“ALIEN’S” LETTER FROM ENGLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3526, 11 October 1921, Page 50

“ALIEN’S” LETTER FROM ENGLAND.

(Specially Written for the Ladiee’ Page.) A CHAT TO DATE, August 9. Last night it rained. I lay awake in the small hours listening to the steady downpour. It has rained for 48 hours in Wales, and there have been some remarkable scenes witnessed between Carmarthen and Lanelly, which has experienced the highest tide for 20 years, strong south-westerly winds piling up the flood waters, which, ran over the tops of hedges and walls like a river, and even invaded the harvest fields. The sea in the Channel has been running very high, whipped by the south-west winds. At Brighton the other day the Mayor and Corporation and representatives of the Chamber of Commerce of Dieppe were unable to land at the Palace pier, and had to disembark at Newhaven. But the sea bathers are having a merry and healthful time, now that the heat wave has passed. Cowes week proved one of the most enjoyable on record, both afloat and ashore. All day long the little high street of t'he town has been crowded with cars and people going and coming, arid among them Princess Mary has been frequently seen carrying her tennis racquet. She inherits her father’s love for the eea. The C-owes ball was a wonderful affair, and exquisite gowns found their occasion here. The ball fell short in only ono particular: the Duke of York (who was an expected guest) was not able to be present. There were several exciting yachting accidents during the week, and in the rough weather a number of yachts had to retire. Field-marshal Sir Henry Wilson had a narrow escape of drowning. He was sailing in his motor cutter White Heather with his daughter and two grandchildren, when a. squall struck the yacht, and the boom, swinging over, swept Sir Henry overboard. His rubber sea boots and oilskins weighted him, but, being a good swimmer, he was able to keep afloat till rescued. A very similar mishap occurred to Sir Charles Seen- on his yacht Genista, and there were a number of others. Several yachts filled, and their crews had to be rescued. But, apart from these incidents, the whole week was enjoyable. The British-American races excited great interest, and the royal victories of the Britannia were extremely popular, to say nothing of the King’s pride in his four victories. The King and Queen will return to Buckingham Palace from Cowes to-day, with members of the Royal Family, leaving the Isle of Wight by the Royal yacht Victoria and Albert. Next day there will be a Privy Council meeting in connection with the prorogation of Parliament, the next session of which the Empire will follow with bated breath. The day after the King will probably leave for Yorkshire, when he will be the guest of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire at Bolton Abbey, arid join a. party of personal friends for grouse shooting on the moors. In the meantime the Queen will remain at the Palace till the 18th, when she will journey to Balmoral, his Majesty joining her en route.. The English season over, the Scottish season now commences. The “Glorious Twelfth’’ opens the great shooting season, and the call of the grouse will be heard even in the House of Commons, where members will find it difficult to resist its magic. In these democratic days the shooting is not an exclusive aristocratic sport, and the moors are a meeting-ground of a mixed assemblage; but although rentals of both the shooting and salmon fishing have gone up considerably since the war. the keenness for sport has increased likewise. In a speech made bv the Duke of Portland to his tenants at the famous Welbeck Abbey, Nottingham, on the occasion of the coming-of-age presentation to his son, Lord Francis Cavendish-Bentinck, the Duke spoke of the possibility of a wholesale closing down of the larger country houses if the present high rate of taxation is maintained. Landed estates tor l centuries past, he said, have in many instances been handed down from generation to generation, and landlords and tenants have grown up from childhood together, and had lived, “as we have done, on terms of mutual trust and affection.’’ The present enormous weight of taxation and the onerous death duties are making it impossible for many of the landed proprietors to exist as in the past. "It may be, or it may not be. possible for me and my family to continue to reside at Welbeck. I fear, however, that there can be little doubt that those who come after me will not be able to do so.” But, said the Duke, “the burdens on land are now so excessive that many landed proprietors cannot maintain their old family residences in a habitable state, nor can thev adequately discharge the duties which they have been so glad to fulfil as owners of land. It pains me deeply to think that in years to come it will most probably be necessary for rny family to find a new and smaller home elsewhere. It is no good living in dreamland.” 1 lie Duke of Rutland seconds the fears of the Duke of Portland—that his (the Duke of Rutland’s) heirs will not be able to live at Belvoir Castle, Leicestershire. The house is so vast that he complains that his bedroom is a quarter of a mile from his study. With 10s in the pound income tax and another 5s in other responsibilities, only about 5s in the pound is left of income on which to do everything—“everything” being still at double the cost of the pre-war years. The Duke of Bedford does not make a penny out of his lands to the support of Woburn Abbey and “the most wonderful park in the worid. ” r J he King, among others, is selling property. It is announced that Barton Manor, his Majesty’s house at Cowes, is for sale, with the farm attached to it. This charming old house was laid out j

under the supervision of the Prince Consort, and forms part of the Osborne Estate. It was used for many years as an overflow residence for Osborne House oy Queen Victoria, and has many Royal ■associations. When King Edward gave Osborne to the nation he retained Barton Manor. King George has seldom used it, although their Majesties have frequently lent it to their friends. The great London banks have “decided to censor the dress of their girl clerks. ' The colour, the texture, the cut are all wrong; they are too bright, too transparent, too short, and too low in the neck ——too, in fact, unbusinesslike. At ’present there is no attempt to enforce uniformity or uniform, but the girls are gravely reminded that the office is not the place to assume a gav and giddy appearance. Bare arms and short skirts and deeplycut V s must be left till business hours are over. The search for coolness during tne heat wave has led many to reckless I attire or non-attire. But the reproof will no doubt be effectual, for the day of the flapper is passing. Girls are being reminded again that the country’s need of them is not so pressing, and that there are too many of them. Ihe girls are very indignant at the complaint, as. if hole and there there was any grounds for G it was while they worked in stuffy offices with tne thermometer approaching 90deg in the shade. The secretary of the Bank eff England sai® that if there was cause of complaint anywhere it certainly was not there, and a woman superintendent at the General Post Office -aid that she should not think of interfering with the dress of the girls under her charge except from a health point of view. The secretary of the Association of the Women Clerks and Secretaries said girls would welcome overalls if they were provided for them.