Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-15
TRAFFIC IN PEERAGES
One Form of Graft in English
Public Life.
PAY IN CAMPAIGN FUNDS
Commercial Depression Hits the
United Kingdom.
FACTS AS TO W0ADED CLOTH
Revival of the Old Custom Of Sealing
Letters With Walking Az
Court Functions.
PAY IN CAMPAIGN FUNDS
FACTS AS TO w0ADED CLOTH
specia, Correspondence Of The Star.

Court Functions.
Special Correspondence Of The Star. :
LONDON. March 4, 1908.
The renewed debates this week on the
sale Of titles are not calculated to bring
fresh luster to British distinctions. Put
ting aside the indiscriminate invective OF
Mr.. Hugh Cecil Lea, MP. whose strain
of Irish blood leads him into any fight
with the object Of breaking the first head
that appears within the reach OF his
shillalagh. the debate has been taken part
in by men SO various as Mr.. Hilaire Bel
loo, the charming writer on q wide variety
of subjects; Mr. Stanley Buckmaster. K.
c.. the polished orator from the chancery
courts, and Mr.. Ellis Griffiths, another
eminent lawyer. Mr.. LEAFS declaration
that under the conservative regime q peer
age could be bought in the city for sums
up to 100000 may be an exaggeration.
but it is as we'll to remember that while
Englishmen often speak OF America
as the home of political corruption. there
is this form of graft" in their
own midst. there being no shadow
of doubt about the fact that heavy
contributions to party funds have
hitherto entitled rich Englishmen to an
ticipate inclusion in the honors list. Sew
eral have secured advancement in this
way in recent years. including. II Is openly
said Lord Northcliffe. the founder of the
newspaper publishing firm Of Harms
worths. The king, however. Is much irr!-
tated over these discussions. especially
as they tend to lessen the value Of the dis
tinctlons given to men for meritorious
services to the nation, and he Is bent on
d closer scrutiny OF names submitted to-
him in the future Knowing this rich
ture, with the result that party man.
ayers are bewailing the zeal Of certain
of their friends in the house Of commons
in stirring up this trouble.
King and the Levees.
The king is taking every possible pre-
caution to husband his strength. He seeks
relief from standing at levees by using .
sort of sporting seat. AS it would be i'm
possible to use the aid of this kind at .
court his majesty solved the difficulty by
sitting down. He remained standing at
the court this week while the ladies of the
diplomatic corps and their presentees were
being announced and also while the gen.
tlemen of the foreign embassies and lega-
tons passed before him, but he then seat
ed himself and made no further distinc-
ton. In addition to the royal circle. the
Countess Beauchamp and the wife OF the
Spanish ambassador stood near their
majesties during the ceremony OF preeen.
tation.
The courts have become much more
popular than were the drawing rooms
of the last reign. 1t was not then the
custom to provide refreshments. and the
ladies waiting to be presented found that
the bright daylight did not show their
| fnery or their compilations at their best.
There is now an ample and excellently
s-l~ A4A
these occasions delight the heart OF the
| connoisseur, especially the hook cup.
! which has a great reputation. The recipe
is only known to the chief butlers but
the secret is supposed to be the use OF
sparkling Moselle, instead Of soda water.
in its composition.
Growing Of Woad.
If the Russian government carries out
it's intention of placing an order for
Z 900 600 yards of army cloth with West
Riding manufacturers, the little-known
woad industry In Lincolnshire will be
greatly benefited. This arises from the
fact that all government army cloth is
woaded, the woad material being now
supplied to the Yorkshire manufacturers
solely from three fenland villages-Algar-
kirk and Sherlock in Lincolnshire and
Parsons Drive in Cambridgeshire. The
British government insists upon the
all cloth so treated has an excellent ap-
pearance, never loses its color and Is
rendered more lasting. Even under
fierce tropical sun woaded cloth does not
fade. The industry is now practically
kept alive by the government but among
better-class tailors woaded cloth Is
stocked to meet the demands Of those
PENSIONERS who know its value. All Lon
don policemen. too. are dressed in woad-
ed cloth. The industry is carried on by
hereditary workers. who are paid at
much higher rate than ordinary agricul-
tural laborers and are employed all the
year round. Extraordinary care Is neces.
sary for the successful cultivation Of
woad, and at the first harvest. In order
to prevent damage to the young plants,
the gardeners crawl across the fields on
hands and knees. Officially. therefore,
the Britons are still sartorially faithful
to the fashions prevalent among their
ancestors of B. c., and apparently they
even have admirers on the continent.
Boom Times Passing.
1t is increasingly evident to the people
in Great Britain that the depression
commenced in the United States. Is set
ting in here also. The crisis in the ship
yards OF the northeast coast has a very
threatening appearance indeed. Though
there may be a temporary settlement In
the labor crisis the irritation IL bound to
continue in view OF the slackneas Of
trade and a strike may be renewed at
any date Further. there are thousands
OF miners out Of work In Wales AZ a
consequence Of the accommodating stocks
Of coal, and trades all round are begin
ming to realize that the crest OF the wave
Of business activity has been passed and
British commerce has a time of dullness
before 1t. The tin market and the rub
Der market are depressed, and from the
Straits Settlements come walls on both
heads. The greater part of the trouble
In all these cases is described as the
backwash OF the panic in the United
States To cheer the nation up. doubt
less. the British papers are publishing
highly colored reports Of depression and
unemployment in the United States and
Germany.
Revival of Sealing Wax.
One by one old fashions are being re-
vived. The latest is that Of using seals