THE HOME LAND

Otago Witness, Issue 3912, 5 March 1929, Page 18

THE HOME LAND

{From Our Special Correspondent.) SCOTLAND, January 16.

During the first few days of the year a dense fog enveloped various parts of Scotland, and was- accompanied by a severe frost. On the Clyde shipping was brought to a complete standstill. A number of vessels were held up at Greenock, and those in the docks at Glasgow could not leave their moorings. Ponds and inland lakes had thick coatings of ice. Curling was indulged in in all parts of the country, and young people were out on the ice skating to their heart’s content. This has been followed by an outbreak of influenza in Glasgow, which developed into epidemic form. Last week the death rate in Glasgow was 31.2 per 1000 of the population, which is almost double that of normal times. Many deaths resulted from pneumonia accompanying or following an attack of influenza. The public services such as the tramways and the police have been badly affected. School attendances have suffered, and in many cases the teachers have been laid aside. The medical authorities believe the worst is now over.

Lady Steel-Maitland, of Sauchieburn, Stirling, wife of the Minister of Labour, at a meeting in Stirling spoke strongly in favour of the claims of the Society for the Overseas Settlement of British Women. She observed that although interest in the colonies had growm very much in the last 20 years, we did not yet sufficiently realise what the dominions meant and could mean for us at Home. In an old country like ours we needed expansion, while the dominions needed development, and they needed labour of the right sort. Lady SteelMaitland explained that the openings in the dominions for girls and women were nearly all by way of domestic service. The girls who went out under the scheme had to undertake that they would give a year’s work in domestic service, after which they were free to take other employment if it was more congenial or better paid, or possibly more in the line of what they had been doing in the Old Country.

The Rev. Joseph M'Neil Fraser, minister emeritus of Langside parish church, who has passed away, was a gentleman who accomplished a vast amount' of useful work without any ado. He took over the quond sacra parish of Langside when it was at a low ebb owing to the infirmity of the then incumbent. During his ministry Langside Church was endowed, and became one of the largest and most influential parishes in the city. He was a quiet but fearless preacher, and his memory will remain green for many a day.

Natives of Stirling will regret to learn of the death of Mr James Davie, a member of the firm of Messrs James Davie and Sons, owners of the foundry in that town, and widely known in musical circles in Central Scotland. When he was only 15 years of age he became organist of Kilmadock Parish Church, Donne, and since then he has acted in the same capacity in several important congregations in the Stirling district. Mr Davie was also a talented pianist. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.

There is no more popular unit of the British defensive forces than the Lovat Scouts. In the South African war and in the European war the Scouts greatly distinguished themselves. It is said that In South Africa the men from the north of Scotland were the only regiment Which took the Boers at a disadvantage. Lieutenant-colonel J. P. Grant presided at the annual reunion and dinner of the Glasgow branch of. the Lovat Scouts' Association. He submitted the loyal toasts in Gaelic. Captain R. Burness, in proposing the toast of “ The Lovat Scouts,” said he recognised with pleasure that the men of the present day were the right type of Scout.

Strange things happen in Glasgow in these days. In. the early morning an employee in business premises in the city on opening the doors of the shop in Argyll street found a parcel with a brown paper cover, and thinking it contained goods for the shop left by a messenger he carried it to the manager’s room, where it lay for several hours. On being opened by the manager he was horrified to find that it contained the body of a newly-born female child. He immediately reported the matter to the police, who are endeavouring to solve the mystery.

Captain D. M. W. Beak, V.C., D. 5.0., M.C., Royal Scots Fusiliers, has been promoted to the rank of Brevet-Major. The war service in which Captain Beak displayed the —conspicuous gallantry which won for him many honours wa*s spent with the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. It was on November 15, 1918, that the conferment of the Victoria Cross was gazetted. The award was made “ for most conspicuous bravery, courageous leadership, and devotion to duty during a prolonged period of operations. He led his men to attack, and despite heavy machine-gun fire four enemy positions were captured. His skilful and fearless leadership resulted in the complete success of this operation, and enabled other battalions to reach their objectives.”

The last wishes of Earl Haig have been fulfilled, when his son, Earl Haig, of Bermersyde, and his daughter, Lady Irene Haig, were enrolled as Wolf Cub and Brownie respectively. They will be attached to the packs of the British Legion Poppy Factory at Richmond, Surrey.

The Hon. Mrs H. R. Dundas passed away in London, aged 87. She came of military stock. The Hon. Catherine Anne Carrington Napier, she was the eldest daughter of the noted Fieldmarshal Lord Napier, of Magdala, the victor of the Abyssinian War of 1867. She married, in 1863, Mr Henry Robert Duncan Dundas, third son of James Dundas, of Dundas, by his marriage with a daughter of Admiral Viscount Duncan, the victor of Camperdown. There were two sons, both of whom are dead, and four daughters, all of whom survive.

Messrs T. and A. Constable, Ltd., the University Press, Edinburgh, have presented to the National Library of Scotland the correspondence of Archibald Constable ami Co. There are 14 volumes, one of which contains the correspondence with Hurst, Robinson, and Co., whose bankruptcy in 1826 was the immediate cause of the financial ruin in which Constable, the Ballantynes, and Sir Walter Scott were involved. Constable was well named “ The Napoleon of the press,” and his correspondence is one of the main sources for the history of publishing during the first quarter of the nineteenth century.

I had a talk with Mr Adam W. Montgomerie, J.P., of Lessnessock, Ochiltree, the noted breeder and exporter of Ayrshire cattle. He tells me that the demand for Scottish milk stock for distant countries, is very great at present. He expects to ship half a dozen Ayrshire cattle to Rhodesia, about 40 to the United States of America, and from 50 to 60 to Canada in the near future. There has been a boom in the Scottish milk cow since her achievement in sweeping the boards at the British Dairy Farmers’ Show in London.

A big deal in Shorthorn cattle has just been completed by Mr William Fleming, head of the Live Stock Department of Southern Rhodesia. He has purchased from Mr Albeirt James Marshall, of Bridgebank, Stranraer, 10 heifers and two bulls. Mr Marshall has the largest herd of Shorthorns in Britain, and the breeding of the animals now going to Africa is upon the most popular and highly-prized lines.

The sentence of death passed on James Reid at the recent sitting of the High Court of Justiciary in Glasgow, has been commuted to penal servitude for life. Reid was convicted of the murder of his 'wife in their one-roomed house in Nicholson street, Glasgow, on October 19, by cutting her throat with a razor or other sharp instrument, in consequence of which she died in the Royal Infirmary five days later. The Lord Justice Clerk, who presided at the trial, described the story of the crime, as disclosed in the evidence, as a squalid one of drink, depravity, and adultery.

Edinburgh Corporation, following the example of Glasgow and other Scottish cities, has agreed to permit music in the parks on Sundays. The question was decided by 31 votes to 29. There is a large body of opinion in the city averse to the permission of music in the public parks on Sunday.

Lady Mary Scott, daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch, "was married on Thursday in St. Clement Danes Church, London, to Lord Burghley, the brilliant athlete who was one of the leading competitors at the Amsterdam Olympic games. Immense interest was taken in the event. The crowd wliich assembled was so great that the bride had difficulty in making her way into the church when she arrived with her father. The Buccleuch family is exceedingly popular.