LETTER FROM LONDON

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19841, 16 May 1927, Page 3

LETTER FROM LONDON

POLITICS AND SPORT

PORTRAITS AND SCULPTURE

LONDON, March 31. < The Trade Union Bill. It is no secret that the Labour Party is girding up its political loins to smite the Government hip and thigh over the Trade Union Bill. It matters little what that measure actually ! proposes. Labour M.P. ’s will denounce ; it as a deliberate attack by capitalism . on the sacred palladium of the worker.-,. .This denunciation has as a matter of ; fact already been launched, even bei fore the scope of the Government’s proI posals are known, at innumerable ! street corners in proletarian London. But, considering the situation revealed ’ during the general strike and ihe feeling in the Conservative Party, the I Cabinet’s Bill is a modest one. It gives statutory emphasis to the already ■ existing illegality of the general strike, prohibits intimidation by pickets at a ! worker’s home, and places the onus on ; trade unionists of contracting into m- ! stead of out of the political levy. Mudsterial Changes. j Viscount Cave’s convalescence is proving more tedious than had been hoped, and in Parliamentary circles it ’is suggested that as soou as possible after the trade disputes legislation has ‘ been settled, he will ask to be relieved of his duties as Lord Chancellor, in ■ that case Lord Birkenhead would have I strong claims to return to tho Woolsack, and if these were not recognised ’ lie would be under a great temptation ;to accept some of ihe attractive of- : fers that have been made to him to embark on a commercial and financial career. The Prime Minister has a rooted dislike of personal changes, and _s not likely to make any until nccesi sitv compels. Suggestions from outside i that they are desirable only tend tQ 1 bring out his loyalty to colleagues, even’if he may think that they could ' be usefully replaced. The Ifisii Mails. A lively controversy is in progress as to the conveyance of ihe mails between London and Belfast. Ihe North vl Ireland Government have been protest ing that the time occupied is lunger au-.v Luaix it was before the war, and u.ging the L.M.S. Railway to speed up s’trains by the Stranraer route which, hough the land journey is longer, is . lilekcr than Fleetwood, owing to the .*Lorfcr sea trip. The British Govem--1.. nt were sympathetic towards the complaint, but they have now learned iu .ncir surprise that the Ulster Minisry which was formerly keen to get ■‘"letters by the “all red” route, Is raking to have them sent by Holy head . Dublin. It is perhaps a significant .indention of changing opinion in Ireiniid that in order ig have their letter’- an hour earlier the men of the North arc willing to have them handled bv the Free State postal authorities. • he Postmaster-General is to be ques--1 Gened on the matter next week. parliamentary Private Secretaries. ' Lord Huntingfield, who is Parliameni tarv Private Secretary to Sir Philip : Cunliffe-Lister, is likely to be one oi the busiest of his confraternity this ■session, owing to the protracted tussle ! assured by the Committee stage of tne Films Bill. A Parliamentary Private : Secretary is a M.P. who volunteers to !be his chief’s alter ego, attending Standing Committees to assist his Chief ■ in the passage of Bills, and seeing thai I his Chief is in the House of Commons > Debating Chamber when required. I Many distinguished men have found these positions the ladder to GovcrnI ment positions. Sir Herbert Samuel, land his cousin, the lai a Hon. Edward Montagu, who both subsequently held [Cabinet office, started by being the i alter ego of the present Earl of Oxford. Mr. Davidson, the Chairman of the • Unionist Organisation acted similarly for Mr. Bonar Law and Mr. Baldwin; while the latter himself emerges

from the back benches in ordei to become Mr. Bonar Law s P.l when the latter was Chancellor of the Exchequer during the war.

