The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-09-15

- HANKS to the smoke ond SCOT
Which MI the atmosphere OF the
British metropolis 10 the extent
@; thousands upon thousands 81
tons. according to recent chemical in
vestigation public buildings and pii-
waite residences have TO be submitted
periodically to cleaning. scraping. ana
rcrainting. on tho outside. Every now
and again big blocks If this sooty de-
post are removed from the external
homework o: -. PauIs CA,helral. OF
Westminster Abbey, OF the National
Gallery. etc. while every London house
holder finds it necessary T. repa!nt the
front OF his house at least once IN
three years
Tho facade Of Buckingham Palace
alone. has received no scraping or
painting for more than sixty years.
and that is why 1t presents so extra
ordinarily grimy and dingy an appear
ance. now rendered all The m5rc no
ticcable by reason OF The Wilderness OF
the great marble memorial Of queen
Victoria at the entrance OF the Mall.
and TO which the palace furnishes an
extremely sombrc background
II the exterior Of King Georges met
rppolitan residence has remained so
LONG uncleansed. IL Is entirely duo to
his srandfnther. the Prince Consort.
The latter mad a theory That II the Ia
dade were treated with oil, we'll
forced into the material a surface
would be produced capable Of re
sisting the deleterious effects OF the
London atmosphere. While this object
has been accomplished as far as act
Ual dcterloration that Is TO say. crufnb-
ling away OF the stone. is concerned
Westminster Abbey and the Houses OF
Parliament need constHne and costly
repairs, owing to this process Of dis
Indignation OF the stone thr Jush the
chemical Influences Of the sOtt-uo
paint can be applied to the palace, and
when at the outset OF tho rcign OF
Edward VII. Parliament voted a sum
of about $4,000 for the painting OF the
exterior thereof, 81 was found that the
surface would not take the paint prop
criy. Ordinary scraplng was also found
unavailing, owing tn the fact that the
oil had penetrated tho stone too deeply.
The government and tic nation gen
craly. are agreed that ii Is impossible
its present disgraceful condition. and
for the past three weeks the state
Department of Public Works mas had
men cmpl Dyed on swinging scanolhs,
hanging from the roof, in examining
testing and measuring the walls, FOR
the purpose OF ascertaining. first OF
all. tho exact area Of facade to be
dealt with and secondly, the actual con
dlilpn OF the 81 Duc
Upon the results Of this careful and
searching investigation VIII depend the
question whether some hitherto untricd
means can he devised of securing the
stone and of repaintins ii. or whether
IL will be necessary to reconstruct the
entire frontage of buckingham Palace.
the general impression thus far
being that the latter will be the only
alternative.
While Parliament win be asked when
1t rcassembles next month, to vote the
necessary amount OF money tor the
work. NJ matter what its cost ii Viii
not involve amy addit ional burden up
on the taxpayer Quen Victoria Ed
ward VII and King George have each
on their accession to the throne vol
uNtarily turned over. for the term OF
their respective lives, the so-cailed
crown property to the National Tren-
sury, in return for a Civil list When
Victoria became Qucu IN 1891. the rev
cnues OF tho crown property about
Parliament Since then, by dint OF
careful mana cement, and also through
the general increase OF values. the in
come derived from the crown estates
has not merely doubled. but nearly
trabled. while the civil list has remain
ed practically the same. The conse-
qucncc Is thai tile National Treasury is
n very great gamer by tho transaction.
and can well afford to spend the money
needed to render Buckingham Palace
habitablc. ana eXteriorally clean. by
using tho surplus revenues of the crown
property, without placing any add
tional burden upon the Exchequer.
1t must thoroughly he understood