The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-10-22

pretty regularly in these big hospitals
where there are wards upon wards full
OF Sattered warriors who need somethins
more enlivening than gramophone stun
to cheer them up, and most Of these
concerts are pretty good. This one was
A pretty English girl with a sweet So
prano voice sang some ballads charming
ly. Another played. A comic man sang
Back Home in Tennessee" and other
American-made and native ditties that
the Tommies love, and got a great
hand"
PLAYS VIOLIN
Then came fair violinist. She was a
small, pretty woman with an intellectual
face, and. quite evidently, a rear artist.
She played a series of Russian and Span
lcsh dances with a verve and spirit that
sent the wounded men, the nurses, the
visitors everybody who heard her, into
raptures. The applause made the walls
shake Only when she had given two
encores would they let her CO.
1 suppose you know who that is?"
said a sister to me- That is Mrs. J..
M. Robertson whose husband, the famous
member of Parliament, Is chairman of
the parliamentary committee that Is in
quiring into food prices. She is an Ameri-
can. Doesn't she play beautifully? She
o1ten comes here, and goes to St
Thomas, the Charing Cross and other
big hospitals to entertain the men there.
You can see how they appreciate it
She is doing a lot of other kinds of war
work. too. and her son is at the front
and her daughter is nursing out at the
Fourth London General She Is one of
the most interesting women in London +"
introduce me. please" quotn T.
rms was not the first time. by many
that one had heard of Mrs. J. M. Robert
son, whose husband is among the most
brilliant men in British politics, and one
or the greatest scholars in England.
A self-made man, who left school when
he was 49, he has represented the TYNE.
side division of Northumberland In the
liberal interest since 1906. In 1911. he be-
came parliamentary secretary to the
Board of Trade and continued in that
important job until the formation of the
coalition ministry, when he Withdrew TO
make room for unionist.
Excepting the war ITSELF there is no
question in the public mind that tran
sends In importance that of the price
of food. In some cases 1t is consid
cred national scandal. Mr.. Robertson's
TASK is to tell why prices are higher
to fix responsibility and to recommend
the remedy. Likely as not American
housekeeping methods may have some
influence on the result for Mrs, Rob
ertson VIII doubtless give views on this
tirst and foremost problem of the home
COMMITTEE AT WORK
When the question of the steady rise
throughout the country got to be an
acute one Robertson became chairman.
at the express wish of the president of
the Board Of Trade Mr.. Runciman, Of
the committee of experts that was ap-
pointed to inquire into the causes of
the soaring figures and to make a re-
port. Between the appointment OF this
committee and the date OF its first sit
ting the prices of both bread and bacon
fell. Since that time Robertson and his
fellow committeeman and women, who
include w. ]. Ashley. the famous Biz
mingham economist, and Mrs Pember
Reeves. the author of Round About a
Pound a Week." and other wei known
works, have been sitting twice a week