LONDON LETTER

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 115, 17 May 1930, Page 1 (Supplement)

LONDON LETTER

LONDON, March 13, 1930. The Referendum. Though delight at having found a modus operandi for bringing together all Conservatively-minded forces in the country is the uppermost feeling in the minds of Tory ALP.’s, several of them apparently are in some little anxiety over Mr Baldwin’s suggestion of resorting to a referendum, to decide the question of food taxes. It is pointed out that, though Mr Baldwin mentioned this form of discovering the attitude of the country has been advocated by Lord Balfour, that advocacy aad resulted in showing that the country was not at : II prepared to resort to the referendum. Whether Mr Baldwin thinks a change of feeling about this matter has taken place in the minds of the people since the time of the Parliament Act remains, of course, to be seen. In the meanwhile, however, the suggestion is to be heard in the looby that the referendum had to be mentioned by Mr Baldwin as a necessary fulcrum to adjust the balance between the various sections of tile Conservative Party and the Empire Crusaders. Once having been used for that purpose, it is thought probable that the referendum will be allowed gradually to fade out of the picture, while party energies will be concentrated on the more constitutional procedure requisite for bringing about the Empire conference proposals. Indian Outlook. Ministers, I believe, regard the Indian outlook with quiet confidence. Some disorder is possible, but the authorities claim that, if it does take place, it will be of a much less serious character than it would have been six months ago, in view of the change of opinion as the result of the Viceroy’s declaration. Gandhi has shed most of his moderate followers, with whom he is personally in sympathy and, in his anxiety to conciliate the extremists, he has merely earned their contempt. The.r inspiration can Jje traced direct to Moscow, and, if the necessity arises, they will find that the police know all that is worth knowing about their intentions and plans. Mere “hot air’ 7 will be ignored, but, the moment the law is broken, action will be taken aga.nst the offenders. Bungled Diplomacy. Private M.P.’s of all parties, excluding only the ultra-red section of the Socialists, are -expressing the view that Mr Henderson is putting both himself and Sir Esmond (Jvey in a peculiarly unpleasant posit.on over the “report from Moscow.” Had the Foreign Secretary made it clear from the outset that he was asking Sir Esmond for that report purely as a private aid to the Government in determining its attitude, all might have been well. Unfortunately. that was not the impression which he gave to the House of Commons. and now that he refuses to pub- : -h it on the ground that such publication would not be in the best interests • i of conjectures are b >und to arise. The chief question which members are asking each other is: What will be the effect of the incident on Sir Esmond’s position in Moscow? The refusal to lay the report before the House was couched in such terms as • to indicate that it was being withheld for the purpose of protecting the Ambassador. Such a supposition, however, in the minds of suspicious Soviet officials is bound to create the impression that the report was far more detrimental to their interests than, were the truth to be known, is probably the case. Altogether, the general feeling is that Mr Henderson has bungled things, and has failed to provide himself with the sufficiently “long spoon.” Prime Minister’s Salary. • When Mr Lloyd George app ars before the House of Commons Committee on the salaries of Ministers he will no doubt support the proposal that the Prime Minister should receive a substantial increase. Air Lloyd George would have been hard pressed if he had not been in receipt of £2,000 a year under the will of the late Mr Andrew Carnegie, and the £BO,OOO he earned by his pen after his retirement is not the scale of deferred pay on which every occupant of the office can be sure of getting when he retires. In any case it was of no help to him in meeting the heavy establishment and hospitality charges imposed upon him when he was at 10 Downing-street. Lord Gladstone As Minister. Parliamentary memories are so short that during the 20 years since he left the House of Commons Viscount Glad- _ stone has been almost forgotten as a politician. He was a great Chief Whip, for his name gave him more than a personal authority, but as a Minister his record was indifferent. During his three years at the Home Office he was fortunate in having as his Under-Sec-retary Sir (then Mr) Herbert Samuel, whose remarkable knowledge and industry made good his chief’s defects. He »eemcd to know every section of every Act and every clause of every Bill, and Mr Gladstone, the most unassuming of Bien, was content to leave things to -jim. During these years Sir Herbert Samuel laid tin* foundations of his reputation for administrative skill, and his chief openly rejoiced in his junior s The Cat Out of The Bay. Lord Gladstoneprominence in political affairs Was perhaps greatest in the early days of Home Rule. It was an indiscretion on his part—believed to be calculated —which gave the public the i first news of the coming change in Irish policy. The younger Gladstone gave a hint of his father’s intentions to a Parliamentary journalist who was an old friend of his, ami. though the report was at first treated with scepticism. it was soon confirmed. Viscount Gladstone spent s ,m e of his happiest days in South Africa, and on coming , w home made no attempt to return to the ' hurly-burly of domestic politics, although he to k a keen interest and a conciliatory part in the troubles of the Liberal Party The political ambitions 'f the Gladstone family were extin-

