New-York tribune., 1909-11-14

son with sport in the Highlands and in
Yorkshire. The head xamekeeper of a
deer forest receives - note a. a mat
ter OF course from each sportsman. and
all the other fees are proportionately
high.
When a sportsman accepts an invita-
ton 20 a four days grouse or partridge
drive he is liable 10 a bill OF costs IN
railway fare. cartridges. guns. game
licenses and tips ranging from s40o -
$500. This does not include OUTFIT for
clothes or losses az bridge In the even
ings The genial hosts investment for
the pleasure of his guests Is so much
larger that the guests have no right to
complain of extortiOnate tips.
The opponents of the Radical budget
have much TO say about the widespread
distribution OF money in connection with
winter sport. notably pheasant shooting
and fox hunting. Mr.. Lloyd-George has
not undertaken 20 tax the shooting
values OF land or 20 increase the cost OF
entertainment in country houses. The
pleasures Of the rich offer employment 10
thousands Of servants. beaters and field
hands during the cold months. and the
continuous house parties are profitable
20 tradesmen. The crumbs from the
country house tables help To keep i'm
poverished rural England alive.
This is true. but there il no great
virtue in the prOdizal hospitality OF the
country houses. Those who entertain
their friends sumptuously cannot get on
without retinue Of servants and trades
people. and they do not think OF claiming
credit for supporting a large body OF
helpers. Incidentally. thousands OF
pounds are expended in wages. service
and tips. but neither hosts nor guests
are thinking about anything except their
own pleasures and the privileges Of
smartness
Pheasant shooting is not. rs a ruis.
conducted by tenants on hired places.
but by the owners themselves. 4 large
number OF shOotings in Norfolk York
shire and Scotland are Iet annually. the
rents being determined by the average
bag during five or ten years There is
never a guarantee that the average will
be obtained during the tenancy. but
NhNAt - dH iiibiiNu uuItiSNd uOlNS IUdL
il will be equalled n the weather be IA
vcrable and the shooting be properly
managed Not long ago a tenant
brought suit against "A Sussex landlord
for false pretences in advertising the es-
tate with its resources of game. and he
won il. greatly 70 the CONSERVATION 9r
owners OF shootings throughout the
kingdom.
Tenants seldom are as aggressive as
this aggrieved tenant. but not infre-
quently they Spend their time in abus-
ing the owners and in apolOgizing %
their guests for the meazre stock OF
game. HousehOlders who entertain par
ties on their own grounds and give eacn
man the recreation of killing a hundred
or more pheasants daily are not fretting
themselves over the details Of the sport
Their gamekeepeTs have reported how
many pheasants there are. and there is
always game enough for all sportsmen
in the house. II is hearty hospitality
without fidgeting or worrying over the
bag. and il is enjoyed not merely be-
cause pheasant shooting is a smart thing
10 do. but because the cOverts have a
fragrant breath. the rattle of the guns
is inspiriting and the soft. misty morn
ings in the woods are a source Of delight.
l. y. f.