SCOTLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2572, 1 July 1903, Page 21

SCOTLAND.

(Fbom Ottb Own Coerespondebtt.) EDINBURGH, April 30. VISIT OF THE KING AND QUEEN. Edinburgh is in a great stir as I write, in. prospect of a visit from the King and Queen, which has been long spoken of. Holyrood House being on various accounts unsuitable as their Majesties' p.aoe of residence, they are to stay at DaJkeith House, the seat of the Duke of Buccleuch, which is 6ix miles outside the city. It is proposed to spend some £4000 in municipal decorations, and a huge bonfire is being built an the summit of Arthur's Seat. It is said that the number of ladies who desire to be pr€sented runs into tens of thousands, but of course buit a fraction of tnese — 600, I hear — can have their wish gratified. Their Majesties are certain to receive the very heartiest of ■welcomes, and everybody is fervently hoping the weather m-ay be propitious. Glasgow is also to receive a day's visit from the King and Queen, and is duly making preparation for it.

or it. Unhappily at this juncture Scottish national feeling has been disturbed by the announcement that the Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly at its forthcoming meeting — to wit, the Earl of Leven and Melville — will fiot take up his ~ quarters this year at Holyrood, but will reside at the great new hotel erected by the North British Railway Company opposite the Post Office and Register House. The intended step aroused protests of the most indignant description, and the Scottish members voiced these vigorously as soon as the House of Commons reassembled after the Easter recess. Th^ explanation given by the Government is that the drainage of Ho'yrood is in an insanitary 6tete, and' that it was net possible to have it put right until the money required to carry out the work had been voted by Parliament. The growling still goes on, however, as it is maintained that the whole business has been neglected and mismanaged. vJSven the fact that Holyrood has only been used as the official residence of the Lord High Commii-eioner since 1852, prior to which fee had frequently taken up his ! abode "in a publichouse," has not much assuaged the public wrath. To most living" persons tliia fact is as ancient a piece of history as the union of England and Scotland. Already the Earl of Windsor, who Ls the head of the Office of Works, has come in person to investigate the matter, bo it is clear that something will at hist be done. Scotsmen ako say that England has been taught a' lesson as to the danger of disregarding Scottish national sentiment. This is something ; but the dull, unimaginative stupidity of John Bull, which has wrought such mischief in Ireland, is even yet not thoroughly awake to the fact that Sootland ifl a kingdom with ke<:m patriotic feelings, and does not mean to be treated as if "it were a mere county df England. SIR HECTOR MACDONALD'S DEATH.

Tlie excitement in regard to the death and fciurial of this officer is now less apparent, though feeling still runs very strongly. The grave lias been visited by immense numbers of peoples — 30,000 on one Sunday alone. Some 300 Highlanders came ona day by 6pecial train from Dingwall, and marched to the grave in a proems-ion headed by pipers. Groat numbers of fine wreaths wore also sent from all quarters. Funds are now being collected in Scotland acid in London to erect suitable memorials at the grave and at Dingwall. It is a melancholy business, of ■which we have evidently not heard the last; but meanwhile it is beet to say little about it. MILITARY AND NAVAL NEWS. ■ Operations' are being actively pushed forward in connection with tho establishment of the great military camp at Stobs, n£ar Hawick, which is already designated " the Scottish Aldershot." Railway facilities aro being first provided, amd when these are ocmplobc'd building will begin at onoe. Hawick publicans are said to Be> looking forward with much expectancy to a largely increased trade when tho caimp ia in full working order.