guished by the death on active service of his nephew, who gave promise of repeating his grandfather’s career. Pembroke as Ocean Air Port. The Air Ministry are on the point of taking over the greater part of the disused Pembroke dockyard, and in a week or two will begin adaptation works which will cost about £50,000. The Ministry intend to establish an ocean-flying air port at Pembroke, closing down the present station at Avonmoiith. The latter has not been found satisfactory for seaplane work, being too far up the Bristol Channel, and experiments have demonstrated that the landing water at Pembroke is one of the most serviceable in the country. The transfer of the old Royal dockyard from the Admiralty to the Air Ministry has long been the subject of discussion, a good deal of unbusinesslike Haggling taking place over some petty details. While negotiating this transfer, th-e Admiralty put out feelers concerning the future of Sheerness, but the Air Ministry bluntly replied that the Board would have to look in other directions for a customer for that yard. In Praise of Safeguarding. The Association of British Chemical Manufacturers have produced figures which, they contend, demonstrate how industry in this country can prosper under safeguarding duties. The manufacture of chemicals was a German monopoly before the war, but since it was made a key industry in this country i i 1922, the number of fine chemicals made by our manufacturers has increased from 1,800 to over 3,000; and prices have dropped from 50 per cent, to 80 per cent. Insulin has fallen even more. In 1923 it cost 25s for 10 doses of insulin, but now the same amount can be purchased for 2s. Many chemicals that were never previously made in Britain are now be.ng manufactured, and they are of as good quality and purity as German chemicals. Safeguarding in this industry has encouraged the production of new things, as it has done in the scientific instrument making trade. Dyestuffs, too, which were a German monopoly before the war, arc now being made here in great quantities. Our factory in Yorkshire has increased its production six-fold since the industry was protected by a duty. Sea and Age. With the navy uppermost in mind, and an inevitable cut coming in all ranks of officers, from the cadet at Dartmouth to the Admirals-of-the-Eleet, it is interesting to note that “life on the ocean wave” is a remarkably healthy one. The recent death of Admiral Claude Buckle at 91 years of age leaves Admiral Sir Sturges Jackson, 88 years, as the “Father” of the navy. Of other llag officers, two are 86, one 85, two 84, and five 83. When it comes to the list of captains, the oldest, Captain John Evcrard, is 98, and Captain James Hunter was 96 this week. The doyen of all naval officers is Deputy Inspector-General William Connolly, who will be 100 a year next April 11. Statistics, I believe, prove that men as well aswofficers, live long “Old salts” are notoriously longer lived than “old soldiers,” and that is saying a good deal. Beveridge of Balliol. Sir William Beveridge is 51. this week. Charterhouse and Balliol developed his mental equipment until he was regarded as an intellectual machine. After taking a Triple First, he entered journalism, taking a call to the Bar in his stride. Then the Civil Service beckoned. He was lent by the Board of Trade as Secretary to the Food Ministry during the War—and never returned. Then he found his niche as director of the London School of Economics. has been Vice-Chancellor of London University, and a member of the Samuel Coal Commission. He has, however. paid tribute to the humanities, for he was the author of “An Anthology of Thoughts on Women.” But. his friends always attribute that flippancy to some other Beveridge, hinting that, like our own Winston, he has an American namesake! Two Hundred Letters a Minute. The Business Efficiency Exhibition is an international affair. As one of the promoters put it to me, if something emanates from Timbuctoo for the speed-ing-up of trade, it is given prominence here. All the more satisfactory, then, that the legend “British Made” should be so conspicuous among the countless ingenuities. The organisers are the Office Appliance Trades Association of Great Britain and Ireland, whose policy I it is to gather together each year in one | building a comprehensive display of modern office machines and methods. I The aim is to increase the efficiency of [ British offices, and to reduce their overhead costs by preventing the waste of time and energy. Among the novelties this year are a self-regulating timing system, a combined typewriter and adding machine, a contrivance fur datestamping and numbering incoming correspondence, and an inexpensive handoperated invention for opening letters at the rate of 200 a minute. Making of Clogs. Although the Lancashire lassies have given up wearing clogs in favour of high-heeled shoes and silk stockings, the making of clogs in this country is a growing trade. More than 500,0*.»0 clogs are made in England annually, and every year rhe exports are increasing. Britain has made a speciality of clogs, and there are now 160 patterns, ranging from the old wooden clog that used to be worn in Lancashire mills to fur-lined Wellington clogs which are worn by gardeners. Prices range from 4s to 17s 6d. The growth of new trades like the artificial silk trade has given an impetus t<. the wearing of clogs. Wooden clogs are used by all workers who are employed among chemicals. The export trade is chiefly among miners. In the mines of Iceland, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa, English clogs are now being worn. But even in this trade Germany is trying to swamp us. Last year she sent over 200.000 pairs of clogs to England.

