FROM NORTH OF TWEED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23081, 6 January 1937, Page 12

FROM NORTH OF TWEED

LETTER TO OVERSEAS SCOTS Written for the Otago Daily Times By Robert S. Angus EDINBURGH, Nov. 12. As usual, the opening of the municipal year has been marked by much wire-pulling behind the scenes and some squabbling on the stage as to the location of magisterial chains and oi her dignities. It is a healthy sign that .competition for these onerous and honorary posts should be so keen. None of the large cities had to fill its civic chair this year. Port Glasgow for the first time in its history chose a Socialist Provost. In the neighbouring town of Greenock the Socialists took their defeat badly, and, after a heated seene, they quitted the chamber. Jedburgh and Port Glasgow each elected a woman magistrate for the first time. In most places party considerations subside when the excitement of the election is over and the councils settle down to their multifarious problems, few of which have any connection with party politics. EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY RECTOR Another election has been decided this week. The students of Edinburgh University chose Sir Herbert Grierson as their rector in succession to Viscount Allenby. Voting was by proportional representation, and on the first count the highest number was obtained by Dr Donald Pollock. The elimination of the votes cast for Mr C. M. Grieve and Lord Salvesen, and later of those given to Dr Chalmers Watson, left Sir Herbert with a majority of 369 over Dr Pollock. The new rector gave 20 years’ admirable service to the university as its professor of English—he was formerly at Aberdeen in the same capacity—and he will welcome the prolongation of his official connection. SCOTTISH EXHIBITION When the Scottish National Exhibition project was launched the promoters fixed a quarter of a million as the minimum required for the guarantee fund. It already amounts to nearly £400,000, and there is now talk of- a million being raised. The response is a tribute to Scottish public spirit and incidentally a proof that the ability, as well as the will to help, is present. An assurance has been given that the size of the fund will not be an inducement to extravagance. TRUNK ROADS From the Trunk Roads Bill now published, it appears that Scotland will do reasonably well. Of the 4500 miles of thoroughfare to be taken over by the Government, over 1800 miles are on this side of the Tweed. The Highland counties will be greatly relieved to be rid of responsibility for the through roads, which are far beyond the standard necessary for local requirements, and exist mainly for the benefit of touring motorists. I am not sure that the financial gain will be so great as is generally supposed. Already some of the county councils get 100 per cent, grants for their Class I roads, and the change proposed by the Bill will be taken into account in fixing the “ block grant ” from the Government. The chief gain will be in setting up a high and uniform standard which will be maintained with the assistance of expert engineering skill. FORTH ROAD BRIDGE Advocates of the scheme for the construction of a road bridge across the £ °rth at Queensferry are disappointed by the announcement that, owing to the demands of the defence programme, the Government cannot give approval at present. No one disputes the prior claims of national defence, but it is alleged that the two do not conflict, as the kind of steel required for the bridge is totally different from that used in making armaments. It must be assumed that the Government have not reached their decision without takT at P°i n t into account. As one who has never been quite convinced about the merits of the Forth road bridge, I believe that little will be lost by waiting, at least until it is seen how the new Kincardine bridge affects the traffic problem. A SILLY PRANK

Late on Saturday night four masked men invaded the Wallace monument at Stirling, locked up the caretaker, and took away what is known as Wallace’s sword. They described themselves as Scottish Nationalists, but the officials of that party strenuously deny any share in, or sympathy with, what looks like a mere silly and probably drunken . prank. The sword must be an embarrassment to those who now have it,'for they obviously cannot sell it, and they will have difficulty in returning it without their identity being discovered. Tradition says that it was taken from Wallace when he was captured in 1305 by Sir John Mentieth, King Edward’s Governor of Dumbarton Castle, and in that castle it remained for nearly 600 years, until it was transferred to Stirling in 1888. But so high an authority as Sir Herbert Maxwell declares that the sword was not made until about 300 years after Wallace’s death.

SCOTTISH STUDENTS’ SONG BOOK To have a* plaque erected in his honour during his lifetime is the rare distinction which has befallen the Rev. Dr Millar Patrick, minister of Craigmillar Park Church, Edinburgh. The compliment has been paid in recognition of his work, while a student at St. Andrews University, as leader of the movement which resulted in the compilation of the “Scottish Students’ Song Book.” The Students’ Representative Councils, then recently formed, entrusted the scheme to an Editorial Committee of four—one from each university—and the work appeared in April, 1801. It was an immediate success, and gained the worldwide circulation which it still enjoys. At one time, I believe, it brought the councils a revenue of £IOOO a year, and its annual circulation is still about 10,000. Dr Patrick was the originator of the movement and its leading spirit. Dr J. M. Bulloch, who was the Aberdeen member of the committee, came from London to unveil the plaque which has been placed on the wall of the Students’ Union dining hall. He gave some interesting reminiscences of what he called his “ grim days ” as a student, when there were no unions, no plus-fours, and many of them could not afford the dress-clothes to go to a “ shine ” at the house of some professor. BEQUEST FOR ASTRONOMY Miss Edith Scott Lang, whose father was professor of mathematics at St. Andrews for 42 years, has bequeathed £20,000 to that university for the establishment of a lectureship in astronomy, to be named the Napier lectureship, in honour of John Napier of Merchiston, the inventor of logarithms. It is a condition legacy that the university should provide an observatory and the necessary instruments, so that the legacy may prove somewhat expensive. Napier was a St. Andrews graduate in 1566. SCOTTISH DICTIONARIES The appearance of another part of the Scottish National Dictionary gives opportunity for another reminder that that scheme is still seriously threatened by lack of money. The only hope is that as the richness of the material available is disclosed, adequate support will be forthcoming. I was interested to note that the word “ blaw,” meaning to boast, has not been traced further back than 1914. It was certainly current in my school days, which date long before that year. I am reminded of a story I heard in New York a good many years ago. A party of American tourists seeing Loch Lomond exclaimed that it would look well in Central Park. “ Oh,” remarked the driver of their coach, "that’s easy. You’ve just got to lay a pipe and if you, can sook as well as you can blaw ye’ll soon get the water.” The compilers of the Dictionary point out many Scotticisms of which some of us are unconsciously guilty, and accuses Lord Tweedsmuir of one when he writes that the execution of Charles I was “largely his own blame.” ROYAL MASTER MASON Before the King’s accession it had been provisionally arranged that in this, the bicentenary year of the formation of Grand Lodge, he should be Grand Master of Scottish Masonry. That being now impossible, his place

will be taken by the Duke of York and he will be installed on the 30th of this month. A special service in St. Giles Cathedral, a theatre performance for the benefit of masonic charities, and visits to the local lodges of historic interest are among the events arranged for the many distinguished guests who are expected. A VETERAN PAINTER By the death of Mr J. H. Lorimer, a member of the Royal Scottish Academy since 1900. Scottish art has lost its veteran. Mr Lorimer lived for many years in Kellie Castle, a fourteenth century building near Pittenweem, and it was the scene and the inspiration of many of his pictures. He was a man of great versatility, but he was perhaps best known by his figure studies, one of which, “ The Ordination of Elders ” —now in the Scottish Modern Arts Association’s collection —is familiar through reproductions of it. Many of his canvases are now in public galleries, and at one time he was much in demand as a portrait painter. Mr Lorimer, who was 80 years of age. was an elder brother of the late Sir Robert Lorimer. designer of the Scottish War Memorial and architect of many of our finest buildings.