Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-30

to transform what was once prosaic and
barely tolerable.
But Mr. Shaw has another string to his
bow, a house in Fftzroy SQUARE, and TINS
enables him to escape many inconven1ent
inquirers who want his opinion on all sorts
of Shaw subjects, for the uncertainty as TO
where he may be found acts as deterrent,
and enables Mr.. Shaw to get through what
he SO properly and modestly calls an lex
traordinary amount of brilliant work"
Peculiar Privileges to Some.
The "freemen" of the city of London
that is, those who are born within the
limits Of the sacred square mile which has
the Bank of England and the Mansion
House as it's center-are gifted with pc
culiar privileges one of which, according
to tradition, is the ability to get hopelessly
intoxicated without being liable to arrest
by the city policeman. But they are
also happy in the enjoyment of very large
number of charities, a list of which has
been published by the charity commission
ers Some of these are rather curious and
ancient.
Sir John Philpot, whose will was made in
1881, left q sum of money to be dispensed
or paid in aims to eight pore men and
five pore women, to every one of them one
penny by the day."
Lady Catherine Barnardstone, in her
will dated 1893 left f1CO for the preaching
ers in Newgate, duty which is now, of
course, incurred by the state itself.
Mr.. Robert Rogers. contemporary of
Lady Catherine left 1900 for building an
almshouse, although, repaired from time
to time, still stands in Hart street, Grip
plegate, and contains its six aged couples
as desired by the testator.
The Duke Of CornwallS income, as
Whistler said of nature, is gradually creep
ing up Last year the Prince of Wales as
Duke of Cornwall received f72,392 from his
delectable duchy, and a balance of f12317
was carried forward to the next account.
In 1886 the dukes income from his duchy
was EGO, 563 and in 1898 f55,671.
The most valuable part of the duchy of
Cornwall! property is not, however. in
Cornwall. 1t is in South London down
Remington way. The duchy Of Cornwall
supplies the bulk of the Prince of Wales
income.
He receives 10000 year out of the con-
solidated fund, and the princess 10000
The king and queen receive 100000 a year
S2,35OOOO; 1t sounds bigger in dollars)
which is $4,000 more than was paid Queen
victoria; the Duke of Connaught, f25,OO0,
apart from his army pay; the Duke of
Cambridge, f12,O30; the Princesses Chris
tan and Louise and the Duchess of AL
Dany, t6,V0 year each, and the Princess
OF Mecklenburg Strelitz, 5000 year. The
royal family costs the country f564 900 a
year.
The king, in addition. receives f61, 900 a
year from the duchy of Lancaster, so that
me spending power of the royal family is
about 100000 a year. The cost of the
royal yacht and maintenances of the royal
palaces brings up the total to something
IKE 1eoo'Ooo year s4,OO0,O0o).
Old Age Pensions for Poor.
Some of the objections that have been
urged against the provision of old-age PEN
slons for the poor are that they would
lead to thriftlessness, and sap the indie
pendence which is so splendid a possession
of the English race.
These objections, however. applv only to
the poor for the estimates for the current
year, issued on Saturday, provide pensions
and superanuatfon and retiring allowances
for officials of the civil service to the very
respectable amount of over 2OOO 600 ster-
ing.
These are granted to all degrees of society.
from the peer in the house of lords to the
policeman who stands guard at the en-
trance to that hallowed assembly
Lord Peel enjoys a civil pension of "a 600
and Lord Cross of f2 600 Sir A. Blliotti
after fifty -four years diplomatic service
during which he represented this country in
Crete at the time of the disturbances there,
retired on an allowance of nearly $500 year
Sir Joshua Fitch, late H. NJ. chief inspector
or schools, was pensioned with a slightly
larger sum, and Sir George Kerewicks re-
t1rement from the education department on
account of inability to see eye to eye with
his superiors on the education act. carried
with it the handsome pension of fl 1888
Yet no one would lightly accuse these
gentlemen of thriftlessness or of lack Of in
dependence.
The installation of a much-needed lift to
the reporters gallery at the house of COM
mons, for which a sum of $500 has been al
ready placed in the estimates for the en-
suing year, will. there is little doubt, con-
n
fort of the parliamentary journalist The
question came before Mr.. Herbert Glad
stones house of commons accommoda ton
committee exactly ten years ago, when it
was explained that the staircase was ex-
treme1y narrow, that many of the older re-
porters had spent all their lives in the GAL
lery, and that it was not uncommon for an
old gallery hand to remain after seventy
years of age.
Despite this fact, however neither Mr.
Gladstone nor his successor Mr. Akers
Douglas, were able to prevail upon the
treasury to furnish the requisite funds. and
it is all the more gratifying to the gallery
that in this lean financial year their con-
venience is reckoned worth $500 Previous
to the erection two years ago of lift in
the speakers official residence. Mr.. Gully
had to ascend no fewer than six flights in
order to reach his bed room. whilst in the
case of the reporters gallery close upon
100 stairs separate palace yard from their
dining rooms on the top floor. And now
they will lift up their voices in thangSgiv-
ing.
Mr.. J. M. Barrie has come out He
dined with the Playgoers' Club last even
ing and responded for 1.-The Drama Mr..
A B. Walkley. the Times critic, having
proposed the toast. Mr.. Walkley was not
very cheerful. He would have little to say
to national theaters. high tea, or other
panaceas. but thought that what was the
matter with the British drama was that 1t
was simply starving for want of plays.
1t needed also to get away from clubs
and restaurants and into the fresh air, and
he saw little hope in the gentlemen with
a passion for the mundane if not the demi-
mundane.
All this did not avail to damp Mr. Barrie,
who said gently that 1t was the first time
in his life that he had been the guest Of
the evening. and he would like to be able
to look ut himself there.
He told the playgoers at once that 1T was
the first time they had seen him. though
not the first time he had seen them, and he
proceeded to explain that in choosing
theater to which to send play the drama
fist did not choose an intelligent or even
an unntellgent manager, but merely
theater with a convenient peephole for
looking at the audience from 1.-The mys-
terious little chamber called the authors
hox- IIa tri1a1 iriJy wi the definition Of