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OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.…

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OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT. J It is an exciting and troubled time in which j we are just now living, and London is having its full share of the thrill. Ever since the arrival of the hour at which the Boerultimatum to Great Britain expired there have been rumours innumerable and sensations not a few: but so many false or greatly exaggerated rumours were early set afoot that the public was taught to be cautious. Prudent folk, in fact, had warned their friends from the outset to beware of reports which, on the face of them, would lend themselves to sensational or Stock Exchange purposes but it always takes a little time for this sort of good advice to be realised as worth implicit acceptance. Apart from this fact, and all that it involves, London has had its till during the past fortnight of patriotic emotion. The departure from our shores of the New South Wales Lancers, the farewell given by the Prince of Wales to Sir Redvers Buller, the citizens meeting at Guildhall, and the opening of Parliament have each in turn given occasion for patriotic mani- festations: and then on a smaller scale, but all equally fervent, have been repeated at theatres, music-halls, and other places of popular assembly. There can be no doubt, in fact, of the overwhelming feeling in London, amid which the war has begun. Happily that feeling has a practical as well as a sentimental side. and much has already been done in the way of coping with the misery incidental to, and an inevitable consequence of, the outbreak of hostilities. Hardly I had the fund been opened at the Man- sion House for the relief of the many thousands of Outlander refugees now at Cape Town or in other parts of British South Africa, man subscriptions began to pour in to a very large amount, and it was made evident that the public at home sympathised in very practical fashion with these unfortunate folk. There is, however, a further duty to certain of the dis- tressed at our own doors which, it is already been seen, will not be neglected, and that is the case of the wives and families of the reservists who have been called to the colours. It is obvious that 'in many instances a deal of hardship involved in the sending away of the bread-winner upon foreign service: but employers of labour as well as private folk have come forward with keen desire to do their best in the emergency, and a movement, headed by no less popular and in- fluential a personage than the Princesq of Wales, is actively afoot to supplement these efforts. Certain legislative projects that are in the hands of private members are known at West- minster as "liac(lv annwds," and the same term may be applied to certain social or speculative projects, which are regularly to be heard of every autumn. One such to which Londoners have become well accustomed by this time is the bringing of a constant supply of sea- water from the coast to the metropolis. Not long since a very elaborate scheme was forthcoming which had Brighton for the intake; but that has 'passed out of sight, and the suggestion at this moment before the public is that the intake should be at Lancing, in Sussex. The water would thence flow through a main aqueduct to Battersea, whence I it would be brought across the Thames and dis- tributed to various parts of the metropolis. No one doubts that in various ways this supply would be a great convenience but it I is not to be forgotten that it has often been suggested, and never yet accomplished. The suggestion, in fact, is very far from being of recent birth, for as long ago as ] ;-mJ. it was solemnly observed in a leading metropolitan newspaper that if the plan for bringing the sea to London should succeed the trips to Margate will be greatly reduced in number." One wonders, as a mere matter of interest, what was the total of visitors to Mar- gate then compared with now. A measure which, it is said, will be sub- mitted to the House of Commons next year, with the approval of Mr. Balfour, will have a social rather than a political interest, and will arouse much attention throughout the country, that being one to relieve hospitals from the payment of local rates. It is said in support of such an idea, that from 1601 to 1866 public charities were exempt from liability to rates and taxes, and that since the latter date local rates have been claimed and paid in accordance with a principle laid down in a case which, it is averred, was not connected with public charities at all. However this may be, the exemption now sought to be established will arouse keen attention and it may be taken I for granted that, if it be not adopted, concerted action will be taken by certain of our great hospitals to test the validity of the idea under which they are rated. That test would pro- bably take the shape of an appeal to the House of Lords as a judicial tribunal to decide the question of law. Preparations are already being made for the Lord Mayor's Show, which is intended this year to be of a more picturesque order than has always been the case. It is understood that the Lord Mayor-Elect (Alderman Newton) and his friends consider that it will be an effective idea to have the spectacular portion.inthe form of a comparison between the two years 1799 and 1899. These, of course, are not the closing years of the two centuries as is often, but errousously, assumed: but the contrast is sufficiently great to ensure success for the nation. The soldiers and sailors of the two periods grouped side by side are considered likely to form a popular and attractive feature of the show, while the development in locomotion is expected to be illustrated by the old stage- coach set aside the new motor-car—though this idea has been shown in a Lord Mayor's Show of very recent years-while it is sug- gested that the fire-engines of the last and the present centuries should appear together. The general notion certainly lends itself admirably it. to illustration, and out of it should come some- thing really picturesque. A suggestion is now under the consideration of what might be called the Cycling Parlia- ment, but what is usually known as the Cyclists' Touring Club, which seems to be worth fuller discussion than has hitherto been accorded to it. This is to the effect that the various danger and caution-boards exhibited should indicate the nature of the danger by the addition of some such words as Rapid descent," Dangerous turning," Level-cross- ing," Gate," and Water splash." Information made easy is, in short, the suggestion: and there is undoubtedly something to be said in its favour, and not the less because, as is averred, they order these things better in Franoei It is urged in opposition that, if a cyclist wants to know what is at the bottom of a hill, he should go down there and find it; but that counsel of perfection can still be adopted by those who wish, while the more cautious could read the detailed warning-boards whish, as is also pointed out, might be of the more service if in dark places they were printed with luminous paint. R.

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