Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-06

X
At the commencement of every session
of parliament the Yeomen of the Guard,
under the leadership of their noble cap
tain, explore the underground precincts
of St Stephens, with old-fashioned horn
lanterns and antique halberds, in search
of a possible Guy Fawkes with "engines
of hellish thunder OF course, they
never discover any dynamite or other eX-
plosives, but the pretense of looking for
them has to be kept up, because it is an
ancient custom.
For some reason that has never been
divulged, the Duke of Manchester re-
signed his soft-snap billet after leading
one such expedition. and doing his best
to look solemn over it. 1t is said that
the king expressed the opinion that
nobleman who had had the good fortune
to marry an American heiress was under
no necessity of adding to his income.
Anyhow, the berth was bestowed on Lord
Allendale, who needed the money. The
captain of the gentlemen-at-arms, who
gets the same pay is Lord Denman
The lords-in- waiting also get shifted
whenever there is a change OF admins
tratiOn. There are seven of them-One
for every day in the week-so that, ex-
all have to show up. each of them has to
be on duty only one day in the week.
For that they are paid $3.50 year
EACH which is over $67 day for such
they are in attendance on the king. No
body will deny that their jobs should
be classified among the soft snaps.
The gentleman Of the cellars in the
kings household, Kingscote, has an easy
billet He gets $4,000 year for keeping
an eye on the wine department and see
ing to it that when drinks are called for
the supply never runs short A few years
ago Hugh Cecil Lea, who sits In parlia-
ment for east st. Pancras, startled the
house by openly charging that kingscote,
not content with the generous emolu-
ments of his Office, made use of it to
greatly increase his income. He said
that kingscote acted chief agent and
tout for one of the biggest champagne
firms that he excluded all other brands
from the royal palaces, and by represent
ing it as the favorite wine Of his maj
esty enormously increased its sales.
Mr. Lea had spent several years in
America. where he had acquired the habit
Of plain speaking, regardless OF whom 1t
hurt But it didn't hurt k1ngscote. 1t
only served to prove the strength of his
pull for he is the son of Sir Nigel
Kingscote. the paymaster OF the royal
household. The charges were never de-
n1eQ, Out no lHVeStiSdIiOu loiioWCo. anu
Kingscote still retains his billet. as also
the post of honorary gentleman usher,
whatever that may be.
Not only are the holders of real soft
snap jobs far better paid in England than
in America, but they are much less liable
to get the sack no matter what they do.
X X
There are many minor easy billets in
the kings household with the host of
grooms- In waiting. extra grooms-in-wait-
ing, gentleman ushers. state pages. pages
of the presence and back stair pages,
etc. The pay roll Of the lord chamber
Iains department alone is $295. 0O0 But
there is no space to enumerate them. 1t
may be remarked, however. that mas
much as the last Of the royal barges that
was built is now exhibited as an ancient
relic in South Kensington Museum, the
gentleman who fills the post of royal