FROM NORTH OF TWEED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21358, 11 June 1931, Page 15

FROM NORTH OF TWEED

A LETTER TO OVERSEAS SCOTS Written for the Otago Daily Times. By Eobeet S. Angus. EDINBURGH. April 23. Though the Bill enabling local authorities to permit the opening of Idnema theatres does not affect us on this side of the Tweed, it has- aroused _ a great deal of interest. The rejection of the measure was moved by Mr lan Maephcrsou, and English members, knowing that his constituency, Ross and Cromarty, is probably the last which is likely to have kinema theatres, resented what they regarded as his unwarranted interference. Many of the Scottish members, thinking that England is entitled to a little Home Rule, did not vote, but over 30 of them went into the lobby against the Bill and only seven in favour. One hears a great deal of talk about Scottish objections to Sunday entertainments, and our Church leader's are very strident on the subject. It would be interesting to have a national plebiscite on the question. Not so long ago we were warned of the dreadful things that would happen if we had con-, certs on Sunday evenings and band performances in the parka in the afternoons; they have not happened. I cannot help thinking that the crowds of young men and women who on Sunday evenings throng Princes street in Edinburgh, SaucluehalJ street in Glasgow, Union street in Aberdeen, md the Nethergatc in Dundee, would be less of a danger to themselves and less of a nuisance ■ to others if they were seated in picture houses or concert halls than they are when skylarking about the pavements, as they won’t go to church in any case. But it has to be recognised that publicopinion, so far as it is organised, is not ready for such a development

I HOME RULE REBUFF. I It is interesting to note that the Scot- ! tish Trades Union Congress, meeting so far north ns Elgin, rejected by a large majority a proposed resolution in favour of Home Rule for Scotland. The decision is hardly surprising. All our great or l ganisations of workmen are founded on a United Kingdom basis; the purely Scottish Unions are few and small. The others foresee the administrative difficulties which would arise if we had a separate Parliament, and in course of time a different code of industrial legislation, when their members, are constantly moving to and fro across the border- As one of the speakers said, we are, for good or ill, industrially, inter-related with England, and severance is practically impossible. It is plainly idle, too, for the trade unionists to protest against the control of industry being so largely transferred to the south when their own organisations are already on that basis. POLITICAL ACTIVITY. We are threatened with four candidates at each of the by-elections which are now pending in St. Rollox and Rutherglen. The Nationalists have decided to try their fortunes again at both places, and the Communists, if they can raise the money, will also be in the field. By all appearances, the Socialists will hold the two seats. But their domination in the West of Scotland is threatened by a movement on foot among the Roman Catholics, who form so large a proportion of the voters in that area. They are dissatisfied with the action of some of the sitting Socialist niembers on matters of denominational interest, and have formed an organisation which will seek to exact conditions in return for its support. HIGHLAND HOUSING. Mr Tom Johnston, the Lord Privy Beal, visited Inverness last week-end to confer with the local authorities on the housing conditions in the north. His main object was to encourage them to take advantage of the financial. assistance offered by the State under the Act of 1930; there was, he said, “no excuse tor the large number of insanitary shacks and Kaffir kraals that etill disfigure the Highlands.” - The phrase was not very tactful, but no doubt it was used deliberately to stir ,the town and county councils into action. The difficulty is that these bodies are already so overburdened that they dare not increase their rates, and as one of the speakers pointed out, new houses are standing empty in some places because the rents are higher than can be afforded. Mr Johnston discussed also the proposal to widen the Caledonian canal. The heavy cost might be faced if there were any prospects of a corresponding increase in the traffic, but I doubt if even the present service of one steamer each way on alternate days is remunerative. FORTH BRIDGE. Mr Johnston’s parliamentary reference to the possibility of a road bridge across the Forth at Queensferry showed more sympathy with the project than his colleague, the Transport Minister, has hitheHo done, but on this, as on the canal, he insisted that economic considerations must predominate# A. new proposal is that the bridge should 'be made to the west instead of the east of the railway bridge, and at a lower level, using, the dockyard at Rosyth—now practically derelict—at the northern end, where the necessary roads are already available. The river is wider at that point, but it is also shallower, and it is estimated that the cost would be lees than half—something under £3,000,000. It would also have the advantage that the wind pressure would be much less. The scheme •is worth serious examination, and no doubt will receive it when the Transport Minister again confers with the local authorities, as be proposes to do in the near future. But be will repeat that unless they are willing to bear more of the cost than they have hitherto indicated he will remain convinced that the bridge is not seriously wanted by local opinion. ”

