Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-23
KINGS AND ECONOMIES


The statement that Queen Victoria got
her plano on the hire system reads curl
ously to many people. who imagine that
when royalty requires a thing they simply
order and pat for it. irrespective OF cost.
During the la. ter years of her reign. how
ever. 1t is a fact that Queen Victoria decided
to have her pianos on the hire SYSTEM and
after her death over thirty Of these instru-
ments were removed from the different
royal residence by Messrs. Erard. who had
supplied them.
Most OF them are magnificent upright
grands, superbly decorated and are much
sought after by all sorts Of people espe-
cially Americans. who would pay huge
prices to secure such q relic Of royalty.
Only purchasers who are likely to appre-
ciafe such pianos properly are allowed to
have them, and innumerable applications
from undesirable persons have been re-
His majesty. the king. when Prince of
Wales, was often very. glad to make use
of the hire system Particularly was this
so with regard to horses, when there were
many guests to be entertained at Marlbor
ough House or Sandringham. Plenty of
royal carriages there always were. but AZ
many Of them We're only used once or twice
year to keep a stud OF horses sufficiently
large to draw them would have entadled an
enormous needless expense. When occasion
arose, therefore, horses were 'jobbed" or
hired to fill the gap. When the prince en-
tertained large numbers Of people at once
needed refreshing and feeding, the china
and glass were invariably hired-if. in
deed as was often the case, the whole thing
was not put In the hands of caterers.
Unlucky Crown Of Servia.
( King Peter OF Servia Is having an un-
pleasant experience of the 'hire-purchase"
system at the present time, as his own
crown is being paid for by installments.
This is not the bronze crown which is be-
ing made from a cannon kept as a relic Of
his grandfather, but Is the jeweled struc-
ture necessary for state occasions. 1t Is to
cost f12, 500, but money is scarce in Servia,
SO the Paris firm who are making 1t agreed
TO accept payment by installments. Two IN
stallments of G1,250 each had been paid be-
fore the king discovered that the officials
instructed with the payments. were en-
deavoring to square the manufacturers to
put in bogus jewels, and divide the Illicit
profits between them. The payment OF
future inStallmentS on the royal crown Is to
be made by King Peter himself.
The King of Spain Is an example of
poor-wealthy monarch who Is obliged to re-
sort to the hire system. Gold plate. jewels,
trophies and all sorts of costly ornaments
he has in plenty, but they are the property
of the crown, and useless except to look at
He has descent income-on paper-but 1t
is rarely paid, and consequently, he has to
hire right and left. when he wants to make
anything of a splash, as the Americans
would say.
Alfonso and Carlos.
For his forthcoming European tour. car
riages, horses. unforms-practically every
thlng-have to be hired, and the reason that
he is not including England in his travels
is on the ground of expense. His new castle
which is being built at Guadalajara, in the
province of that name. near Madrid, is be-
ing paid for on the rent-purchase or every
an-his-own-landlord' principle.
His neighbor, the King of Portugal. either
from choice or necessity, also patronizes
the hire system. To celebrate the visit of
King Edward to Portugal King Carlos pre-
sented his consort, Queen Amelia, with
magnificent rope of pearls. each of which
was separated by diamond Dutch firm
got the order and accepted payment on the
hire-purchase system. 1t is satisfactory to
know that the installments are being paid
regularly.
The King of Sweden is an ardent devotee
of the hire system Very big reunions and
elaborate functions are rare in the Swedish
court. so that when anything out of the
way happens hiring has to be largely re-
sorted to. A few years ago there was a
great party, including Queen Alexandra
(then Princess of Wales). the King and
Queen of Denmark. those of Norway. the
Gear and CZartna of Russia, the King and
Prince George of Greece and German grand
dukes and princes without number. The
reunion was held at Fredensborg Castle.
and 1t was difficult to know what belonged
to the place and what did not. Furniture
was hired-some all the way from England
beds were hired plate linen even, and silver
all came from outside sources, and enter
tainers were fetched all the way from Lon
don to amuse the guests. His majesty of
Sweden hit upon a happy idea to avoid
horse hire for his enormous number Of
guests and their retainers. As head of
the army he commandered some of the cav
airy horses for the purpose.
Greatest Hire on Earth
There is no evidence to show that the
German emperor himself even INDUCED in
the luxury of the hire system; but the in
Vulnerable little heads of the Kingdoms and
duchies which make up his empire do. 1t
is well-known fact that at the coronation
of the Gar of Russia the display of jew
els was the greatest ever seen at one single
ceremony in the world, and the bulk of
these was worn by German duchesses and
princesses, who were present In huge num-
berts, German and Russian relations being
very cordial at the time.
Here We're ladies. wearing jewels to the
amount of fifty times their husbands yearly
income. Where did they get them? The
answer came from the continental jewelers.
and diamond merchants, whose stocks for
the time being were sadly ravaged and d.
miniShed. The jewels were all hired Not
one stone in five hundred that glittered and
flashed in the palace on the Neva belonged
to the woman who wore it, and many a
beauty's crowned head was aching with the
thought of how her temporary magnificence
was to be paid for
The King OF Italy Is not keen hirer He
certainly ordered a magnificent steam yacht
-'the Pia-from British firm on the hire
system but, after using 1t for short sea-
son and paying two instalIments, he re-
turned it, and rumor says 1t was then sold
to Mr.. Rockefeller Its exact whereabouts
is mystery. but it has disappeared from
European waters.
Railroading in the West.
u