FROM NORTH OF TWEED.

Otago Witness, Issue 3743, 8 December 1925, Page 17

FROM NORTH OF TWEED.

\ LETTER TO OVERSEAS SCOTS. By Kobkbt a Atrotra. EDINBURGH, October 22. Our autumn political season, which Mr Lloyd George may be said to have opened, is now in full swing. Members of the House of Commons think it their duty to have one or two more meetings with their constituents before Parliament meets three weeks hence, and when they can induce a friendly colleague to share their oratorical burdens—having lured him North by the offer of some shooting, fishing, or golf—they are all the better pleased. Incidentally wo have the Galloway bye-election in progress. Mr Neville Chamberlain was the star performer at a demonstration of the Dundee Unionists, but he has not his father’s, or even his brother’s ability on the platform, and I suspect that both he and the local people wero more interested in a visit he paid to some of the slums, of which the city has a large collection. Hie Scottish members have been agitating about a change in the system of pensions ad-

ministration, but so far as I can understand a complicated subject their grievance is more imaginary than real. COMMUNISTS DEPORTED. As an instance of political activity I may mention that not only have two of the leading Communists of Scottish birth Mr William Gallacher and Mr Tom Bellbeen included in the batch which is to be tried at Bow Street on charges of sedition, but the police have arrested and deG)rted half a dozen Russians, who are edged to have been active in the ‘Red movement on Clydeside. More, it is said, are to follow. The latter step is thoroughly supported by public opinion. Our own “wild men” we must tolerate, but there is no reason why we should be troubled by the alien brand. I do not suppose the action of the police will have any material effect on the Communist movement. Its causes are much more deeply seated than the activities of a few foreign mischiefmakers. . ABERDEEN’S SOCIALIST MEMBER. Aftor several years of cat-and-dog relations Mr Frank Rose, the Socialist member for North Aberdeen and his former supporters have at last come to an open rupture. Mr Rose has a sharp tongue and an inborn delight in playing the part of the candid friend. He has never snared the extremists or thought himself bound to say “ditto” to the views of his nominal leaders. The local Socialists have now got their own back by adopting another candidate for next election, but I should not be surprised if Mr Rose stands in spite of them, and as his constituents have a fellow-feeling for independence of mind he may succeed. Anyhow, he is hinting at revelations of the most lurid character. HIGHLAND HISTORY. Like many another outsider who has in tervened in questions of Highland history, Mr Lloyd George has got himself into hot water. At Aberdeen, fresh from a visit to the battlefield of Culloden, he used the alleged failure of the Macdonalds to take part in that fight as an illustration of the spirit which he is anxious to banish from tne Liberal ranks. Mr Barron, of Inverness, perhaps the greatest living authority on the subject,, who acted as Mr Lloyd George s guide, has hastened to protest that nothing he said could have justified Mr Llovd George’s analagy, and Tory lairds have taken the occasion to score a political as well as a racial point against the Liberal leader. Meanwhile the old controversy as to what the Macdinalds did on that memorable day, and vyhy they did it, is raging with all its old virulence. HOUSING STAGNATION. The Scottish Secretary has had another meeting with the local authorities in order to admonish them once more that they must take their responsibilities in rega v d to housing more seriously. Met by a complaint that the Scottish Board of Health is responsible for much of the delay, he retorted that for many of the schemes which the board had authorised not a sod had been cut. lie wants 4000 new houses within the next two years, and is as convinced a 9 ever that they cannot be obtained except by the use of alternative methods and materials. He adheres firmly to his stipulation that schemes which are to participate in the additional subsidy offer must employ not more than 10 per cent, of skilled building labour Meanwhile, the Glasgow Corporation ha.« decided to amend its standing so as to enable contracts for Weir houses to bo undertaken. GLASGOW CORPORATION GOES DRY. By a narrow majority in a vote which was on non-party lines, the members o r Glasgow Corporation have decided that all 'municipal hospitality shall be non-alcoholic. In the old days the corporation was famous for the quantity and quality of the food and wines it provided for its guests. I remember many years ago being at a luncheon at which Lord Roseberv was the principal giest. It went on till about 4 m the afternoon, and at the close he remarked: “Well, if this is a Glasgow Corporation luncheon, I should like to see a Glasgow Corporation dinner.” I have not enjoyed its municipal hospitality for many years, but I believe that it has become progressively of a more frugal character. The members arc, of course, entitled to exercise self-denial at the meals which they provide for themselves on the occasion of their fortnightly meetings, but I doubt if the citizens, among whom the teetotallers are a small minority, will approve of this attempt to dictate to their guests. LONDON SCOTTISH FESTIVITIES. I am surprised that so broad-minded a man as my friend, Dr Archibald Fleming, of St. Columba’s Church, London, the unofficial chaplain general of the Scottish community in the capital, should have felt impelled to fall out with the London Scottish Societies. He complains that so many of them hold their social gatherings, especially their dances, on Saturday nights, in order, as he thinks, that those who attend them may be able to spend the earlier part of the next day in bed and so miss attendance at church. - I should have thought the more obvious reaso.i was that Saturday is the one evening when most of the members are able to make the lengthy- journey to the place of meeting. The criticism has been repelled with some spirit by the spokesmen of tha cla.i associations, who point out that their members are among the steadiest supporters of the Church. There may be a certain kinount of truth in both contentions/ No one who knows Dr Fleming will suspect him of being a Turitan, or of speaking without what he regards as Just cause. THE MILL WORKERS’ MINISTER. In many a humble home there will be profound regret at the death of the Rev. Henry Williamson, who for nearly GO years has been minister of the Unitarian Church at Du idee. He was less knowu in that enpacity than as founder and president of the local union of mill and factory operatives. Having begun his working life as an artisan--he was a carpenter in his native Surrey—he was moved to indignation by the low wages paid to the local textile workers, and after a great strike some 40 years ago he formed them into a trade union, of which he remained the effective head till the day of his death. The wages are still low enough In all conscience, and if they have been substantially Improved it is mainly due to Mr Williamson. His other sphere of public activity was educational administration, and for many years he was a member of the School Board. A year ago he was presented with his portrait in recognition of his services to the community. Mr Williamson as a young man worked In the United States and returned home on the outbreak of the Civil War. His eldest son is an official of the Canadian Fishery Board.

