FROM NORTH OF TWEED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22823, 6 March 1936, Page 12

FROM NORTH OF TWEED

A LETTER TO OVERSEAS SCOTS Written for the Otago Daily Times. By Robert S. Angus. EDINBURGH, January 9. Whatever may be said about particular items in the programme of the Highland Development League, which is to be formally launched at a meeting in Glasgow, the scheme has some attractive features. In the first place, it is to be non-political and already it has secured the support of men like Sir lan Macpherson, Sir Robert Brooke, former convener of Ross and Cromarty, Dr Lachlan Grant, whose book "A New Deal for the Highlands" set forth the idea, as well as leading ministers, school teachers and others. The foremost plank of the league is the establishment of an authority " adequately financed by the Government" to co-ordinate the work of the various bodies, national and local. Its duties would include the removal of existing land grievances, the further development of land settlement, the promotion of agricultural and other technical education, protection for the fisheries, adequate marketing and transport facilities, the utilisation of hydro-electric resources, financial and other encouragement for " the visitor industry," improved drainage, and a remedy for the existing over-valuation of sheep stocks. There is thus a wealth of miscellaneous feeding in the league's programme, and some of the items may prove to have less merit when they are examined in detail than when they are stated in general terms. I have always been doubtful about the wisdom of increasing land holdings, except where these can be combined with forestry, as in many places they can be. The great thing is that Highlanders should be ready to combine in the discussion of measures for the benefit of their land. I hinted some time ago that the Scottish Secretary has in mind the appointment of a Special Commission for the Highlands. The right man might prepare the ground for the league. LAND SETTLEMENT.

In this connection great interest attaches to the scheme of the Carnegie United Kingdom trustees to spend £150,000 in the next few years in experiments with small holdings. They have been warned by Mr A. W. Menzies Kitchin, of Cambridge School of Agriculture, that land settlement cannot solve the whole problem of unemployment and that it would entail heavy subsidies or the stringent restriction of imports. The trustees have in view holdings of from three to ten acres on a co-operative basis to afford part-time subsistence and employment for out-of-work men. No doubt Scotland will receive Its share under the scheme, but its character seems to preclude its application to the Highlands. It is on the same lines as the holding Sir Godfrey Collins is developing with encouraging results in the vicinity of large towns which afford good transport and markets. BREADALBANE ESTATES.

It is not surprising that the Earl of Breadalbane has. decided to sell 50,000 additional acres of his property in the Dalmally district, overlooking Loch Awe, one of the most picturesque areas in Scotland. In fact, it is too picturesque to be productive or to offer scope for such schemes as the Highland Development League and the Carnegie Trustees have in mind. It used to be said that the Earls of Breadalbane could cross Scotland without leaving their own property. That was obviously an unhealthy state of affairs, and I am interested to note that the present Earl, though he mentions taxation, gives as the principal reason for his decision the view that his property is too extensive and widely scattered to be efficiently administered by anyone who has other duties. Last year he sold 150,000 acres, including the famous Blackmount deer forest, but he is keeping Kilchurn Castle, the home of the Breadalbane Campbells from which their ancestor, Sir Colin of Lochow, set out to join in the third crusade at the end of the twelfth century. LOBSTER FISHING. What can be done by individual proprietors is shown by the action of the Hon. Jock Skeffington, the son of Lord and Lady Massereene and Ferrard and the grandson of the late Sir John Ainsworth, M.P. Though he only comes of age this week —an occasion which the tenantry on the Knock estate in the island of Mull are marking by numerous presentations —he founded a year ago, and became managing director of, the Knock Fisheries, whose object is to eliminate middlemen's profits in the sale of lobsters. The company guarantees the fishermen a firm price of 15a a dozen, and, though that may seem small to those who buy lobsters in Edinburgh or London, it is more than the fishermen have received hitherto. The company has constructed a lobster pool at Loch Na Keal and recently has extended its operations to the Outer Islands at Lochboisdale. It is refreshing to find a young Highland laird with progressive ideas and ready to take risks in carrying them out. Mr Skeffington deserves success. GLASGOW'S COAL FIND.

Glasgow Corporation recently bought the Nether Pollok estate on the south side of the city for the purpose of building 7000 houses. It has now been advised that the property contains coal deposits estimated to be worth £7,000,000 and capable of giving work to 9000 men for 40 years. Two colliery companies have asked leave to work the minerals, and the municipal committees are now considering how far that can bo made consistent with the purpose for which the estate was bought. The discovery is of value at a time when so many of the West of Scotland pits? are approaching exhaustion. INDUSTRIAL AFFAIRS.

In the industrial sphere the main anxiety arises from doubt whether the dispute about miners' wages can be settled without a stoppage. The Scottish owners have made an offer of ninepence pcr ( shift, which they declare is as much as they can afford, but whether it will be accepted as at least an instalment of the demand for two shillings is doubtful. Otherwise the outlook continues to improve. The heavy industries resumed work after the holidays with an activity greater than has been known for some years. Shipbuilding orders still come in and the Dundee yards, which were almost idle, have now seven vessels in hand, including one for the Admiralty. The quantity of jute on its way to that city is the largest within recent experience. EDINBURGH INFIRMARY.

As the largest voluntary hospital in the country Edinburgh Royal Infirmary has special claims to the support it receives from all parts of Scotland. But the support is far from adequate. Last year expenditure exceeded income by nearly £02,000 and the directors had to draw to that exteut on free legacies, which amounted to £75,000. They received, also, bequests amounting to £IB,OOO assigned for endowment purposes. But that form of revenue is too fluctuating to be satisfactory. Besides, the directors are still £150,000 short of the half-million they need for extensions. SIR JOHN LAVERY'S GIFT.

Though he was born in Ulster and has lived for many years in London, Glasgow still likes to regard Sir John Lnvery as one of her sons, in the respect that he began there his work as an artist and was one of the founders of t:.e "Glasgow School." He has recognised the connection by presenting to the

city some 120 studies which he made for his picture, showing the opening of the ISBB Glasgow Exhibition by Queen Victoria. They were all painted from special sittings which the subjects, including the Queen, gave him, and Sir John thinks that the likenesses are better than in the completed picture. They are an interesting and valuable addition to the city's art treasures. KIRKWALL'S CHRISTMAS.

Perhaps because of their former Scandinavian connection, the Orkney and Shetland Islands have always paid more attention to Christmas than is done on the mainland. Now that the Kirkwall postmaster has had time to compile his

statistics he reports that the number oj parcels delivered represented four and a-half for every man, woman and child in the town, and the number of bag} sent out was 2425 as compared wit! 1833 received.