Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-29
THE SHAVE OF CUSTOM
Speaker of House Of Commons
Observes Decree.
G ULT OF MO RS
KING EDWARD MAY OPEN NEW
THoRoUGHFARE.
John Jacob Astor's Palatial London
Office Building-City Councils
Educational Work.
Special Correspondence of The Star.

and mustache, and though 1t Is holiday
time there is not a newspaper in the king
oom but has noticed it and even leaders
are printed on the subject. The speaker is
the first commoner,'' and nothing he does
is allowed to escape comment of some kind.
People here are SO interested In parlia-
mentary matters the house of commons and
IT'S members always occupy the center of
the stage. Many of the liberal newspapers
sadly remark that 1t seems pity that the
speaker shaved off the heavy beard that
was such an ornament to him, as when
the liberals come into power In few
months time they may not re-elect him
aid his conformity to custom viii have been
wasted.
There seems to be no particular reason.
save that which may be drawn from long
established custom why a speaker of the
house of commons should not enjoy the
same liberty other men In the matter
of wearing or not wearing beard ana
mustache. For many years-propap,y lor
a century or more-suCcessive speakers sub
mitted to be shaved, and unbroken custom
made it a sort of unwritten law that the
occupant of the chair must have smooth
face though his full-bottomed wig still gave
him a larger supply of hair for decorative
purposes than falls to the lot of most NOR
tails.
Peel Refused to Shave.
Some twenty years or more ago, however,
MI. Speaker feel introduced d Change ~
had really splendid beard, which he de-
clined to part with when elevated to the
chair, and wore triumphantly all through
his speakership, to which it Is only fair
to say It lent touch of grave dignity that
was most becoming. While Mr. Lowther
was chairman of committees he wore both
beard and mustache, and he continued me
speaker to the close of last session Since
the session ended, however, he appears 10
have taken thocht," and IL the newspapers
are to be trusted it was with clean-shaven
face that he opened a charitable bazaar the
other day in the county which he repre-
sents.
Possibly the habit of shaving among
speakers has sprung from the fact that
most of the holders of the office, at all
events for very many years past, have been
chosen from members of the bar, among
whom the beard and mustache were for
a long time tabooed; indeed, 1t Is fact
well within living memory that upon one
occasion, after the long vacation had come
to an end, considerable controversy was
created because one of the superior judges
failed to see an eminent queen counSei
on motion day because that legal lumlnary
had spent some portion of his holidays IN
growing a mustache; and the commotion
that ensued led to the establishing of the
right of barrister to wear mustache II
he chose, though most English barrlsters
still adhere to the old practice of wearing
no superfiuous hair.
cerned, Mr.. Lowther's surrender to the sac
rificial razor will add another to the many
amusing incidents which concern the mead
and the decorative arts affecting 1t. There
are many members who recollect the as
constituent which was caused a good many
years ago when the late Sir George Bowyer,
who quilted the house one night with white
hair, beard and mustache. and with all
the appearance of many of seventy, came
back a few days afterward with glossy
brown hair and beautiful curly brown
beard which made him look not day older
than forty. 1t was said at the time that
the change was so complete that the door
keepers actually stopped the baronet when
he entering the house under the I'M
preston that he was stranger
Another fit of establishment swept through
the house when Parnell, who had left the
house the night before with full crop Of
hair, came down next day with head as
smooth and polished billiard ball. some
friend having told him that his hair was
getting perceptibly thin, and the best way
TO reinvigorate it and promote a strong
growth was to have 1t all not cut. but
shaved off-advice which the leader of the
Irish party promptly followed
Effect of Motor Mania.
The effect of the cult of the motor car
upon the royal stables is already very per-
ceptible. At Buckingham Palace the least
change has been made, because large sup
ply Of horsefesh is still required for the
the stables at Windsor. Sandringham and
Balmoral tend constantly to be filled with
less than the complement of horses normal
in recent years. The Hampton Park stud
is still maintained but the demands upon
it, which at one time averaged about forty
young animals every season, are growing
less, and the capacity of the stud Is be-
ing lessened in sympathy with Tie smaller
demand. At Sandringham there are an
appreciate number of horses which are
practically past their prime, and are only
retained on account of the sentimental re-
gard which their majesties always cherish
for their dumb retafners. There are indica-
lions that the number of stable places for
horses in some of the royal palaces will
be reduced and the space so gained de-
voted to the conservation of motor cars.
The king has very rapidly acquired love
for motoring, and is now devoted adher-
ent to it. 1t was at Cannes some SIX or
seven wears ago that the king--then Prince
of Wales-had his first experience of au-
tomobilism, and the result proved SO
greatly to his liking that royal car was
speedily commissioned. A dif1culty. now
ever presented itself. for his majesty In
sisted that the vehicle must be of British
make throughout. and this condition was
rather difficult at that time to comply with
quite satisfactorily.
In the end however. way out was
found and a car obtained which,
though of German design, was wholly made
in England, and the claims of patriotism
Today, of course, no such difficulty would
| arise and the problem confronting the pa
| triotically minded motorist Is merely to
choose to the best advantage from among
| 80 many native-built vehicles inviting his
attention.
Since those early days too. King Ed
wards experience as motorist has In
creased, and there are few amateur auto
| mobilists today who have a better grasp OF
| the workings of an automobile and the &C
| cidentsato which 1t is liable than his majesty.
From the first the king made 1t plain that
| he intended to be no mere passive passen-
| ger, and Mr.. Oliver Stanton. who, having
| originally instructed his majesty In the art
| of cycling. was now called upon to initiate
| him into the mysteries of motoring, found
| in the king an ideally apt and appreciative
pupil.
An interesting STORY is told of his majes-
| TVS first drive in his own car. Mr.. Stanton
| was present at the start, but did not jour-
| ney with the car, which was driven by the
| kings newly engaged chauffeur, who was
q stranger in the district. Accordingly, two
mounted servants rode in front of the car
/ to show the way. All went we'll for few
miles. but the horses soon tired of the pace,
| and in the end the king sent them home
/ again and took upon himself the duties of
| guide. The king now has some half dozen