were to concentrate on practioal.grievances they -would do more.good. I have in mind particularly S®■:Goyernments scurvy -treatment- of the National Library. Not merely is f ? tate .Kraut miserly as com,IS glven to. kindred institutions eleewhcre,but the present defe. Prodding the additional accommoli« rgent i 3 A needed is sca -ndalous.. The (Wf n n * be estended till the Sheriff Court has been, removed to the Calton and the Catton Gaol site canb ;+ available 1 tbe departments have ’J 3113a red .and made, up; their minds as to of an, architect for; the new buildings there—whether he is to. be of. the Office of Works staff or, e the importance of the site demands, a fi«!«f UlS vr eCI °iV tfi f de ' memb6r of the-pro-No T tha t have both a Prime Minister and a Scottish Secretary who are among the. National Library trustees the Government should have a livelier sense.of their, duty. The problem should pa r iClllar . Merest to Mr Ramsay T^bv?v na d ’ sG . eing . that the National such to the P '£ cet V ce of K s Sir.' Alexander Grant, who-must be chafing at-the delay. SURPLUS O' TEACHERS,. - VTiat I,said recently about-the problem created .by an excessive number of university students is reinforced by'Xe th f £ atl . onal Committee for the Training of Teachers that the supply is much in excess of the demand. Many of those who graduated a' year ago are still without employment; few of those && JU f > ft S olleg€ this year, have obtained posts; and, as the number of P w pe - cfc iT e entr il nts next academic jear is larger than ever, the situation must become worse. The committee of ° f onfe f .that they can think of no method of restriction bevond warnmg candidates of the seriousness of the position. CHURCH UNION. From an official announeeinent that the p, luou . Committee _ of the United Free Church has been in communication with representatives of the minority'who are opposed to union, l am glad to think there it -fvne P r ° s P ect of some arrangement It v as agreed to recommend that anykirk session on being, approached by a .reasonnLn- n > mb | r of mem bers should take a plebiscite to ascertain the mind of the congregation as to its future aud its turn to the United Church, arid that effect s ould be given to the. desire thus expressed. At the , same- ..time, it -is explamed that the vote' will not determine the distination of property. How That stand" 16 " 4 matters 1 do not Quite uuderGRET FRIARS CHURCH RESTORE TION. As the result of a public meeting' this f a . n e , do ft has been launched to reFdnbJrgl, 11 ' 1 9. hprc I h Grey friars, fianimngh, a- national monument on’ ndth tlie It is a happy coincidence that the scheme mramiMee 'has* been 1 Jonntl! - is hoped to enhst national as well as local EDINBURGH mFIRMARY 81-CEN-v lENARY. On August G next Edinburgh Roval Infirmary will complete 200 years of ser hoHd* 0 t lG conmi umtv, but, in view of the holiday season, celebration of the anniKwn’fhe m P C deferred . tdl the autumn.' for Vqno b nno+ de t lG - o , ccasion of-ah appeal tnl -P 0 . 0,000 t( ? P rovld e a maternity' hospital to be erected on the «eceutlyacquired site, n hicli is at present'- occupied by George Watson’s College. It was a vriry different institution whieh opened its doors for the first time in 1729. The beds numbered sis, now- they are over 1000,

and, including out-patients, some 88,000 persona are treated every year. Edinburgh was the pioneer in Scotland of what hae become - a world-wide ; method of combining the. treatment of the sick poor with medical education. The founders of the infirmary had to deal with a population of 40,000 huddled together in narrow wynds and closes in houses devoid-of even roost elementary forms of sanitation. ■ Bup, .then as now, its. services were not restricted to Edinburgh, and it is remarkable to find that in its first year the little house at_ the top. of Robertson’s Close drewv patients from Peterhead, Caithness, ond the island of Mull. Upkeep during the-first year cost just under £IOO, which is about one-fourth of what is now spent daily. During the Forty-five part'of the infirmary became a military hospital. Its, History has been one of constant and rapid expansion, and provides, a cross-section of the storjyof medical and surgical'pro-RVnTm-f -'o®' those of Jan ies -Rutherford, James Syrne, Sir James Simpson, and Lord Lister . speak for themselves. THE WEARING OP THE KILT. ■ ■ E jk. Society of - Inverness* at its annua! meeting this week decided to formulate a set of rules as to the proper .9 l I should have thought that its members needed no guidance on such a subject. Perhans it is " Highlanders of the white P i aS slightly contemptuous Gaelic phrase terms them, who buy or rent properties in the North and proceed ‘■UuSoS ™ ore H . !^lland than the HighT J-f- 60Cl ety recognises -that in modern conditions the use of the kilt must ntn?-! 10 ’ but it suggests .that on the many occasions when the .national dress dobe aP Tfi Pr w* e ft b f } v - orn . it should be Highland dress, should not be m.- a roediaeval .fancy, costume ,n;,® B heal thy, comfortable, and. practical that If SoCle ‘ y mi .B ht h ave added Tl,« bas-the great merit of being cheap. Ihe first-cost , is heavy, but a friend' of wbo dressod his boys in the kilt it economical, especially as irirlo ll be p, a *fd on from the boys to the hpra~l le ? tbe , of the original wearer to ° ,on B- But the society is smelj wrong when, it claims the kilt r " al ’ OIlal - Until modern days it was iririopil woru south of the Grampians, nor indeed was the sight. of it particularly Tw.?t e t i her i e until , t!,e memory of the Jacobites had passed into the sentimental