FROM NORTH OF TWEED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23599, 8 September 1938, Page 9

FROM NORTH OF TWEED

A LETTER TO OVERSEAS SCOTS Written for the Otago Daily Times By Robert S. Angus. EDINBURGH, July 28. Dependent as we are to so large an extent on building ships and exporting coal, the outlook in both these industries must cause some uneasiness. The Clyde is still busy on naval work and old contracts, but new orders for mercantile tonnage have almost ceased. That is due to the high prices, delays in delivery, and, most of all, to the difficulty shipowners now have in finding remunerative work for their ships. Unless an early change occurs, the situation when the naval work slackens, as it is bound to do. will be serious. The coal owners and coal miners have combined in an appeal to the Government to do something for the export side of their industry and have suggested a tonnage levy to be used in subsidising the bid for foreign markets. That scheme is highly controversial, since it would mean that the British user of coal would have to pay more in order that his foreign rival may pay less. But it is at least satisfactory that these closely related problems are being studied before they become more acute.

Housing Shortage

In the House of Commons debate on Scottish affairs it was disclosed that 290,000 houses have been built since the war, but nearly as many more are needed before the situation can be regarded as reasonably satisfactory, At the recent rate of progress the task will occupy nearly 20 years, and by that time many of the dwellings which pass muster now will have become unfit for habitation. The Scottish Housing Advisory Council suggests that the Government should reconsider its policy to give no subsidy for any house of less than three rooms. It points out that old and childless couples would be content with two rooms. In the past many families were reared in a “ but-and-a-ben ” home-, but the modern conception of comfort and decency calls for a higher standard, and if the Government relaxes its present standard it will be only for the limited class indicated.

Better Health

Dr Guy, medical officer of health in Edinburgh, who is about to retire, has given in his final report an interesting and encouraging survey of the progress made during his quarter of a century. In that time expenditure on public health has increased from £37,000 to £432,000 a year, due mainly to the establishment of services which were undreamt of at the beginning of the period. As a result the tuberculosis death rate, though still unsatisfactory, has fallen by 58 per cent. In other words, if the level of 1913 had been maintained 441 more persons would have died in Edinburgh last yar Still more remarkable is the fact that at the age of 12 schoolchildren of to-day are two and a-half inches taller and between seven and eight pounds heavier than their predecessors of 25 years ago.

Edinburgh University Chancellor

If Lord Tweedsmuir had seen these figures before he delivered his installation address as Chancellor of Edinburgh University he would have been fortified in his view that “ foolish jeremiads ” as to the modern generation’s lack of enterprise, stamina and fortitude as compared with its predecessors are “wholly untrue.” It seemed to him that the present generation has a physical audacity which would have left his undergraduate generation gasping. The inaugural ceremony was remarkable in respect that it fell to the Governor-General of Canada to bestow honorary degrees on the Viceroy of India (Lord Linlithgow), the Governor-General of Australia (Lord Gowrie, V.C.,) and the two Cabinet Ministers, Mr Walter Elliot and Mr W. S. Morrison. Rarely can such a gathering of pro-consuls have taken place in any university. University Grants The Government, following the recommendation of a committee, has agreed to make a grant of £4OOO to Edinburgh University and £ 12,000 to Glasgow University from the Scottish Education Fund. Mr Colville, in making the announcement, gave a warning that the universities must not except their deficits to be automatically made good out of the fund in future. The position would be considered each year on its merits. That reservation will console the local education authorities, who will have to make up from the rates any falling off in the Government grant. Municipal Finance

The municipal authorities can justly plead that they are not in a position to face any addition to their burdens. Edinburgh’s treasurer was able to announce the other day that “the spectre of a rising rate” has been temporarily banished, but only because of a rise in valuation. Glasgow has had its draft budget overhauled by a committee, but the reductions effected were negligible. Other towns are in much the same position. The heavy demands of housing finance and still more the burden of maintaining the unemployed present a grim outlook for the ratepayers of the future. Herring Industry

In the closing months of its career as at present constituted the Herring Board is able to make slightly more cheerful reports. Foreign sales have improved and catches have been good—on some occasions too good. The board points out that too much attention should not be paid to the sensational reports of fish being thrown into the sea because of the lack of a market for them. The quantity thus destroyed is less than a half of 1 per cent, of the total catch, and in most cases it consists of fish of poor quality. The effect on price is negligible since the fisherman rarely gets more than a penny per lb, the balance of what the consumer pays being made up by the cost of boxes, ice. carriage, and the retailer’s expenses, which are the same whether he is selling salmon or herring. The board have decided to renew their promising experiments in using aircraft to “spot” shoals of herring. Grouse Prospects With the approach of August 12 the usual survey of prospects for the grouse season has been made. On the whole it is favourable. The sporting aspect does not interest me, but those who know what a good season means to the landowners in rents, to the local authorities in rates, and to the local population in employment will welcome the prospect. Except for a rainstorm early in June, the weather has been favourable for the birds. Heather beetle seems to be disappearing, but the spread of bracken is a growing menace to agriculture as well as sport in many districts,

and the efforts of the Government to tackle that pest have so far been inadequate. New Factories The Government’s annual survey of industrial development makes melancholy reading for Scotland. Only 22 new factories employing in all about 1100 persons were opened in Scotland last year, whereas 14 were closed, four of them jute works in Dundee. The new establishments were mostly in the industrial belt. Railway Chairman to Retire Mr William Whitelaw has announced his intention to retire from the chairmanship of the London and North-eastern Railway as soon as his colleagues can release him. He has been a railway chairman since 1901, for 11 years of the Highland, for 9 years of the North British, and since 1921 of the larger group of which these lines form part. Through his mother Mr Whitelaw is connected with the Bairds who did so much for the industrial development of Scotland during last century. He was in Parliament for three years as member for Perth, and though he has made one or' two half-hearted attemnts to return there, he has been happier in railway management. He is 70, and growing years, as well as the greater responsibility falling upon him owing to the death of his brother, make it impossible for him to give adequate attention to other work. Empire Exhibition Hopes that the Glasgow Fair holidays would bring a big increase of visitors to the Empire Exhibition have been disappointed. Presumably the local people, able to go to Bellahouston in the evenings or on Saturdays, have preferred to go elsewhere for their holiday. Queen Mary has announced her intention to spend two days at the Exhibition in September, the visit to be as informal as possible. The attendance is now approaching 6,000,000,_ but good weather and good luck will be required to reach the 15,000,000 for which the promoters hoped. Scotland’s Minister in London In succession to the Rev. Dr Archibald Fleming, who is retiring after 36 years’ work, the congregation of St. Columba’s Church, London, have elected the Rev. Robert F. V. Scott, at present Dr White’s colleague in the Barony, Glasgow. Though it lies outside the territorial boundary. St. Columba’s is one of the most important posts of the Church of Scotland. Its holder has. not merely to serve a large and influential congregation with a host of social activities, but to represent the Church to both secular and sacred spheres. He must be not only a good preacher and administrator but able to hold his own in relation to other churches and to mix well with all sorts and conditions. In these respects Mr Scott will find Dr Fleming a difficult man to follow, but his friends are confident that he is equal to the task. The people of the Barony are reluctant to lose him. On his mother’s side Mr Scott is the tenth minister in direct descent, covering a period of nearly 300 years.