Education in Russia. Nothing better illustrates the state of topsy-turveydom to which things in Russia have been reduced under Soviet I rule than the present position in the I schools. Education in the ordinary 'sense of the word is virtually non-ex-istent. Such teaching as is recognised is almost solely concerned with imbuing the young with the principles of Communism. The most Gibertian thing about these Russian schools is the power possessed by the pupils. They are actually allowed to arrogate to themselves power to decide whether pupils shall or shall not go to a more advanced class. The fact that the teacher considers a pupil ripe for promotion to a higher standard counts for nothing at all. If the pupils vote against it, their vote prevails. It is not surprising, in the circumstances, that teachers are few and far between. But that is a remark which applies to practically all professional classes. I was told of one area where one doctor is expected to look after the needs of 30,000 patients. After the War. Mr. Sheppard, the popular padre whose practical Christianity has made St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields one of London’s most “live” churches, instituted a daring innovation. He permitted down-and-outers to sleep in the crypt, men on one side and women on the other, with attendants to see that, while the place remained open all night,

I this really sympathetic gesture was not abused. One hard-and-fast rule had to be enforced. St. Martin’s crypt could not be converted into a regular “doss house” for all the night birds at the ' West End. Its hospitality to Les j Miserablcs was strictly limited to one 1 night each. And this rule has been carefully maintained by Mr. Sheppard’s successor, a worthy Canon of kindrod wide humanity. I learn, however, that the rule was relaxed recently. It was a tragic case. An Oxford man, a V.C., who has fallen on evil days, was allowed to sleep there for a week. The Grand. National. Sprig, I am told, “never put a foot wrong,” in winning the Grand National. Leader did not ride such a judicious race last year, or Sprig might have won then. But a good horse has now come into his kingdom, and I doubt whether Mrs. Partridge will want him to be raced again. The horse was bequeathed to her by her son, who lost 1 his life in the war, and never has a bequest been so fondly treasured. All summer, when ’chasers are not in training, Mrs. Partridge has Sprig out to grass in meadows adjacent to her home. I happen to know that when Crawford, the famous American jockey, was here a few years ago, he tried hard to get a price put on Sprig, then a mere maiden ’chaser. All the Leaders, rather, son, and others, think no end of the old horse, and there will be rejoicings for many a day at Newmarket. Thrown In was an early tumbler, and the one great surprise of the race was Bovril ITT., whose fine effort caused a “sinking feeling” once or twice in the hearts of those who wore “on” Sprig. Lady Scott’s Sculptures. Lady Scott (Mrs. Hilton Young), whose exhibition of sculptures opened this week at Gieves Galleries, gave me some interesting details concerning her sitters when I met her this morning. “You see,” she said, with a significant gesture, “my subjects are chiefly men, because I find them more interesting than women. I have done three Prime Ministers, fourteen war memorials, and quite a number of literary ‘lions.’ Here you see is my first study for the memorial of Captain Scott. I came back from France where I was running an ambulance at Verdun for the French Command, especially to do this work, and I worked on it day and night for three weeks. “This,” she said, pointing to a. full length nude figure with outstretched hands and unturned head, “is my favourite work. It was intended for a War Memorial, and to me it typifies absolute surrender of ideals.” | Lloyd George’s Head.

Turning to a large portrait bust of Lloyd George which occupied a prominent position in the room. Lady Scott said, “I had intended this to be lifesize, like the busts of Air. Baldwin and the Earl of Oxford, but somehow, while I worked on it, it seemed to take possession of me, and willy-nilly, assumed its present colossal lt seemed to me that the tremendous energy and intellectual force of the man had to express itself. Here,” she said, indicating a bust of the Earl of Reading, “is a work executed under somewhat unusual circumstances. It was 'done in Lord Reading’s drawing-room, during his Indian Viceroyalty, when the only time he could spare were the intervals between State functions and dinner parties. I had to work in evening dress and high heeled shoes, surrounded by the Viceroy’s staff who kept up a running commentary on my work. Here again is Bernard Shaw. There is no kinder-hearted or more considerate man than G.B.S. and I have spent many happy days in his society.” Academy Portraits. So many beautiful and famous women have been sitting to equally famous painters that it looks like being an especially interesting “portrait” Academy this year. Heading the list, of course, is Mr. Jack’s striking study of Queen Alary, wearing a magnificent Court gown of gold tissue, the train of which is lined with blue brocade. Her Majesty’s choice of jewels includes the inimitable Koh-i-noor, ropes of diamonds and pearls, pearl earrings, and a pearl and diamond diadem. The same artist has painted Lady Marjorie Erskine, Lady Phyllis Macrae, and Lady Greenaway. Airs. Flora Lion wjll contribute a regal portrait of Lady Grey of Fallodon in a velvet gown. A notable stage study will be that of Miss Jean Forbes-Robertson in her “Ber-keley-Square” role, the artist being the Hon. John Collier. Lord Birkenhead’s Golf Dogs. The Coombe Hill Golf Club, which is one of the most attractive near London, lias just elected as its president one of its most distinguished and enthusiastic members, the Earl of Birkenhead. Though the famous lawyer can on favourable occasion hit a tremendously long ball, he is erratic, and not of the select company of scratch golfers. None the less he thoroughly enjoys a round, and, turning a characteristically Nelsonic eye on the laws of tho golfing Medes and Persians, is generally accompanied by his three delightful little Sealyham terriers. The-e small animals take a real and intelligent interest in the royal and ancient game as played by their beloved master. When he addresses the ball, they never fail to take up the correct position unbidden. They sit in a row just in front of him, level with the ball,