working order. The Marquis of Tullibardine is reported .to be met/bing with re-markable success in raising a regiment of Scottish Horse. There will be three squadrons foT this year's training. Mo;t of <the men belong to Perthshire, but there are about 50 from Morajvhire, and some of the Marquis's old comrades now res:dent in Glasgow, Edinburgh, a.nd Dundee have also asked to be allowed to join Ho states that the recruits show a far higher standard of efficiency in hoisamanship than lie had expected to find. Ranges i.re being erected for shooting practice in Invw Park a.nd aib Blair Abholl. The Marquis of* Breadalbane is heartily lending his influence in support of the movement. The new naval base at St. Margaret's Hope continues to give rise to many speculations, but not much that may be looked upon as authoritative is yet. known on the ■übjeot. At a meeting of the Dunfermline District Committee of the Fife County Council the Earl of Elgin said that he spoke ■with authority when he stated that when the naval base was fully established tlw number of men sarvmg in board the ships at St. Margaret's Hope would be 5000. He believed it was the custom of the Admiralty to encourage the men to have their families -within reach of the port. Therefore it generally happened that houses had to be provided for the families in the neighbourhood of the port. Besides that there would undoubtedly be barracks and workshops; and outside of the 5000 ho had spoken of there would be offieera and men. employed on shore in connection with the business of the port. From the purchases of land which •the Admiralty were making it was obvious that they contemplated the possibility, at anyrate, of there being larger works still; and if the bay became a dock and a dockyard, even a city of 40,000 might be within a reasonable' prospect. The movement for tho construction of the proposed Forth and Clyde ship canal continues. A National Ship Canal League has been formed in London, and branches are to be started in Scotlamd. At a meeting of the Edinburgh Merchants' Association a leading local shipping agent gave it as his opinion that such a canal would divert a irreat deal of traffic both from the Pentland Firth and the crowded English Channel. He Relieved it would be preferred by Danish, Swedish, and Russian steamers, and protably by Dutch aod German ones as well. The trade between Liverpool, Belfast, Dublin, etc., and Leith, Newcastle, Hull, and Grimsby would also favour tho canal route. MR CARNEGIE'S BID FOR LIFE. A curious story was related in the golfing columns of the Scotsman last week t I had

better give it in the writer's own words. He says: "Wo know he (Mr Carnegie) offered an Edinburgh bailie two millions ii the city magnate would but guarantee that by playing golf the Pitteburg millionaire would add 10 years to his life. The bailie could not come up to the seratoh, but he did what he thought was the next best thing in the circumstances — he challenged Carnegie to a match on his own green for the two millions. That match has not yet come off." Mr J. D. Rockefeller, the Oil King, who is said to have offered £20,000 for a new stomach, announces that he has recovered his health by playing golf, and feels like a new man. INDUSTRIAL NOTES. The scheme for the amalgamation of a number of steel firms- in Glasgow and other piaces in the West of Scotland is stated to have fallen through. Though a preliminary arrangement had been made provisionally, the parties eventually found themselves unable to agree. For a long time discontent, has been growing among the Scottish colliers on account of th-e increasing employment of Polish miners. They work for a shilling a day less than the Scottish miners, and as their

than the Scottish miners, and as their numbers now reach 4000 the competition is considerable. It is also averred that the employment of the Poles is a danger to all concerned, on account of their not' being able to read th© printed regulations, On these grounds the Scottish Miners' Federation has decided to intervene, by requesting the British Miners' Federation to throw idle the pits where Poles are employed. If this is done, there will be a serious struggle. As is well known. Aberdeen is one of the chief seats of the manufacture of combs. Of late the industry has had to contend with adverse influence, and as a result of this the Scottish Comb Company (Limited) hae adopted a resolution to wind up the concern voluntarily, with a view to amalgamating with the Aberdeen Combworks Company (Limited). Turbine steamers seem to be making their way steadily into favour. Messrs Denny Bros., Dumbarton, the pioneers of this new kind of vessel, have just launched one for the South-Eastern and Chatham and Dover Railway Companies, to be placed on their Dover and Calais service; and since then have received an order for another similar steamer from the same companies. At the launch referred to MjrPeter Denny 6aid that both the turbine steamers which they had already built foi service on the Clyde had proved distinguished successes. He believed the new one would prove to be- the fastest steamer crossing the English Channel. At the semi-jubilee dinner of the Mining Institute of Scotland, held in Glasgow, Provost Keith, of Hamilton, said that during the last 25 years the coal output of Scotland had increased from 17 to 34- million tons. Half of the total quantity came from Lanarkshire. He was pleased to learn that in the Lothians and ' in Fife there was a considerable reserve of undeveloped coal, lihe Chairman (Mr George Aitken) said there had been far too much fuss made

