Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-02-16
BUSINESS MEN RESIGN
BRITISH STATE PLACES
captains Of Industries Anxious To
Return to Civil Life and
Salaries.
cHATE IN OFFICIAL HARNESS
Rowland T.. ProthcrO, WHO Has Just
Retired From Post of Minister of
agriculture, One of Most Striking
Figures in Government.
BY HAYDEN CIIt-uClI.

eminent composed Of business men in
stead of professional politicians. When
David Lloyd George became Prime
minister in succession 70 Mr. Asquith
ne succeeded in pcrSuadng more prac-
teal men Of affairs become members
Of the Cabinet than ever previously
had served the state at one time.
and most Of them are still in office.
But IL Is abundantly evident that
they are not going to remain there.
In fact. these captains OF industry.
now that the war is over. suggest
the rats that desert sinking ship
IN their c2gcrncss to get out OF Official
ana into civil harness again.
For instance. the one Of them best
known IN the United States, Sir Eric
Geddes, already First Lord of the Adj
miralty, and now selected by the Prime
Minister 10 speed up" disqualification,
makes no secret of his desire to get
back 10 the rcmuncrative job Of deputy
Halfway. which he originally quilted
In 1915 TO become Deputy Director
General of Munitions and supply the
first OF his many important war jobs
Lord Weir. the former head OF "a
3. at Scotch pump making irin. who
is now AIR Minister, has dcnuitely
decided to resign and devote himself
10 the development OF commercial ~
ing. Sir John Bca!c, permanent -ccrc-
tary 10 the Ministry OF Food, is aisp
expected to leave TO resume ms ac.
iirm OF solicitors, and Sir alfred stan
ley. another British railroad man.
who. like Sir Eric GcGdcs got most
OF his early training In tho United
States. is not likely for long to retain
his present billet as PRESIDENT or the
Board Of Trade
OFFICIAL HARNESS CIIAFES
I.INI: BUSINESS MEN
Quite naturally, the official harness
considerably chafcs most OF tines. live
wires Of the world OF commerce. Sir
Eric Gcddcs, particularly. j. said 10
Loaf the the necessity OF continual at
tendance at tn. House OF Commons
in his capacity OF minister and OF
answering tn. endless questions OF
honorable members"
The irili!nE matter of pounds. shili-
lnGs and pcnc. also affects the attitude
OF these giants OF the world Of affairs,
ana II England expects in the future
TO have such as they as the heads OF
her departments Of state the salaries OF
british Cabinet ministers viii have TO
be boosted considerably. VI the pres
cnt time Cabinet salaries are pooled
hence !, cannot BE- said exactly what
screw. as II is termed here, any par
ticular member OF the Prime Minister'S
Official family IS drawing. In ordinary
times, however, the topmost financial
reward accrhins to member OF the
British Cabinet is $4,000. this falling
10 the Lord Chancellor.
He however. is Of course always
lawyer ana the salaries Of most OF
the other British ministers are small
by compa son. Several OF them. such
as the First Lord OF the Treasury the
presidents OF the Board and Local
Government Board and the Secretaries
OF State,for Home. Forcien Affairs and
the Colonies get $4,000. the FIRST Lord
OF the Admiralty draws S44.5o0 and
the chief secretary To the Lord Lieu
tenant OF ireland S2.,l25. hut the other
members OF the Cabinet. such. FOR eX-
ample. as The Postmastcr-General. the
Attorney General, the First comInis-
sioner Of Works, etc. have to content
themselves with salaries ranging from
sl2.500 to mere $4,000.
The situation here in fact is iden
/tica with that prevailing in the
United States. a result Of which
William q. McAdoo recently resigned
his post In the Cabinet OF his father
in-law. President Wilson. For exam
ager. is 100000 year man. Sir AL
bert Stanley, as a railroad chief, drew
$4,000 per annum and the commercial
salary OF Lord. formerly Sir William.
Weir way presumably twice II not
three times that which is now his
as Secretary OF State :or Air. Small
their services willingly in the war
emergency, these men are now eager to
get back TO the unrestricted and bet
ter paid activities Of commerce.
One OF the most genuinely interest
ing and remarkable personalities OF
the business government. Rowland Ed
mund Prothcro. already has resigned
the important administrative post
which he has held since 1916. namely
that of president Of the Board OF Agri-
culture. The Prime Minister is said
TO be making earnest efforts TO induce
him to remain. since he is one of the
greatest authorities on agriculture i'll
defer his departure from once. ii is
certain to be only temporarily, and
possible successors are already being
Mr. Protheros character and claims
TO high distinction are we'll worth
n more or less detailed study. He
represents exceedingly rare and,
perhaps, unique combination, a really
distinguished man Of letters who is
also .great eXpert in oGe particular
Industrial line, an able Parliamentarian.
barrister OF note. and a scholar Of
BUSINESS MANAGER
Of EXTENSIVE ESTATES
He is. perhaps, best known as agent
in-chief to the Duke of Bedford which
means business manager of the vast
greatest landowners in England, with
property in London and in various
rural districts notably al Woburn and
800 acres. Under MIR. Protheros able
management the Duke OF Bcdford's
country estates. even before the war,
were models OF prosperous farmlands
and homeSieads.
1t is strange To find an acknowl-
edged expert in such field reckoned
bic literary men. but Mr.. Prothero's
a,tainments both as an author and a
scholar are so considerable that for
quarterly REVIEW. one OF the most
distiu. /. periodicals published in
G,cur .u. lie is the author. too,
ui ing number OF notable
wur. n widely diversified sun
jco.. Sc Pioneers and Progress
o! T. Farming" The Pleasant
Land rance. The Letters and
Journn.s / lord Byron" The Psalms
in Human Life" English Farming.
Past and Present and The Life and
Corrcspo ndence of Dean Stanley" This
liz by no means complete list Of his
books, which include several memoirs
of royal Dersonagcs and the revision,
on behalf of the late Queen Victoria,
OF a life of the great Queen written
by Mr.. Holmes.
Now sixty-six, he is the third son
OF the late Canon Prothero. rector OF
Whippingham and n famous divine. -lIe
was born at Clifton -op-Tame and edu-
Gated at Marlborough School and OK
ford. Of which he is an NJ. a.. and
where he gained many scholastic dis
tinctions. He originally practiced as
barrster and his many distinctions
include those OF Member of the Vic
torlan Order, Justice OF the Peace Ga
-tMle which means incomparahly more
than 1t does in the United S;ates), an