New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-07-24
CIR FRANKS PENSION.
Fr-Editor Of Punch in the Same
List 7cith "Ouida."

frank Burnand's name. TO the panied sur
-. NJ the English speaking public, appears be-
mat Of the novelist "Ouida' il the official list
50. tsnes Of the dozen individuals who have been
'+ed by the government small life pensions un-
&c +be provisions Of Section of the Civil Service
e 1901 According to the terms of this act of
.1o-lfqnert. the pensions are granted to persons
r. having distinguished themselves in literature,
,,ence and arr. find themselves in the evenude OF
- existence in straitened circumstances Thus.
DC Louise de Ia Rance, better known as "Ouida,
as received one Of these pensions. 10 the
na OF So a year in consideration Of the fact
.hat in her old age she finds herself sick and des
+,rte in italy although she has at least fifty very
s,ccessful novels to her credit, several of which
Rave been put on the stage with long runs. Old
Mrs Sarah Hutchinson and Miss Annie Burns
have received pension of 500 year. in recogn-
tien Of their inadequate means of support and Of
the services rendered TO literature by their grand
-sther. The poet Burns
T is startling therefore to find this list for
the first time the name of Sir Frank Burnand fig
uriuz as the recipient Of a pension of $1,000 yea'
The pension was quietly granted last fall, shortly
after his retirement from the editorship OF tle
London comic weekly Punch, which he had heiu
for more than d quarter of a century Sir Frank
resignation was not Of a voluntary character we
have his own word for this in a public letter puu
lshed last year. In this he confessed that ne 10"
not intended retire for several years 10 ColIo'
and then the author Of Happy Thoughts goes
On 10 add that his friends the proprleloIS %
Punch were prompted by "a happy thousHt
'an1ic.rate" his intention by two or uhIee Fea .
Re quizzically likened his case To that OF "a -
n country house who, without lillOI ---e -,
host. has determined leaving py a &c - 90
On the afternoon Of the next day anu - 80. 49,
@ire-rfqf7+ rba- q -arriage VIII be ready to take
him and his luggage TO the sla'4oh q" -, -
-, 7<rnrs mr. finally falls in with MS most 5
So It--tt =. g vi5fcrlous 10 imagine that he
would select such an uhcoiIli'' 49,
ing - %, ~. tho, ,ra ,,,o
- tl-,s.,.a5 ,rat Sir Frank had outgrown his
las,. = e7,ror Of Punch" that he was no
lorar IN touch with the public, and that his sense
n r,,roor had become stale Even II that De the
= ia assuredly have been their duty. after
- sa-,-oa on that paper as editor during the
i--s So - If lifetime 10 have supplied him
= - ae-iren1ent in his seventeen year with a
nension which would have kept him in comfort
for the remainder Of his days and which would
have rendered him Independent Of the somewhat
runIliatng bounty Of the Civil Service pension list
For as pointed out above, these pensions imply
that the recipient is in straitened circumstances.
Sir Frank has been unfortunate. For. II any one
should have made q fortune by means of his pen
Il is he. He IS the author Of innumerable plays
Of every conceivable description, many of which
have had phenomenal runs in this country,
Of them under the auspices OF Augustn DAILY
among the best known being "Beck-Eyed Susan
His books TOO. have gone through many editions
In fact he should be in the possession of a fort
une to-day from his books. his plays and his IL
brettos- No one viii grudge him the Civil Ser
vice pension but there are many who will be sorry
that he should have been in need thereof
Not only the editors Of Punch but likewise the
public, and especially the public men of his time
bis tWenty-siK years Of editorship of that paper
he managed 10 steer X clear Of that rock which
Is the principal danger 10 every comic sheet name
l. vulgarlty and the jokes and cartoons which
II contained, though often extremely bright and
witty, were never offensive 10 good taste. II was
the recognition Of this fact indeed that led KIM
Edward 70 knight him on the occasion Of the coro-
nation and few OF the distinctions then bestowed
net with more general approval