Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-11

~ and eX-Premler or England. may
"a now boast the honor Of being
N freeman of the Worshipful
Company of Playing Card Max
ers." while Joseph Chamberlain. Sir Rob-
ert Ball and Lord Cromer may rightly
claim to be "Worshipful Spectacle Max
ers"
That may seem a bit odd. and yet, In
England, membership Of the great Lon
don livery companies IL much priced by
statesmen. poets, authors, scientists and
other aspirants to fame. In fact, the
"worchipful companies Of London are
among the most remarkable institutions
of modern times. WELDING enormous
powers, possessed Of trust funds"
amounting to more than 100000, OOO-
which they administer I'm secret" and
without the least public accounting or
control-the London nveried companies
are in position Of power that the Stand
ard Oil trust might envy.
While statesmen and others vie with
each other for ''honors" from the closed
corporations known as the city COM
panies." there is. on the other hand. q
clamorous section of the public that Is
now demanding that these great COM
panies should no longer be allowed to
administer in secret funds which, they
say, rightly belong to the people at large.
But so far very little impression has
been made by such bodies as the London
Reform Union and other citizens rights
advocates-for the simple reason that the
companies look upon their privileges as
SO ancient that they are beyond present
day law. Only q special act of parl1a-
ment can force them even to keep public
accounts. and they are able to prevent,
through their enormous influence In and
out Of parliament. the passage of any
such measure of reform
In the meantime. while the agitators in
weigh against them. the city companies
year not less than 100000 for .'banquets'
alone, while another half-million dollars
is devoted to salaries for various soft
Jobs and sinecures. Though controlling
funds which bring them an income OF
not less than $5,OOO,OO0 year. the lord
chancellor has recently rendered de-
cision that: The 800 members or the
self-appointed courts OF assistants Oh
these companies are accountable 10 10
one" And thus England. with all It's
boasted freedom from the trust. such as
il is known in America, is shown 10 nave
in it's midst some of the largest trusts or
modern times. The powers or the Lon-
don city companies are enormous, Out,
fortunately for London. perhaps. they
have allowed several of their privileges
TO lapse. and are in the state described
in the simple language of the late Grover
Cleveland as ''innocuous desuetuoe-
Wide influence OF Companies.
Though shorn of much Of their early
Understanding powers these city COM
panies which are survivals OF the old
trade guilds, exercise even today wide in
tiuence in their own spheres. For IN
stance all druggists in England must
obtain their licenses from ApOthecaries
Hall. the Goldsmiths' Company does the
hall marking" of all gold and silver in
England: the Fishmongers' Company still
inspects regularly. and has power to con-
denim all fish brought to the London mar
ket: the Gunmakers' Company tests and
stamps gun barrels; the Stationers' Com
pany attends to copyright registration,
while companies of plumbers. turner's,
coachbuilders and others exercise SINH
lar autocratic functions.
The city company which holds prece-
dence today is that of the MERGERS, but
they are not the Oldest The Weavers are
said to have been incorporated in 11S4,