The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-07

tions regarding the temptations and the dangers that beset any friendless girl from home. or any girl who is not wig ilantly protected, in Johannesburg Cape Town and other populous places. Both in Cape Town and Johannesburg the social evil now fiourishes to an appalling ex- tent, and in the former city the scan- dals connected with 1t are at last awak- ening a public opinion not easily shocked by such things. The ladies engaged in this movement for the emigration of English girls to South Africa are doubt less well meaning, and I am sure that they have no conception of the mischief they are doing. The way to destruction, however. is often paved with good in- tentions. To induce any young woman to go out to South Africa at present, un- less 1t be under the most stringent pre- cautions for her personal protection, is really an act of wickedness which can not be too strongly censured.
 Could any "man about town" who left London for over thirty or forty years since revisit 1t today. doubt if anything would astonish more than the growth of palatial public rooms for lunching, dining and supping the resident popula- tion. Almost every week a new one seems to be added to the list. After a few weeks absence from town, was asked the other day by a friend to dine at Claridges. I knew that the historical Claridge's had been transformed into a magnificent up-to-date hostelry but I was not prepared to find 1t equipped with one of the most sumptuous public res taurants in London. The decoration of the room was all but finished on the oc- casion of my visit, and it is a triumph of good taste combined with the luxurious ness proper to a banqueting hall-for the dinner of a first-class modern restaurant is a banquet such as only kings knew of until the last few years. It Is a sign Of the times to see Claridges-once the ex- elusive aboard of royal and princely per sonages-entertaining the motly assem- blaze that now makes up the fashionable world of London; but the moneyed man is the king today, and the kings hotel keeper has to recognize the fact, like ev- erybody else. and enlarges his premises accordingly to make room for the great uncrowned--in their ever-increasing num- bers-
 hear that tho king intends to revert to the custom of usually having 8 cab inet minister in attendance on him ex- cept when the court is at Buckingham Palace. During the earlier years of Queen Victoria's reign a cabinet minis ter was invariably in attendance. except when her majesty was either at Bucking- ham Palace or at C1aremont In those days only the prime minister or one of the secretaries of state was eligible for this duty-a rule which was altered in the time of Lord Aberdeen's administra- ton, as 1t was inconvenient for some of the principle ministers to go to Balmoral when affairs were critical and urgent just before and during the Crimean war Early in the "ffties' the attendance of a cabinet minister at Windsor Castlee was dispensed with. but was continued at Osborne, and after the death of the prince consort Queen Victoria scarcely court, except at Balmoral or when she was abroad. The transaction of public business is much facilitated if a minister is at court when the sovereign Is in the country, and the king takes a keen in- terest in all affairs. and likes to know about everything that Is going on. and to be himself constantly consulted. The king. indeed, is as personally active in every branch of government business as even George IT., whose appetite for pub lie affairs was unsuitable.
 The maneuvers of the Morgan group" and the "Yerkes group" have thrown back the development of the London electric railway system for the best part of twelve months. but they have had one good result. They have convinced nine ty-nine out of every hundred inhabitants of London that a matter of this kind ought to be under some kind of control by the municipal authorities. The county council has thrown itself nobly into the gap, and hardly voice has been heard to protest Whether the county council should itself construct a series of tubes" is a matter of consideration. But. at any rate, 1t ought, in conjunction with the city corporation. to decide. after proper inquiry, what are the best lines for these railways to take. and parliament ought fo adont their Joint recommendationa.