LETTER FROM LONDON

Taranaki Daily News, 20 June 1931, Page 14 (Supplement)

LETTER FROM LONDON

NEWS FROM THE HOMELAND, BUDGET MYSTERIES. (From Our London Correspondent.) London, April 30. There is much mystery about Mr. Snowden’s Budget. Why does such a. sober financier make esuch frivolous provision again the current year’s revenue slump, which cannot 'be otherwise than prodigious? Is he counting on a sudden trade boom or a quick general election. He tells us any gaps in his finances must be filled by national economies. But he gives not the slightest indication how or where these may be found. No experienced collector of income tax in London believes Mr. Snowden will <ret three-quarters of his haul in early in the year. He is blithely abolishing Mr. Pitt’s safeguard for taxpayers, by depriving the commissioners of their staffiS, but- has he pondered the possibilities? If income taxpayers once started a conscientious objection movement, such as Nonconformists did before the war, our Budget and our currency would, crash in six months. GERMAN TRADE. I hear that trade conditions in Germany are .fully as bad as they aie in

this country, and while some-deduction J may have to be made for anxiety to plead poverty in order to secure a re- ; duction of the Young Plan payments, ’ the situation is undoubtedly serious. i One good effect, however, may emerge, ; I am 'told that a meeting'between the leaders of the coal industry in the two countries is a possibility of the near future, and that their common misfortunes may make easier some understanding to mitigate the underselling ■which threatens to be ruinous to them both. The European demand for coal has shrunk appreciably, and an uncontrolled scramble for what remains is plainly against the interests of the producers, whether British or German. *C’EST LA GUERRE!* The unique chart of average prices of general commodities, published by the Society of Chemical Industry, demonstrates that every war has caused an immense rise in prices, invariably followed by a. disastrous drop, and widespread depression. In no case during the 11'2 years covered by the chart has there been any exception to this rule. The Napoleonic wars, the Crimean War, the Franco-German War, the -South ■ African War, the Russo-Japanese War. and lastly the Great War, have each had precisely the same effect —‘moun--1 tainous prices followed by years of de- ' pression. The chart shows that the prices prevailing to-day are on a parity with those of 191’2 and 1913, and that • the fall per month during the last five ' months is much less than that of a i year ago.

AS YOU WERE. This week the safeguarding duty on imported wrapping and packing paper expires. It was put on to save paper mills that were closing down through sheer inability to face unrestricted foreign imorts made in German and Swedish mills, where the workpeople laboured longer hours for less money. After the duty was imposed foreign imports fell from 219,000 tons in 1925 to 172,000 in 1930. This represented about £2,000.000. Kot only did old mills revive, but some new ones actually opened up, all specialising in this particular commodity. To-day our own mills produce 'half the total of such paper used in this country, and would undoubtedly have improved even on that percentage. 'But after this week—on principle—we revert to disaster. Strange work for a trade union Ministry with over two million unemployed on its hands.

ELIMINATE HUMAN ELEMENT. It is a notable fact that the Great Western. is the only British railway company to adopt on. a comprehensive scale the system of automatic train control. After test experiments, extending over two decades, the automatic control device is now being adopted practically throughout the whole of the G.W. system. Experts surmise that, after recent accidents, the three other ■associated lines in thus country may shortly follow suit. It is within the bounds of possibility that 'Colonel Mount, the Transport Ministry's Chief Inspector of Railways, may suggest this improvement in his report on the unfortunate Leighton Buzzard accident. It would‘be well worth the expense involved 'by reason of the greater safety ensured.