KOAD AND RAIL TRAFFIC. Sir John Maxwell, the Chief Traffic Commissioner for the North of Scotland, had some startling figures submitted to him by the railway companies as to the decline in their traffic, and still more in revenue, owing to motor bus competition. It was mentioned—to take one example —that the numbers of passengers between Aberdeen and Elgin has fallen in the last 10 years from 114,000 to 61,000 a week, and the receipts from £14,000 to £9OOO. At Maud Junction the revenue from passengers is only one-third of what it was 10 years ago. Counsel pointed out that i if this process is allowed to continue the railways will have to close down, with disastrous results for the countryside. Lines like that which runs between Craigellachie and ‘Grantown have been almost stripped of passenger traffic. The Chief Commissioner suggested that the railways and the buses should consult with a view to ending cut-throat competition in fares, and meetings are now taking place. The motor bus services are undoubtedly a great convenience, but the railways remain essential to the economic life of the country, and if they are allowed to be destroyed the consequences must be serious, OUR HOTELS. Mr Johnston, in his recent speech, excited a little derisive laughter when he alluded to the hotel industry as one which

is capable of development. But he was undoubtedly right. The topic was discussed at the annual dinner of the Hotels and Restaurants Association, and Sir Arthur Towle, an Englishman who has done much to bring our accommodation up to the international standard, cordially agreed that further improvement is desirable and necessary. Sir lain Colquhoun was contemptuous of our country inns and alleged that in many cases the landlord welcomes the threat of a dissatisfied customer to take his departure, Some of them, I daresay, adopt a “ take-it-or-leave-it ” attitude; but I do not believe that that is at all general. The truth is that the best of our small country hotels are as full as they can hold from the beginning of July till the end of September, and empty for the rest of the year, and the proprietors do not find it worth while to cater for the casual or out-of-season visitor. I dissent from Sir lain’s suggestion that such hotels should have a waiter who could also act as piper. That may make the American tourists think they are being provided with local colour, but the average guest does not want to be “ deaved ” while at his meals by a pin«r. whose proper place is th? mountainside. MUSEUM CURATOR. I am sorry to learn that my friend Mr A. O.' Curie is retiring under the age limit from the curatorship of the Royal Scottish Museum. If ever there was a case in which physical and mental keenness as well as unrivalled aptitude for his work justified an extension of tenure it is Mr Curie’s. When he was

appointed in 1916 he had to struggle with all the difficulties of war-time, and it w-as not till normal conditions were restored ! that he had an opportunity to develop the educational and recreational attractions of the institution. It used to be a dull place, in which courting couples took refuge on rainy days, but he has altered it almost beyond recognition. Incidentally it has become an adjunct of the schools, and over 6000 children resort to it regularly for the study of its exhibits. Mr Curie will no doubt be glad to get out of official harness, for he has in hand many antiquarian problems which he is anxious to solve; but I believe his sense of public service is strong enough to have kept him at his post if he had been pressed. His gain of leisure will be a loss to the public. COMMUNITY DRAMA. As a nation w'e have had sihall reason to pride ourselves on our dramatic ability, and I say that having in mind such names as those of Forbes-Robertson and George : Alexander in the past and Matheson 1 Lang and MTCinnel in the present. It is. therefore, all the more gratifying and surprising that the fifth national festi--1 val of community drama, held in London this iveek by the British Drama League j should have resulted in a completely Scot- | tish victory. Five hundred teams had been reduced to five as the result of local competitions, and among these five the dramatic circle of the former pupils of Falkirk High School came first and the Magnet Club of Edinburgh second. The three judges were unanimous in their verdict, which I am told, was cordially endorsed by the audience. The Falkirk Club played " Ardvorlich’s Wife,” a tragic little piece by_ Gordon Bottomley, founded on an incident in the introduction of “ The Legend of Montrose,” and the Magnet Club played ‘‘ The Sisters’ Tragedy," by Richard Hughes in the Grand Guignol vein. The chib has an actress who approaches genius in the person of Miss Dorothy Gibson. Miss Edith Graig (Elle n Terry’s daughter) in aiving her judgment, said she had never seen a child'play better, and doubted if she ever would. The success is a good augury for the Edinburgh Repertory Theatre scheme. % , WAR MEMORIAL VOLUME. Our National War Memorial at Edinburgh Castle is admittedly uniqu|. Its erection was preceded by much versy; ,but has been followed by none; it is recognised as a masterpiece in its combination of t architectural design and artistic decoration, in which the artistic genius and the organising ability of the late Sir Robert Lorimer reached their highest point. It was a happy thought to ask Mr lan Hay to \write a volume giving a detailed account of the memorial, a souvenir for those who have seen it, and a preparation for those who have that experience still in store for them. As one of "the first hundred thousand,” whose spirit he so vividly expressed, he is a fitting guide to the monument by which Scotland commemorates in detail the service of every unit of her arms and the name of every one of her hundred thousand dead. The book is entitled “Their Name Livoth: the Book of the. Scottish National War Memorial,” and is published by Mr John Lane. Those who have a personal interest in the memorial and little prospect of seeing it will treasure this volume.