The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-05-27
'BARBER'S PICTURE HUNG ON LINE IN
 ROYAL ACADEMY
Village Haircutter Wins Covet- ed Honor at Annual
 Exhibit.

 London, May 27.-Annong the ar tists who had their pictures accepted
 for the Royal Academy is Frank Cow ley, a. village barber. Ills picture is hung on the line the ambition of ev- cry artist, and not "skied or cor nered" as happens to the great ma jority of pictures.
 MT. Cowley took to painting before he began to shave the inhabitants 1 of Harlow, Kent, for a living, and his academy picture was painted in six l hours. ..I worked on it. he said, 1 about eight years ago, and in two slt-s. tings, between five and eight ID Lne morning, had completed 1t.
 The picture is green and gray scheme, showing smiling country side. with girl and two white goats standing near a. tree. Five times pre- yiously MT Cowley has sent pictureslto the Academy Thrice he has been re- l jected, while on the other two occa- sions he was among those whose Work was crowded cut
 He is entirely self taught. and only recently took first lessons in technique
 Barbering, he explains, is an annoy ance- eBut I can't run the old trade down he added. ''for it has been good friend to me. Barberfng gave me splendid opportunity of studying l. tures And besides, I sold good
 many to customers. for few sh1ll- 1 ings.
 MT. Cowley, who is still in his thir- ties, prefers to regard himself pri-. nari1y, as an animal painter. and he
 has the use of a private zoo in Kent for, his models. England may lose one of it's most ancient rights of appeal if the propo- | ~~s41- Inc meets with the favor of Parliament. The town meeting is the best method loca. taxpayers have of restricting the operations of local governing bodies. A bill is now before Parliament to amend the ooroughs fund act so that taxpayers who disagree with the acts of their councils will lose their chance, of calling town meetings and demand ing polls. Most of the provincial sslo-s cal authorities and those of London are supporting the bill. for many oS their plans for improvements, which would mean increased taxation, have been defeated as the result of town meetings, which have been called at the demand of stubborn taxpayers.
 The irony of the present situation is that the local council proposing such Legislation must, on the petition of a. dozen taxpayers, call a town meeting and pay the expenses of ad- Werfising and holding it. And while the campaign is in progress, the coun cil, by law, is not permitted to make any fight for the ordinance, which the town meeting has been called to pro- test5against-S So it happens many times that the nj ost car efully laid plans of the local legislators are ruthless1y swept aside by the taxpayers in meet Ing assembled, and often with the mayor himself presiding over the ob- seauies of one. of his own pet pro jects. s..s
 The threat of the militant suffra- gettes to disturb the social season has led society leaders to take very strict precautions. Weddings in which peo- pie of political importance are inter asted are marked for attack and aIz ready several have been interrupted by women throwing leaflets from the gall 1eries on to the wedding procession. These pranks, while they cause much annoyance to the wedding party, are easily stopped by the refusal of ad- mittance to any but friends holding tickets
 The big political receptions given by the wives of the party leaders are not so easy to protect from the attentions of the nilitants. Hundreds of invi- tatfons are issued and no hostess likes to ask her guests to present their tick cts before they are allowed to enter her reception rooms. The result is that many uninyited persons attend, and among these the suffragettes in- tend to have their representatives, pre- pared to make the lives of cabinet
 ministers and others unbearable Churches, too, it is feared. are being marked. Several old edif1ces in Lon don have been specially insured against the risk of damage by auf- fragettes.
 Rev. F. B. Meyer. honorary secre- tary of the Free Church Council, and one of the nonconformist leaders in England, is to visit America on three months evangelical tour. He re- gently announced his retirement from the passionate of Regents Park chapel, where he has been with the exception of a. short interval since 1888. He lis to be succeeded by Rev. FIG. Spurr, an Australian. Dr. Meyer has for years taken a very active part in both the religious and political life of the country. being a hard worker for so- cfal reform.
 FE.ET. DTJTT, AND