FROM NORTH OF TWEED

Otago Witness, Issue 3662, 20 May 1924, Page 8

FROM NORTH OF TWEED

A LETTER TO SCOTS OVERSEAS

Br

Robert S. Agnus.

EDINBURGH, March 21.

As I expected, the nomination—now officially announced —of Mr Janies Brown, M.P., an Ayrshire miner, to be the King’s representative at the next General Assembly of the Church of Scotland has excited some scoffing comments in the west-end terraces. But, as a leading minister of the Church remarked to me, the Lord High Commisaioner is not appointed for them, and if they choose to stay away from the dinners and receptions at Holyrood—which is greatly to be doubted—they will not be missed. The published remarks on the appointment are uniformly favourable, and I gather it has given particular satisfaction to the Church leaders, as an hopour to a veteran elder, and a recognition that in the eyes of the Church men are equal whatever their social position. During his term of office the Lord High Commissioner takes precedence of everyone except the King himself. Mr Brown has been a little indiscreet giving interviews, but that is merely the outcome of the delight which his nomination hqp caused him. THE L4ST COMMONER-COMMIS-SIONER. Mr Brown's selection has naturally led to investigtaions regarding the last com£oner who held this office. To find him it necessary to go as far back as 1643, when Sir Thomas Hope, of Craighall, Fife, was ■ppointed by Charles the First. It was that King’s policy to bestow honours and emoluments on those who had most power and detire to obstruct his designs, and for that reason he selected Sir Thomas, who was fthe great Presbyterian barrister of the time.

Two of his sons had already been raised to the bench, and the father used to plead before them—with results that can be imagined—and his doing so covered on the ground that it would be unbecoming for a father to appear before his children otherwise, is said to be the origin of the custom nf the Lord Advocates doing so to this day. The Royalists were so incensed at his appointment that they absented themselves from the Assembly, and accordingly the Covenanters had things all their own way. In the sixteenth century the appointment of commoners as Lord High Commissioners was by no means rare. SOCIALIST OBJECTIONS. It is surprising that objections should be raised by Mr Brown’s fellow-Socialist-s in the House of Commons. One would have expected them to be gratified by the distinction conferred on one of their group; they would certainly have made a fuss if some member of another party had been chosen. They protest that it is unbecoming for a Labour member to take part in the formalities of levees, cavalry escorts, and all the ceremonial associated with the Commissioner’s stay in Holyrood. Their attitude Bhows great short-sightedness. They object also to the payment of £2OOO to the holder of the office, being apparently under the impression that the money is pocketed. Mr Brown will have to curtail substantially the hospitality which it has been the custom of his predecessors to extend to members of the Assembly and their womenfolk. Otherwise, he will be, like them, heavily out of pocket. He told me himself that if the allowance exceeds what he finds it necessary to spend, the balance will go to the local hospitals. I should not be surprised if a few of the well-to-do members of the Assembly make it known to Mr Brown that they will undertake responsibility for any financial loss with which he may be threatened.

FROM SHOEMAKER TO M.P Another Scottish Labour, member who found tliis week that he is not without honour in his own country is Mr Andrew Young, who almost immediately on his retirement from the head mastership of Nortfi Canongae School Edinburgh, was elected for the Particle Division. He was the guest at dinner of the Edinburgh branch of the Educational Institute of Scotland. He made his school not only a school, but a laboratory of social experiment, and it was largely due to the startling facts he disclosed as the result of his inquiries among the children for whom he was responsible that medical inspection became part of our educational system. The improvements he effected showed what could be done—and has since been done —under less difficult conditions. Mr Yeung’s speech in reply to the toast of his health was delightfully reminiscent. He told how, from being “a wicked little gutter-snipe,” known as ‘’Blood” because of his fondness for reading cheap works of fiction of a sanguinary hue, he became in turn shoemaker, mapmounter, Compositor, and finally a teacher. A NON-PACIFIST SOCIALIST. Though he belongs territorially to the Clyde contingent in the House of Commons, Mr Young has not the least sympathy witn the pacifist views of some of them, which is not surprising on the part of a man whose father fought in the Crimea. His social and religious view's were formed under the influence of Moody and Sankey, William Morris, and Keir Kardie. When at the outbreak of war he found that the 1.L.P., to which he then belonged, was taking a pacifist line, be left it for the Social Democratic Federation, w'hich had a more virile outlook. He ha-s no patience with those who think that our times and our country are the worst ever known. On the contrary, he surveys with satisfaction and hope the moral and social improvement which has taken place in his time, and is convinced that there is no country like his own, and is not prepared

