The debate in the House of Commons on the Government of Scotland Bill produced the customary crop of Cockney jokes. In particular there were many in regard to Sir Donald Maclean's remark that Scotland was the hardest of places in which to make money.
Following upon this, and outside of Parliament, a discussion has arisen as to whether the making of incomes and fortunes in Scotland involves more assiduous work than the making of similar incomes and fortunes in England. Mr. David Hodge says that he put the point to a London-Scot who has made muck money both in the North and the South. The reply he received was that "in the making of large sums a special type of man is required. Given that type, he will succeed just as well in Scotland as in England, for the two countries are so closely knit nowadays that the operator's geographical position makes little difference."
Asked whether it was easier for the small man and the average earner of an income to make his money in London than in the North, the London-Scot replied that it was. "Of this I am convinced," he declared, "that to earn £500 or £600 a year in Glasgow is as a rule much more arduous than to earn the same amount of money in London. Glasgow men work harder than Londoners—they have, to0, Scotsmen in Scotland who work longer hours than are worked in London, and they apply themselves more closely. But that they require to do so I am not all certain, They take matters just a trifle too seriously, and they have not learned to the full the art of deputizing their responsibilities, dividing up the work, putting plenary-power chiefs in charge of departments. A Scot. has a sane view of the argument that if you want a thing well done you should do it yourself, But he overdoes it. Hence much' unnecessary anxiety and overwork. The Londoner in charge of a business knows how to get the best out of his subordinates; he worries himself much less with details, leaving himself more free to deal' with his concern in a comprehensive way."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.