LONDON’S DOCTOR. Until the other day the educational system of Loudon had been for 30 years under the direction of a Scotsman, Sir Robert Blair. The County Council's chief architect is an Aberdonian. Now it has appointed to look after the health of the community Dr Frederick Norton Kay Mejzies, whose name is enough to show his nationality. It is true that he was bom in North Wales, but he received all his medical education in Edinburgh, where in the late nineties he was famous as an athlete and football player as well as a student, He has been in the service of the council for the last 15 years, at oie time as assistant medical officer, and latterly as a part-time consultant on tuberculosis and venereal diseases. He has been active in the formation of many organisations for the improvement of the public health of London, and in the opinion of the committee which recommended his appointment he has a unique knowledge of the subject. He will take up his post, which carries a salary of £2OOO, at the beginning of the year. SCOTTISH MINISTER FOR AUSTRALIA. Melbourne is to be congratulated on the prospect of a visit from the llev. Dr Norman Maclean, of St. Cuthbert’s Church, Edinburgh. He goes out next year as first preacher under the Turnbull Memorial Trust, which was founded bv a gift of RSOOO for the purpose of enabling leading Presbyterian divines, English and American, as well as Scottish, every few years to spend several months in Australia. Some of our famous men, like Dr Cameron Lees, Dr James Macgregor, Dr R. H. Fisher, and Professor W. P. Paterson, have visited the Commonwealth, and their presence suggested to Mr and Mrs Turnbull, devoted members of the Scots Church in Melbourne, the idea of having such visits placed on a regular basis. Dr Norman Maclean, who is both an excellent preacher and a vivid writer—his sketch, “Our Parish,” published at the beginning of the war, was a masterpiece—will make a special appeal to his Fellow-Highlanders, whom, if the occasion arises, he can address in Gaelic. His own congregation, one of the few with two ministers, has generously given him leave of absence. SA VTNGS CERTIFICATES. It is pleasant to learn that, in spite of the continuance of dull trade, the community is still able to save substantially. During the 12 months up to the end of August, Scotland invested no less than four millions sterling in savings certificates, a considerable advance on the preceding year, and the organisation for stimulating the movement made considerable progress. It is a remarkable fact that since the inauguration of the scheme during the war the State has been able to borrow nearly 600 millions from this source, and that though we have gone through hard times since, the proportion of certificates repaid has been only about 36 per cent.