ARMY TRAINING IN 1931. Salisbury Plain, will once again be the centre of this autumn's meet important section of Army training. . As in many years past, the operations, through motives of economy, will be restricted to certain set exercises. The military authorities made desperate efforts to stage some fairly large-scale manoeuvres, with the Aidershot and Southern Commands arrayed against one another, each being reinforced by troops from other parts of the country. That scheme, however, was turned down by the Treasury, who would not eanction the additional £50,000 or £60,000 required. Prominent parts in the exercises will be played by a Medium Armoured Brigade of three of the Royal Tank Corps, by the 7th Experimental Infantry Brigade, with its three fully mechanised battalions, and a considerable number of mechanieed batteries. In fact the whole programme of the coming training will largely follow that of last year in testing the progress in placing the Army on wheels. DON ALFONSO'S BATON, The recognition of the ney Spanish Provisional Government by the British Government places Don Alfonso in a delicate position as regards his continuing to hold the rank of Field-Marshal in°the British Army and the Colonelcy-in-Cbicf of the 16th-sth Lancers. The position of a reigning Monarch holding high rank in the Army is one of the recognised and welcome courtesies. between friendly nations,' and especially between Spain and ourselves, with whom we have many allied claims in a military sense. But, in the diplomatic ■sense, It is conceivable that Don Alfonso should desire to hand back his FieldMarshal’s baton to the King to avoid any semblance of misunderstanding in ■ Spain. The King would much regret to receive it, and the Army, too, would feel that a courageous comrade and soldier had left its ranks. The only ■other case where a Field-Marshal's baton has been handed back affected the Emperor William of Germany, but his evasion from the Army List was ordered as an act of justice. SOUND MR. BUMBLE. It now appears there is a snag even in compulsory third-party motor insurance. If somebody is badly injured, but the rehponsiblfe motorist is killed i» the

smash, no claim is eligible on injured person’s behalf. Mr. Heroert Morrison tells us this is not all an inadvertence, but quite deliberate. it was proposed to make tho third party s claim posthumous so far as the dea motorist is concerned, but that was general principle of law that right o. held a dangerous innovation of the action ceases with, th & death c ; 6. person against whom it brought. Air. Bumble was right about the law. The essence of third-party insurance transfers the onus from the dead motorist to an immortal insurance corporation. It is time public subscription erected an adequate statue to Mi. Bumble at the Law Courts. HOME SAFES FOR INSURANCE. I hear that one of the important life assurance companies is about to apply the “home safe” system to the payment of insurance premiums. The policy holder will be supplied with what looks like a, leather-bound pocket volume, but is in fact a safe, in which he will place at

his convenience the instalments needed to meet his premium when it becomes due. At intervals he will take the safe to one of the banks which are cooperating in the system, and the officials there will remit to the insurance company? or credit the customei aa ith the deposit till the time to hand it over is due. Thus life assurance is reduced literally to shilling-in-the-slot simplicity. FLEET ST. AND THE LORD CHIEF.

Most of the London papers criticise Lord Hewart's remarks about Scotland Yard's press bureau in mingled reproof and reproach. To people who are in the know” this protestation is merelyamusing in a cynical sort of way. Possibly the Lord Chief, who is an old hand at journalism and probably knows things are going in Fleet Street, had more in his mind than he actually expressed. The Scotland Yard press bureau is beyond all doubt quite a blameless institution in itself, and also so far as its officials are concerned. But it would open the eyes of the public to know how much Fleet Street spends systematically on its police, infot niation. The crime specialist's salary, however handsome, is a flea-bite compared with his “expenses.’ LONDON AND ST. GEORGE. London was grateful to the Order of St. Michael and St. George for making good a general apathy in honouring its militant saint, for St. Paul’s Cathedral was well filled for the annual service, ■ and those who attended were rewarded ; by a stately pageant. The National Anthem was sung in full after Bishop Montgomery, prelate of the Order, in I cope and mitre, had given his blessing from the altar, and then, while the j Guards had played a stirring march, . the knights came in procession down

the nave to their chapel near the southwest door, where the banners hang. In tho evening, at London’s other cathedral, Dr. Dcarmcr, the new Canon of Westminster, spoke on Shakespeare, whose parish church this was for a dozen years, as a reminder that the poet was born on April 23, and is reputed to have died on the same day. At night the annual dinner of the Royal Society of St. George was held, with its usual attendant ceremonial. ARMY NOMENCLATURE. It is not surprising, in these days of restlessness for something new, that a sweeping suggestion has been mooted to change the official description of all soldiers to that of “volunteer.” . The suggestion follows the proposal that the Prince of Wales’ Volunteers (the South Lancashires) should adopt that description in place of “private. I he change has the Prince’s approval; in fact, whenever referring to the regiment, of which 'he is Colonel-in-Chief. he invariably employs the rm. In this particular case it is the regiment s titular designation, but, as a matter of fact, it is equally applicable to the