A certain coolness between two popular golfers is temporarily distressing members of one London Club. One of the two men concerned is a famous golfer, and the other, equally keen but. less expert on the links, is a West End dentist. They have often played together and against each other in foursomes, but just now the dentist’s attitude is one of frigid aloofness. This is, I hear, how it happened. The golfer developed a bad toothache, and went to see the dentist professionally. The latter diagnosed a hollow tooth, and promptly applied a temporary stopping. But after the golfer left the surgery the pain was as bad as ever, and on close inspection he decided the dentist had stopped the w r rong tooth. He rang him up. and, in reply to the dentist’s

query, said: “I say, you’ve holed out on the wrong green!” After-Dinner Ordeal. One of the newest night-sights of London, which attracts a large crowd every evening, is the new illuminated road-line at the Marble Arch. This consists of a steel channel about five inches deep, which acts as a reflector and container for a row of electric lights. Level with the road surface is a tiling of laminated glass. The policeman on duty can make the line cither ■white or red to pass on or stop approaching traffic. Until drivers become accustomed to this “lit up” roadway, some young men, driving home after dinner, may be a little shaken on first meeting a roadway that turns red before their eves-

No Reward for Musk Disappointment is in store for hor-! ticulturists who have been hoping to receive £lOOO from a London news-' paper for the discovery of a musk plant -with the genuine old musk aroma. Some time ago a statement! was made at a meeting of the Auck-| land branch of the New Zealand Hor-: ticultural Institute to the effect that 1 the London Daily Mail -was offering! such a prize, and for some time the institute was bombarded with inquir-' ics- Eventually about 40 musk plants! were transplanted at Hay’s nurseries, in order that a test might be carried! out. However, a letter has been, ro-’ eeived from the Daily Mar 1 raying i that it has never offered n-xzes for

musk plants. In their ko,enness, some enthusiastic horticulturists have even been writing to the paper in London claiming the prize. ‘ ‘Keep a Bee” “Talking of cows,” writes a Rawhitiroa resident, who is at present on a visit to the Old Country, to a friend in Eltham, “tell that there is something far wrong with New Zealand butter, or the way they market it. If he had to eat some of the New Zealand I have eaten, he would turn his cows out on to the road. New Zealand honey gets the best name of anything New Zealand I have struck, and I have seen a lot of it in the shops. Moral for Taranaki: ‘Soli the cows and keep a bee!’