about .the exhaustion of ooal. He did not think that much more than 10 per cent, i of the whole of the coal available in Scotland had been worked up to the presentj time. Two Dundee whalers have loft for Davis Strait with stores for the Amundsen Arctic . expedition. Captain Amundsen's ship, the Gjoa, is only 60 tons register, and is the fiirit vessel emp'oyed in Arctic navigation which has a petroleum motor as its propelling power. The motor is only 12 horsepower, and in still water a speed of five knots was attuned. The ptoek of petroleum taken amounts to 20,000 litre-s, which will suffice for nearly 100 days' continuous j steaming. The experiment is being watched with much interest. The lately issued census returns show that in tho 10 years— lß9l-1901— the rural population of Scotland has decreased by upwards of 42,000. Everybody agrees that the continued d-esertion of the country for the town is a most serious matter, but no one seems ablp. to suggest a remedy. Captain Sinclair, M.P., urges the establishment of co-operative credit banks, co-operative creameries, and co-operative stores through which s"cds and farming material generally fan bo bought. RETIREMENT OF A PROMINENT SCOTSMAN. The announcement that Sir James Marwick, Town Clerk of Glasgow, has resigned his important post, has caused much interest and regr&t, both in that city and in Edinburgh. Few men have exerted a greater or more beneficial influence upon public life, especially in connection with municipal affairs, than Sir James has done; and while all recognise the fact that at the age of 77 he has well earned a rest and his retiring allowance of £2500 a year, everyj body regrets that he must at length vacate I the place which he has so long filled with so much benefit to others and so much distinction to himself. A native of Kirkwall, he began his career in Edinburgh, and became town clerk of this city at the early age of 34. Thirteen years later, in 1873, he left for a similar position ia Glasgow, , to which city his services have been simply I invaluable, while they were rendered in such a manner as to gain the hearts as well as the esteem of all. He also gave most important public service by advising successive^ Lord Advocates on matters of • municipal law. His books on tho same subject are standard authorities ; whilo as a referee in cases of difficulty his help was constantly sought. He received the honorary degree of LL.D. from Glasgow University in 1878, and was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1888. His wife is * daughter of Mr J. B. Watt, an Edinburgh solicitor. SCOTTISH BANKING. The shareholders of the Bank of Scotland held their annual meeting a few days ago The directors' report stated that the net profits for tho year amounted to £223,495. A dividend was declared at the rate of 14 per cent, for the last six months, making 13i per :ent. for the year ; £50,000 was added to tho reserve fund, bringing it up to £875,000 ; and a balance of £11,318 was carried forward. The bank's liabilities in regard to current and deposit accounts are set down at £15,441,406, and in regard to notes in circulation at £1,103,648. The annual report of the director? of the Union Bank of Scotland (Limited) was issued last week. It states that the net profits for tilie 12 months amounted to £188,503. It is proposed to declare a dividend at the rate of 13 per cent. ; to add £45,000 to the reserve fund, bringing it up to £785,000 ; and to cany forward a balance of £23,124. Among the bank's liabilities the current and de-po&it accounts are returned at £13,608,631. and the notes in circulation at £1,012,339. At the meeting • of the shareholders, the Chairman, (Mr

' David Ritchie, Glasgow) said that the results of tue last year's business were the beat in the history of the bank for the past 25 years. ONE-ROOMED HOUSES.

Dr A. K. Chalmers, medical officer of public health, Glasgow, read aj)aper on the above subject before the Royal Philosophical Society of tihat city a few days ago. The census returns show that th-ere are in Glasgow 32,709 one-roomed houses, with a tot->l population of 104,128. The death rate in them is 33 per 1000, while in houses of all other sizes it baVely exceeds 17 per 1000. Even in two-roomed houses the death rate is a httlo over 21 per 1000. During the last 18 ye-irs the death rate in houses with more than one room each has been reduced by about 20 per oe.nt. ; but in the or.e-roomed houses tihe rate has remainod as high as ever. Dr Chalmers recommends as the remedy for this state of things the enlightenment of the minds of the people who live in these death traps, so that they may give them up. I much fear, however, that the love of whisky is stronger than the fear of death.