The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-19
THE PASSING
 OF THE PITCH" One of LOndOn's Institutions Being Driven Out FAMOUS NEWS STANDS Places Must GO-Location Worth S4250 Year-Owner Gets
 Greedy and Loses the
 Whole Thing
FAMOUS NEWS STANDS

| little structures which sheltered such apple women as Lavengro chatted with on London bridge; gone nearly all the successors of Thackerays Miss Shum' s Husband, who swept crossing by day and after business hours was a mysteri- ous something in the city," gone are idalized in his wonderful picture os London. And now going fast Is the pitch as an institution. Not yet in provincial towns, has its passing be- come marked! but in the metropolis. what with county council bylaws, po- lice regulations. the esigencies of traf- fic. and so forth. 1t Is patently mori- bund.
 In the Way of Improvements
 Of late years many old pitches" in London have been swept away in con- eral went when London bridge was widened. among them the stand of an old woman who obstinately refused to budge till she was given a few pounds and her fare to Ireland; and now there Is only one pitch" on any of the bridges or their approaches. It Is op- poSlte nall, ana IS nelu by man-the last of his race-who sells on 1t fruit and sweets during the winter only. Another old pitch" has gone owing to the demolition of prop erty to make room for the county coun- ell hall. Opposite St. Thomas hospital, it was established more than 30 years ago. A curious fact in connection with lit Is that the first man who purchased a newspaper from its founder was a 6ai ilv than nllartPr of a century.
 The making of the new road from Buckingham palace to Charing Cross well nigh brought about a tragedy-p the abolition of 'pitch' with history stretching back to the reign of Charles II. On 1t stood the only cows which thousands of Londoners ever saw, and from which milk was drawn while you waited. Here, at all events, there was positively no deception! On 1t. too, generations of nursery maids and chil- dren purchased cakes and sweets. Ul- timately the two ladies who held the pitch were given notice to quit ana offered flo apiece as compensation This they refused with scorn, and an agitatiin was started on their behalf, with the result that they were installed in consequence, 1t is said, of the in ltervention of King Edward-in kiosk just inside St. James park The cows are now gone; but the ladies still dis pense cakes and sweets to their old customers, and their pitch is con- sidered to be the best in London. Other 'pitches"' have been abolished because they infringed on the rights | of property owners. Not long ago d clean sweep was made of all those out side of the underground stations, m . cluding one for which man had Just paid f800. An apparent exception put this Is not on the railway company property. The oldest now on the emo bankment it was established aooul 4o years ago by the husband of the pres ent bolder, who, on his death, was not allowed to succeed him (this detail may astonish those who think II ns easy to get "pitch') till she produced her marriage certificate.
 Abolished, too, are two newspaper "nitches" which filled the initiated Wltn envy. One was at the law courts, anu was worth a clear 9SOO year. Where It's owner waited on custom IS now newspaper kiosk-the only structure of it's kind in the streets of London. The other pitch, which was In front of Burlington house. was still more valuable. US founder was boy who began by planting himself near the entrance to Burlington Arcade and selling papers Alter 'iiiie he erected a stall, and then placed over if A handsome awning, which he let 10 advertisement contractors, and so made a source of revenue.
 Feeling then that he was nrmly estao- llshed, he began to spread newspaper contents bills along the railings of Bur linaton house, and for displaying these he intimately drew no less than f30O year. His total net profits 10 years after he started were f6OO annually, and they steadily rose till they reached 9s50 After he had held the pitch for % years without, be 1t noted, paying penny for if in rent rates, or taxes-he entered into negotiations for selling 1t. And then he had a rude awakening. Hearing Of the impending deal" the owners of the property elected him. It was estimated in the trade that if his right to the pitch could have been established 1t would have been worth f10OOO.
 A Further Factor
 further factor in the abolition of ..nitches" has been the increase of traffic. For this reason many sellers of sweet meats. etc., have been dispossessed round the Royal Exchange, while in other parts or the Lord Mayors territory, numer- one old "pitches' have been either done away with or removed. After certain family had occupied one in Mincing Lane for about 150 years. the police pronounced # to be an obstruction, and the holder or 1t had to betake himself into cul de sac hard by. Similarly dealt with was one or the institutions of Cannon street-an in- atitution to which the attention of rub her necked'' American tourists Is always called. -
 "I london Stone,' says the man with tho mepaphone. land there is the old ample woman who has been there, 200 years!"
 She has not been there quite so long as that. but 1t Is fact that she and her ancestors have held the pitch for more than two centuries. Till few years ago however. 1t was a few yards nearer St. Paurs than 1t is now. It is a fact, one of the many stands which have had to be removed.
 All this augurs i'll for the future of the "pitch," but there Is a still more ominous circumstance. It is this, that the holders of the comparatively few old stands which sill survive have been made clearly to understand that when they die any rights which they may have in such stands will lapse. and that ron or daughter will not be allowed to succeed them. Some scuatters, indeed, have had to sign agree ments that they hold their pitches only by favor.
 So the days of the "pitch" in London, at any rate, are numbered. How many institutions could be better spared?
 
 Regarding Politics
 From the National Monthly.
 Miss Jones of Kansas asked on monthly test: What is the party plat fcrm?"
 The answer given was: What the President stands on when he makes his inaugural address"