Visi The Late Mr. W. G. Lay From Our Own Correspondent.
Edinburgh, Jan. 18. pliment to Principal MacAlister, It has long been notorious that} the compulsory eight hours' day was a failure when applied to our} railways, and was causing enor-/ mous loss especially in the more sparsely populated districts of the! country. The worst that has been said about it is now corroborated} in the evidence led before the Na-} tional Wages Board at the instance of the Scottish railway companies. In one instance cited, the work!
"Men of the Principal's calibre, he said, "helped international aught, and the compliment he had paid their mission by quoting well-wu Japanese sayings was one flattered them exceedingly."
Sipe Lieuts oF THE Mission.
The most interesting things were not said in the formal speeches, but in the more intimate opportunities of conversation. "I spent some occupies 3 hours 49 minutes out of the 16 hours a signal box is open; and in another case two signal men have about four hours' work each a, day all the year round. In a third example, at the terminal of a small country branch, the working day begins at hall-past seven in the morning and lasts till about seven in the evening. To work this line twice the old staff is required; there are two drivers, two firemen, two guards, two porters. They are having the time of their lives, and are regarded with mingled envy and admiration by all the horny hands of the neighbourhood. There are many stations in Scotland where the men have so little railway work that they fill in the time with timber cutting, or as butchers' assistants, as cobblers, re-painters of golf balls, and even as picture palace attendants. They are described as "doing a little railway work in their spare time."
Japanese Mission's Visi.
Scotland gave a cordial reception to the Japanese Industrial Mission, and its members created a most favourable impression upon all those with whom they came ip contact. They visited both Edinburgh and Glasgow, devoting most of their time to the engineering and shipbuilding activities on the Clyde.
One of the most interesting speeches made during the visit was that by Principal Sir Donald Mac-! Alister, of Glasgow University. For many years he has taken a great interest in Japan, having acted in a consultative capacity in connexion with the development of her Universities. As the result, he said he had "learned to admire the enormous vigour, freshness, and spirit of progress which animated the nation; they were willing to Jearn from every side, and were prepared to better the instruction." Then he made a happy hit. Speaking of the Washington Conference, he was reminded of an expression of one of the great Japanese states. men; he gave the quotation; and! then added that as he had not} spoken Japanese for something like 45 years, the visitors would excuse his Scottish pronunciation. The Japanese visitors, it is needless to say, showed great pleasure at the incident. At a subsequent function! Dr. Takuma Dan repaid the com-! te here about nine years ago," remarked Mr. Manjo Kushida, managing director of the Mitsui Bishi Bank, ''and I noticed that your Scottish buildings are wonder-luily representative of your solid Scoitish character. I think you Scottish bankers are the best bankers that have been known for "Your Scotland is a very Rice country, but your weather—ah!" a shrug and an eloquent grimace accompanied this expression of opinion by another delegate. "It is little wonder you Scotsmen are so hard, and able to be at home in any part of the world, when you have such weather to make you fit."
The members of the delegation re much interested in the haggis and whisky served at the Glasgow Corporation luncheon. "What do von think of the haggis?' a Town Councillor asked one of the Japanese, and a subtle smile gave point to the reply, "I shall be able to tell you that later on."
Tue Late Mr. W. G. Lay.
The death is announced of Mr.
Lay, member of a well-known Kelso family, who for a long period was prominent in the British Government service in China, and was Commissioner in the Chinese Maritime Customs Service, attaining this position after an official career of some 42 years in the East.
The family are specially well-known in the North of China. His father was Consul at Chefoo, and his uncle was the first Inspector-General of the Customs in China. A brother was Consul-General at Seoul, Korea.
Mr. Lay, though born in China, was brought at an early age to this country, and was educated at Kelso High School until he was 19 years of age. He was one of the dest members of the Chinese "maritime Customs service, and was personally well-known in' most of the ports of the Far East. He had served at Peking, Ningpo, Foochow, Fusan, Shanghai, Swatow, and elsewhere. A man of high reputation for integrity, he took an interest in religious work at Hongkong.
Tae Lars Mr. ANcus SurHER.anp.
A onetime notable figure in Scottish politics has passed away in the person of Mr. Angus Suther-tand, formerly M.P. for Sutheriandshire, and late Chairman of the Fishery Board of Scotland. twenty-five years ago, no name was better known in the Highlands, where he was looked upon as the most trusted leader in the crofter agitation. He was the son of a crofter in Kildonan, and it is curious to record that until a year ago he was tenant of his late her's holding at Helmsdale, it is in the hands of a nephew. Surely there is no other case of a Sovernment official being also the (nominal) tenant of a croft. Mr.. Sutherland used to say that he could not help being a champion of the rights of the crofters." Both of his grandfathers were evicted from their bits of Jand, and the Highland Land League was started his uncle's house in Buccleuch Street, Edinburgh.
Mr. Gladstone frequently consulted him on crofter isolation, and he had a great deal to do with the passing of the Crofters' Act, giving security of enure and fixing fair rents. In is later years, Mr. Sutherland was very deaf and partially blind; and lived a practically solitary life in the' Liberal Club, Edinburgh.
MISSIONARIES FOR CHINA, Dr, J. H, Lechlar and Mrs, Lechlar, Dalkeith, are this week acceding to India, en route to a, Where they are to take up their duties under the Church Missionary Society at Mienchu-hsien, Western China. Dr. Lechler was born in India, and received his medical training at Edinburgh University and in connexion with the Edinburgh Medical Mission. Mrs. Lechlar, after maternity nurse ing training, went out to China in 1910, and was married the following summer. Dr. Lechler served for two ye rs during the war with *"o R.A.M.C., and held the rank of Captain.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.