The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-09-26
BY w. HAMILTON RHODES.

London. Sept. 25.-Havfng met with indifferent success in their attacks on the budget and the navy. the Tories are now concerting a campaign against the foreign policy of the gov ernment. It is quite possible that they may find more vulnerable point of attack.
 At the same time, 1t is cruel that Sir Edward Grey, who has SO freely sacrificed the principles of liberal for etgn policy to win the approval of the Ferries. should be singled out for their special hostility. The course of events . the Far East is to be utilized as the ground for uriticizing Sir Ed ward Greys conduct of the foreign office. The success of the American ir- vasion of China. and the Chinese raii- way concession Is a source of special resentment.
 The Japanese are keeniy alive to ths possibilities of the American ir- such fuss about 1t. No doubt. how ever. the movement which is expected to take shape shortly in Parliament will be due in some part. to the insti- Eation of the Japanese, who would ne only too pleased that the English To- ries should pluck the chestnuts out Of the fire for them.
 A great secret was let out in the House of Commons the other day. Now 1t is known what is to be one of the "great measures of social reform next session." about which Mir. Winston Churchill expatiates on country piet- forms. .f
 Pity Domestic Servants.
 One of the bills is to regulate the hours of domestic servants. An eight hour day in the kitchen Is possihil- a4. ment was made in reply to c question by Mir. Bottomley. e vigorous cham pion of the cause of Mary Ann. Mir. Gladstone told him that if he intro. duced bill next session dealing with the hours of domestic servants the government would give 1t favorable consideration.
 MT. Bottomley also asked Mfr. Glad- stone whether he would favorably con Rid-r the introduction into the shop bill of Q provision dealing with the quality of food supplied to shop as. sistants. and with the system ot fires which prevailed in most large estab- lishments. MT. Gladstone said he re- gretted 1t would not be possibfe to deal with those matters in the bili He admitted. however, that they were Of much importance.
 Unless A marked change takes place
 
 George will be faced with a serious deficit next year from that portion or the revenue. The Chancellor has rais. ed the tax on spirits from lis. to l4s. 9d. per proof gallon. The result is a remarkable drop in the consumption of whiskey which not only threatens disaster to the trade, but loss to the national exchequer Everywhere in London in the retail trade the sale of spirits has fallen from 20 per cent. to over 80 per cent. Tn the country it Is still more. some firms reporting the astonishing drop of 70 per cent. one wholesale firm in London stated that they are now selling less whiskey by 33 per cent.
 More Beer Sold.
 Beer has gained to some extent yvha f whiskey has lost. and reports show small increase in the sale of the cheap CT drink. In the city a curious deveI- opment is noticed City men are drink ing less whiskey and substituting some of the heavier Spanish wines, those which come from Valencia and the more southern wine-growing parts of Spain. MT. Lloyd Georges estimate on April 2s was that he would get an in- crease of more than ss.oo0,0uO. Official returns of spirit duties for dfeat Brit ain and Ireland for May, June and July, as compared with the eoffespond4 ing months of last year, show a total reduction of s15,s10.0o0.
 The King apparently enjoyed an ex- cellent holiday at Marienpad this year. It Is said that he Is in better health than this time last year, when he be- came subject to fits of drowsiness that caused a good deal of concern. Among the beauties at Marienoad was Miss Maxine Elliott, the well-known Amer ican actress. who was seldom not tn- cluded among the guests at the Kings entertainments The King also did a stroke of business for London society, for a Mrs. Graham. multi-miillon- dress from Santa Barbara. Calif., was admitted to the royal Set at Marien- bad. She has mansion in Grosvenor Square to vie with Mrs. Drexei and Mrs. Potter Palmer in her entertain ments for smart society. The King never loses an opportunity of recruit ing wealthy Americans with social as-