whole army, which is raised on voluntary basis. To the general public the matter is of small count. There would, however, bo bitter resentment in thg ranks of the service if “guardsman, “gunner,” “sapper,” and “trooper’’ were to be otherwise described. CULT OF THE PUG. The Pug Dog Club, which was holding its open show in Great Portland Street this week, was founded in 18S2. Lady Willoughby was one of the first to foresee the popularity of this intelligent and amusing companion, of children especially, and the Willoughby strain still persists. Lord Wrottesley is another prominent breeder, and Mrs. •E. AL Rose, of Oxford, lias a special strain of fawns. Blacks have their advocates too, a’nd Mrs. H. C. Lake, - of Ellesborough Rectory, Princes Risborough, goes in for both varieties. The pug is supposed to 'have come over to thia country with William of Orange, though China is credited with being its original home. It had its heyday in -Victorian times, for the subsequent cult of little long-haired foreigners like the Pekingese rather ousted it. Now it is well in favour again, and the best testimonial' to its engaging qualities is that, when a pug dies, another is usually bought to take its place—and not all for show purposes. “ATTA BABY.” American visitors in London during the coming season will be able to get a

genuine home-from-home feeling. Iney | will get it in its fullest flavour at g Stamford Bridge, where there will be a , whole series of baseball matches be- ! tween American exiles in this countiv. whether at our universities or engaged | in commerce here, and well-known torn- . ing teams from U.S.A. Peanuts and | hot dogs will be provided on the giound to heighten the effect, and the culmin- ! ating note will be the organised barracking that puts most of the pep into America's favourite sport. The hope still is, I believe, that our English cricket mav be converted to American baseball. But I was quite a small boy when the American Red Socs, or some such team, came here to demonstrate first-class baseball, and there are no overt signs yet of John 13011 “falling for it. . JAMES STARLET. ’ How many people know who this gentleman was? This week maiks his birth centenary, and he was the first I man to use an ull-nietu.l bicycle in this country. To that extent he may claim to have been the pioneer of the. modern safety bicycle, which is, despite constant newspaper assertions to the contrary, a more popular means of transport and exercise to-day than ever. There is no more erroneous impression than that the push-bike is becoming obsolescent. James Stanley introduced his machine here after a visit.to France, where he saw and admired the first “boneshaker” in action. There was no intricate gear mechanism, about the Starley machine, however, which was propelled by the rider’s feet, but nevertheless at a speed that far outstripped pedestrianism, and was regarded in those not-so-very-far-off days as a menace to public safety. ACADEMY BREAKS OUT. This year's Royal Academy will stagger the “Old Guard. The R.A.’s have at last, in their 163rd year of exhibition, ' thrown open their walls, and the sacred “line’’ itself, to the New Art. The result may be anything you please, but not Early Victorian, and undeniably interesting. John, Orpen, and Sickert bear off the laurels. The first-named has a portrait of Lord D’Abernon fit to grace any gallery of masterpieces. It is a thrilling piece of artistry, full of the patrician poise and courtly dignity and “ancestralism.” Orpen’s picture of Pavlova is a gem, airy and witty, but his “Palm Sunday” will cause con- | troversy. It shows a divine figure on 1 a, comic donkey, but docs not exceed the > 1 whimsicalities some of the mediaeval

Catholics perpetrated. Sickert’s' ;poF« ... trait of a mother and baby, with. Syfierce sunlight playing:on them, is ir- / resistibly clever. There is a smart por- . trait of the King aS Colonel, of . the Liverpools, a rather humdrum on& of the Duchess of York, and ...an. attractive one of her eldest daughter ready for the Row. NOTABLE PICTURES. ' ‘ -Lavery’s best effort is a girl riding on Hampstead Heath. His big canvas of LordLonsdale, in full regalia with the canary coach complete, suffers hav- ■ ing to stand up beside John 3 Hord D’Abernon.” There are faithfd hke-y n esses of Lord Justice Slesser and they Prime Minister and a host of commercial and other, magnates."> Laura Kmgh y has one circus piece, but this Tear departs a little from her. hobby to paint nude and semi-nude ladies. George Hax-, court has -the biggest picture th ° show-a family group, m which i slightly self-conscious look .on the iace of Life 7 head of the household may be due to wondering where on earth W are going to put such a white elephant. There are many “problem” pictures, in-, eluding a gentleman with a vacuum, cleaner, called “Spring Clea nin g,_ and a dear old soul holding out a bible Ao some sailors making merry with, heer and a girl. One of the best things of . allis j. K. Kirby’s picture of "The Landlord of The Chequers.” It has Hogarth1 ian genius. I —' !'