to see it left undefended. It is a pity that Mr Young w-a-s not free to take to parliamentary life till hs is something of a veteran. SOCIALIST SCHOOL MASTERS. In this connection, I may say that I met a group of school masters the other day, and was greatfy interested to find how many of them belong to the Labour Party. Tne Scottish members already include about half a dozen teachers, and I was assured that the number will be doubled at the next election. One of them gave me the explanation that until a year or two ago, teachers were so miserably paid that it was natural that my.ny of them should revolt against prevailing social conditions. Members of other parties should note the phenomenon with interest, if not misgiving. Politics, of course, are excluded from the schools, but the presence at the head of so many of them of men who hold Socialist opinions cannot fail to have a profound influence on the rising generation. A VETERAN PROFESSOR. Looking at the stalwart, well-groomed, and youthful figure of Sir Ludovic Grant, when he appeared before a gathering of his aoademic friends, to be presented with his portrait (painted by Mr Glyn Philpot), it was difficult to realise that he had given 34 years’ service as a professor in the University of Edinburgh. He combined with the Chair of Scots Law the duties of secretary to the Senatus, and carried the double burden with seeming ease, while finding time for an occasional appearance on the golf course. His period of office, as he recalled in hi 3 speech of thanks, witnessed rapid progress on the part of the university. The number of faculties was increased from four to seven, women were admitted to full membership, professorships were multiplied, and the Old University buildings were extended beyond all recognition. Sir Ludovic is the son ot a former principal, and his grandfather, too, was a professor.

EDINBURGH REPERTORY THEATRE. For generations Edinburgh held a notable place in the dramatic world, but of late years it has shoivn signs of decline, and the ‘commercial theatre,” as we kn’ow it, is almost beneath conton.pt—an alternation of foolish melodrama and equally foolish musical comedy or revue. A hearty welcome will be given, therefore, to the movement for the establishment of a repertory theatre, dependent on a resident company of players, and bent on producing work which the professional theatre manager despises. V.'liat Glasgow and Birmingham have done, Edinburgh should be able to do. But will it ! There is plenty of enthusiasm behind the movement, and if it falls through lack of support, the community will deserve to be relegated to the husks on which it has had to live in the recent past. SUGAR-BEET GROWING. I am glad to learn that the Anglo-Scottish Sugar Beet Corporation has decided to justify its name by extending its operations t Scotland, and that a scheme is on foot for the erection of a factory near Stirling, w : th 150 acres put under sugar-beet as an experiment. There is the high authority of Sir Robert Greig for the belief that w 4 can grow sugar-beet fully as well as any of the Cor.tnental countries, and the crop should be attractive to those farmers who have found grain unremunerative under present conditions. The central position of the proposed factory is a great advantage. COLONEL HARRY MURRAY, OF GALASHIELS. The Borders have lost one of their foremost men by the death of Colonel Harry Murray, of Galashiels. For many years he was head of the Buckholmside skin works, til! these were taken over by an English combine, but be was best known as a politician and sportsmen. He was a favourite orator on local Liberal platforms, and the taxation of land values was one of his pet schemes. He made one attempt to get into Pari-ament, but was probably not sorry that he failed, fqr his business made heavy demands upon his time. As a young man he was a leading player for the Gala Cricket Club, and in later years be was equally proficient on the golf course. He commanded ihe Galashiels contingent of the Border R : fles, and rejoined it on the outbreak of war in order to assist in the work of recruiting. THE TWICKENHAM DISASTER. Of the Scottish defeat by England in the Rugby international at Twickenham last Saturday the less said the better. I rejoice now that I abandoned my intention of going to see the match. From those who went I learn that it was a complete disappointment, not perhaps es great as the score would suggest, but sufficiently decisive. We did not hold our own "ven in the forward line, and from that failure the rest followed. Our men gave their friends the impression that they lacked something of the old “Scots-Wha-Hae” spirit as much as skill in play. The English victory was the biggest ever won by either side in the yearly battle for the Calcutta Cup. Even in the Association League international, Scotland could do no more than draw with England.