Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-14

| a junior lord of the treasury and govern
ment whip under Mr.. Arnold Morley in
the brief Gladstonian home rule admins
| tration of 1886. Mr.. Flower had not
much opportunity of showing his abili-
ties 'as a whip in the short-lived career Of
that government. But from 1886 to 1892
he had ample opportunities of proving his
matte. and here his gracious manner and
approachableness combined with his vast
wealth. were of the very greatest service
to the radical opposition. In 1892, on the
liberals returning to office. Mr.. Cyril
Flower was elevated to the upper house
Since then we have had Mr.. Stern TAX
ing his title from Wandsworth. but before
that time newly created peers in their
titles fought shy of. London boroughs
Lord Battersea was not ashamed to call
himself after the name of the district
whence he derived his wealth. Indeed,
he called his fine house at the Marble
Arch. Surrey House. after the county in
which much of his property was then
situated.
He married in 1877 Constance, daughter
Of Sir Anthony de Rothschild. cousin of
Lord Rothschild. who now survives him:
but he has no issue. and the title becomes
extinct. Lord Battersea was a collector
of pictures and virtu. and his houses at
Tring and at Overstrand are full Of beau
tiful things. London should always re-
member him as the generous donor Of the
public park situated in the midst of his
property dt Ddttersed.
Public Trusteeship.
Wealthy family lawyers, who CLEAN no
small portion of their incomes from the
administration of trusteeships. are greatly
upset by the success which the new public
trustee act is likely to prove. The act
does not come into operation until next
January. but the public trustee has al
hoo NTH olfo
learn People of all classes and from
all parts of the country have come to Lon
don to place their affairs in his hands,
and on New Year day he will find him
self responsible. wholly or in part-for the
public trustee can act jointly with other
trustees-for property worth several mill
lions.
The official is appointed by the govern
ment at salary of E2.OOO. and the scheme
Is an excellent one. because estates will
pay far less in charges than formerly to
family lawyers. and in some cases small
estates will be let off for little or nothing.
Besides this the government being back
Of it entirely does away with the fear of
a solicitor abusing his trust or making
bad investments to the ruin of those for
whom he acts. Taken all round the act
is one Of the best pieces Of legislation ever
passed under any government. Several
of the trusts which will be removed from
private trustees to the public officials
keeping involve sums over 100000 and
quite large number Of the estates which
he has been invited to administer run into
values exceeding five figures. In addi-
ton to these ''plums'' there are many
smaller estates. it being maxim of the
Office that no estate is too small and none
too large for the public trustee to manage.
This rush on the part of the public for
government security is a pretty clear in
dictation of the extent to which confidence
in private trusteeships has been shaken.
Rash and unfortunate speculatons with
clients money have. in the past, brought
many a solicitor into the criminal dock.
and involved in ruin the widow and faith
erless. and several notable instances in
recent years of trustees coming to grief
in this fashion have set people thinking.
L. H. MOORE.