watch my lord’s swing, and, with simultaneously upturned heads, follow the flight. A long hit pleases them. A foozle docs not greatly depress or surprise them. They just get up from their haunches, and trot along after the noble Earl with all the solemn dignity of Chinese mandarins participating in a sacred rite. The ‘ ‘Actress-Announcer.’ ’ “Now here is a lovely gown—a very lovely gown. Look at the slender lines; notice the exquisite cut, and the clever way in which the pleats are arranged. This is a frock which any one might be proud to wear, and when this show is over you will pfobably find me in some secluded corner trying it on myself. . Thus the famous actress, perched somewhat precariously upon a tiny dias iu the middle of the room, at the modern dress show! This idea of heralding coming fashions through the medium of some popular heroine of the stage has caught on at all the most important London stores. As the mannequins, with their exaggerated slithering glide, appear at one end of the room, the ‘actress announcer’ takes careful stock of their toilettes and expounds at length upon them to an interested gathering of shoppers. To see a foot light favourite at close quarters, and to hear her speak in that confidential ‘woman-ta-woman’ way is, of course, part of the attraction. Miss Joyce Wethered.

During the past winter Aliss Joyce Wethered has played a good deal of golf, and has taken paia in several important inter-club matches. It was hoped from this that she intended to re-enter the lists for the Women’s Championship this summer. I gather, however, that there is little likelihood of this. Though it is perfectly Iruc ihat Miss Wethered has no nerves in the golfing sense, she dislikes very much the mobbing to which she was subjected more than once after winning the championship. She dislikes rtill more the backbiting and jealousies which obtain among some, at least, of the leading lady golfers. Apart from this, she has other relaxations. She has developed a desperate keenness for fly fishing, and is rapidly becoming a really firstclass lawn tennis player. What would bring her back to the championship links more quickly than anything else wpuld be an American victory. If Afiss G?enna Collett should win the championship in Alay I should be very m ich surprised, indeed, if Miss Wethered did not emerge as a challenger in 1928. Business Contrasts. I begin to suspect why some American shopkeepers walk right into London and shortly rent its oldest baronial residences. After the war I bought myself a new wrist watch at a top price from a famous London firm. It went well till this week the mainspring broke. I make no complaint about that, but I was a little dashed in spirit by tho frigidity of my reception when I took it back to the sane firm and asked for the repair department. It was' up a number of stairs. The official in charge, who faintly reminded me of an income-tax assessor, seemed to regard the broken mainspring as a criminal misdemeanour on my part. He ordered me to have the watch cletl'.ed as well as repaired, and could not guarantee return under three weeks. When I asked him to lend me another watch he was frightfully effected. “We do not loan watches’.” he said with emphasis. That was oi-? picture. The Yankee Way. As the correct time is a journalistic essential, I promptly drove to a famous American cheap watch emporium. When my predicament was explained, the assistant was sympathetic and understanding. I was shown an array of nice-looking watches, all guaranteed, but advised that, as my needs were purely temporary, tho 8s 6d ones would be qqite as service able as the twoguinea ones. Just because they were so pleasant and nice about it, I bought the dearer article, and asked what happened if it went wrong like my proper watch. “We exchange it for a new one at once,” said the shopman, “without charge, within the period of the guarantee, but for a small charge after that expires.” Not having a chain I chipped the glass in my pocket within a few hours. They promptly apologised and replaced it. I like the American way best.