The Washington herald., 1907-05-31
FOREIGN NOTES OF INTEREST

II is said that English is to be declared
the language OF the courts Of justice in
the island Of Malta, after lapse OF hften
years. According 20 the statistics, the
Maltese people, except a mere handful do
not understand Italian. and the English
people do not know either Italian or Nal
tesc. Italian in the law courts is as for
e.gn a language as was French Ia Eng
land after the Norman conquest Neither
the English nor the Maltese understand
the plea Iings. and the time seems ripe for
ending this language anomaly in the
courts OF justice.
Much interest, combined with a great
deal of amazement. has been evinged by
the ratepayers Of Hammersmith and
Shepherds Bush. two Of LOnd0D's out
laying boroughs. by the expenditure Of
E26.o0o Gl.35.oJO for the erection Of q
new worRhouse and infrmary AT Worm
wood Scrubs. a district 20 the extreme
northwest Of London. a neighb0Thood
where thrift and comfort may be said
10 abide. In houses Of modest and uupre-
teutious mien. but not a quarter inhabited
by the rich. II, however. the description
Of the new inhrmary be exact. then the
paupers OF Hammersmith and Shepherd s
Bush are 10 be housed IN a mansion Of
luxurious fittings, with a bar0nial dining
hail. and in a style unfamiliar 70 the
ratepayers themselves. except when they
go TO some expensive hotel IN the vicinity
Of HYDE Park. or pGy a visit 10 the family
seat Of some nObleman. Cr possible COnneC-
ton. Amid such lavish and eXtrayaganl
surroundings. il is not 10 be wondered al
II the poor old paupers grow arrogant and
oyerbearing toward the plainly housed
citizens, whose money. paid 20 the tax
collector. has built this noble pile. Ham
mersmlth and Shepherds Bush, by the
way are not poor or tenement districts.
The people there are all well sheltered,
and there are but few who need parochial
aid This section Of London enjoys the
juste milleu prayed for by st. Augustine
neither poverty nor riches. This may
however, be the reasons Of the board OF
guardians in erecting such a palace for
the poor. The Hammersmith paupers
are probably considered Of an aTistocrat!c
order. not like the vagrants from thr
slums Of the East End, and naturally eX
pect magnificent accommodations. But
in their imaginatiOns they can hardly
have expected such splendOT as the real
ity. The entrance hall is fitted with
plate-glass screens, and a floor tiled viii
mosaic ware Of the most expensive type
There are general and ladies' committed
rooms. and rooms FOR clergymen Of al
denominations. The dining-hall is most
baronial i'm style Il is like a cathedrs
or chapel The light is diffused SOFTLY
upon the pampered pauper through
stained glass windows. The kitchen Is
tiled with the best white tiles anc
bazes with four brass electroliers fitted
with five lights. A system Of duplicate
wiring has been introduced into this
/ palatial poorhouse that was rejected as
/ 200 expensive for Buckingham Palace q
| few years since, when that royal man
/ sion was under repairs. In fact this
unique wOrkh0use is said to equal thf
new Hotel Ritz or the Cecil. and is e
supply the same service of finishing anC
/ electric fittings. II is clearly a cast
where the board Of guardians had plenty
| Of money to deal with. and they hav,
/ dealt with it accordingly. The rumOr is
/ however. that there is to be an election
/ in the near future in the HammeTsmitf
and Shepherds Bush borough. II did no
suit the present board Of guardians Do
/ litical policy to have it known that there
was an immense surplus in their treas
ury at the time of the next polling. Th'
/ plea of Hammersmith has been poverty
/ so in order to get rid of an inconvenien
surplus. the guardians decided that moth
/ ing was too good for Hammersmiti
! pauper. even silk lamp shades at 25 shil
/ lings apiece.
| or the German EmpeTor's six sons, tht
| handsomest is unquestiOnably the second
| Prince EiteI Fritz. and his young wife i.
quite the prettiest Of the ladies Of tht
| Kaiser's household The Crown Princes.
! CeceIie is not exactly pretty. but chic and
dstingue. with all the graces of France
| in which country she was brought up
The little baby boy of the crown prince
and princess is the only dark-hairet
member of the imperial HohenzoT err
/ family. and seems stray lamb among
such fair-haired flock. Prince Adalbert
the third son of the Emperor. is also very
| handsome, but Prince August Wilhelm