The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-31
IRISH HOME RULE
 IS NOW IN SIGHT Forces Preparing for the
 Final Battle STATESMEN ACTORS Rumored Churchill Is Contemplating Big Loan for Navy-Some Curious Rents Are Paid
 in England
By PAUL LAMBETH

lament the forces for and against thls measure which has been at the fore front of British politics for more than one generation are preparing for the final grapple.
 Prime Minister Asquith has nailed his colors to the mast and backed by a solid ministry and majority of about 120 in the house of commons will sink or swim with home rule.
 The measure which is to fulfill the age lay aspirations of the Irish peo- pie Is already drawn, though 1t prob ably will be polished and amended dur ing the recess into such shape as wili meet the views of the Irish national fsts and of the English liberals and laborltes.
 It will have the foremost place in the government programme and will be pushed with all possible energy That there will be fierce and deter mined opposition is certain. Not only the unionists will fight it but the chances are that the O'Brienites will be found In opposition but it will go through the commons with good ma jority
 What the lords will do with 1t is problematieal. It is barely possible they will let it pass. but the more probable course will be that they will avail themselves to the full of the limited power of vote they still possess and delay the final passage of the bill for the full limit of two years, in the hope that something may come up in the meantime which will turn the lib- erals out of office.
 While home rule will be the leading question to be settled at the next ses- sion of parliament it will not be the only one by a long way. Next In inn portanee perhaps will be the reform of the franchise. Plural voting will be done away with and the franchise will be extended. This will necessitate encouragement of the parliamentary districts. Under the present system the representation in parliament is as ir- regular and unfair as the New Eng land town system. To bring about a system which will give approximately equal representation without too great shock to British conservatism will be no child's task.
 Another measure of far reaching i'm portance and which will be met with determined opposition will be the dis establishing of the Welsh church.
 Although the government programme for next year is a heavy one it is not improbable that a bill for the nation- alization of railways may find d place in it. It is known that in connection with the recent railway strikes this so- luton of the trouble was under the consideration of the government and that the treasury officials went into the details of the cost of taking over the railway service and that their conclu- sions were placed before the ministers. A significant outline of the government plans was given on Saturday by Mr Ellis Davies, M. P, whip of the Welsh party, and one of MT. Lloyd Georges most intimate associates Ad- dressing the annual meeting of his con stituency association d Portmadoc, MT. Ellis Davies strongly advocated the na- lionalism of railways as an early ob- ject of liberal legislation.
 Altogether his government will go into history with the record of having estab- lished more radical changes than any other which has ever existed in Great Britain.
 It is unusual to find two members Of parliament appearing as actors on the same day. The other day, however. 1 saw MT. Hugh Law, the nationalist repre- sentative of West Donegal, and a son Of the former Irish Lord Chancellor, who gave his second performance in the nor ality play, "The Soul of the World' while in the evening Mr. Matthew Heating, one of the most popular members of the Irish party at Westminster played in little drama from the pen of Miss Johan- na Redmond, the nationalist leaders gift ed daughter, which was performed at Kensington. At the latter entertainment Miss Redmond herself played in another of her own sketches.
 The rumor is revived that Mir. Churchill was contemplating loan for the navy of at least $150000,000.
 There is reason to believe, however that the amount of the loan may be larger than the amount mentioned Lord Charles Beresfords scheme for a su- preme navy contemplated, it may be re- called, the possibility of a considera bIe loan, and recently, if report may be be- lieved. his lordship and Mr. Churchill have been in consultation.
 The loan will be, of course, in addition to the usual estimates for the year. It's advantages are regarded as two fold both moral and ma terial.
 Another highly important matter is the provision of adequate docks for Dread noughts, and to this purpose a consider1 able portion of the loan will, it is pre- sumed, be allotted.
 One of the most curious rents in ex- istence is that paid yearly to the king by the corporation of London. This con- sists of six horseshoes 61 nails and two faggots-the annual rental for a moor in Shropshire and forge in St. Clement Danes
 Another strange rent is paid yearly by the Duke of Marlborough in connection with his Woodstock estate According to the ancient laws, the duke must send a new flag, embroidered with the fIeur-de- lys, every year to the sovereign of Eng land. To fail in this respect would cause the estate to lapse to the crown.
 Long ago St. Olave's Grammar school, in Tooley street. led a field in Horsely- down for a red rose, to be presented on midsummer day, annually, for several hundred years. Some 300 years have yet to pass before this rent can be stopped
 Quite recently the Pullman borough council instituted a rent as remarkable as those instituted in past year. A mill itary band is permitted to practice twice weekly at a certain place in the borough in return for four free performances yearly in Putnam parks.
 The burden of office is beginning to show itself in the physical appearance of the chancellor of the exchequer. But his zest for frolics, which is the mar vel of his friends, is as great as ever. When he was last at his home in North Wales he was full of fun, and among the pastimes in which he indulged freely
 r.