Omaha daily bee., 1907-02-03
"Devolv. - -utiment Increases with
FrissN,S .semoval Of se0ts erayL
r ~ TREATMENT NOT PLEASING
.Der Of Tarliamsnt Talks Of New Issue
Across the Border.
WAR Is LEVIED on HOUSE sPARRows
Farmers 0rgan;E, to Kill Birds that Are
Destroying Grain.
NOVEL EXPERIMENT WITH RADlUh
Scientists strive 90 Discover II New
Matter Loses Force with
Lapse of Time and
Activity.
NOVEL EXPERIMENT WITH RADlUs

GLASGOW, Feb. 2-(special.)-Th move
ment for "devolution" or home rule for
Scotland, which has been greatly advanced
by the announcement Of committee
under Mr.. d. V. Pirie. NJ. p. for Aber-
deem. appointed at Edinburgh TO formulate
a scheme, owes a great deal Of its strength
to the feeling aroused by the removal Of
the Scots Greys from Piershill. The sue
cess Of the agitation for Scottish cavalry
regiment has certainly demonstrated e
strong undercurrent of local patriotism"
The most serious complaint Of the Scot
tish politicians just at the present time is
that Scotland is unfairly treated inan-
cially. On the other hand, outside Edin-
burg there are many opponents of devolu-
ton. who openly announce that they look
to London as the capital and have no de-
sire to substitute London with Edinburg.
This feeling undoubtedly came to the sur
face during the passage Of the Scottish
private bill procedure act
Little has been heard recently of the
Scottish Home Rule association, but the
Young Scots society has been active 1t
is not known whether the promoters Of the
new association will proceed on lines
analogous TO those that are in liberal cir
cles regarded as applicable TO Ireland. The
prime minister is. however, stated to be
in sympathy with the movement and Mr.
Shaw, lord advocate and Mr.. Ure, solicitor
general. have given utterance to favorable
views.
The devolution of Scottish affairs Is
imperative" said Mr.. Eugene wason. NJ
p. for Clackmannan, the other evening
whether in the shape of a Scottish grand
committee at Westminster or of Parlia-
ment at Edinburg. Amy such parliament
would be subordinate to the imperial Par
lament and the Scottish members would.
/ of couse be members OF that imperial Par
Lament" Mr.. wason referred to the diff
ferent positions OF Scotland in regard TO
the law. church and land and temperance
questions.
Mr.. ]. NJ Henderson, NJ p, for West
Aberdeenshire. has asked for more op-
portunities for dealing with Scottish sf-
fairs and has complained Of the meager
amount of time given TO such affairs in
| Parliament. -
Mr.. Robert wallace. NJ. p. for Perth.
when interviewed upon the Question. said:
II am a Scottish home ruler. We. as a
body OF scotsmen. however. are in favor
of committee to deal with purely Scot
tish measures"
| War on sparrovva.
war OF determination has been de-
clared in Dumfrieshire and soon the peace
full fields win echo to the sound OF many
guns.
The opposing sides are the farmers aad
the house sparrows. Hitherto the spar
rows have had matters all their own way.
but now that things have become too
bad. the farmers have determined TO sub
NIT TO the plague no longer.
council OF war has been held IN
Mouswald. the county has been divided into
four districts. and companies have been
formed in each. Instructions are that am
munition Is 10 be purchased. all sparrows
shot at sight and local farmers persuaded
to enlist in the ranks.
The Very Rev. DR.. John Gillespie. who
! is directing the forces of the farmers. stated
at council meeting the other day that
the day OF reckoning for these self-con-
ceited, cocky little beggars'' had come at
last. They are numerous" he SAID.
that when they are disturbed at their
work Of destruction i'm harvest time they
rise like a cloud and literally I'LL and
dArisn the air.
house sparrow that is the nuisance. Three
fourths of his food throughout the year is
corn. and IL has been estimated that a
single sparrow consumes a bushel OF grain
in the course Of twelve months. Multiply
that by the number Of sparrows that are
everywhere in the district and you can
realize the extent OF the damage done
Other speakers condemned wood pigeons
and sea gulls, but It was decided that the
EparrOws must first be dealt with.
Experiment with Radium.
DR.. J. T. Bottomley. r. r. s.. recently
exhibited a radium section al a meeting
of the Glasgow Section Of Electrical En-
gineers, which is stin being discussed BY
the Scottish scientists. He described q
piece of apparatus invented by the Hon.
Robin Strut. F. r. 8. eldest son OF Lord
Rayleigh. which. he said. showed In a
very remarkable way some OF the proper
ties Of radium- A pair OF gold leaves. after
the manner Of gold leaf eleetrOseope. are
hung from the bottom OF a sinai tube con-
tanning a small amount Of bromide OF ra-
dium. The radium tube Is supported from
! TIE top of the glass cover OF the appa-
ratus by little bar OF fused quartz. which
Is nearly perfect insulator. The radium
tube itself is coated with a pasty solution
of phosphorie acid. which makes it con-
ductive- Az the very active beta emana-
ton escapes through the walls OF the ra-
dium tubes. the alpha radiation creeps
down and electrifes the gold leaves. which
thersupon diverge When they have al
verged sufhciently they touch two alum
mum plates on the two sides of the cover
ana discharge themselves. and this action
goes on periodically. the leaves being
charged and discharged On the apparatus
shown in three and one-Quarter minutes
II is 10 be noted that the vessel which
contains this apparatus Is highly evacuated
by means Of sprengel pump. the aiI
pressure being reduced 20 something IKE
the te9-millionth OF an atmosphere. DIT
Bottomley has set up this apparatus q
Mr.. Struts for the purpose Of finding oui
, whether. after a very long time, the &C
, tivity OF radium decreases OF disappears
/ The observations win tell whether the &C.
ton Of a radium clock become longer with