has long been an open secret] that Mr, Lloyd George holds a very substantial political fund, built up while ho was leader of the second Coalition, and vested more or less in his ' personal control, It is also an open secret that there hasbeen much heartburning in the Liberal party over his alleged niggardliness in parting with his It is not even a secret, open or hidden, that the Liberal party central fund is down to bedrock, and that a very serious financial situation confronts the party owing to that fact and to the slow progress which "the million fund" is making. Now, with that given position, it is clear that Mr. Lloyd George holds avery useful strategic point in relation to Liberal policy and Mr. Vivian Phillips disclosed it a few days ago when he stated that quite recently Mr. Lloyd George Kad intimated to him that he did net feel he could make a contribution from his fund to the work of the Liberal headquarters until he know what would be the result of the forthcoming conference on the pro posals of the Land Inquiry Committee.
Launch of the "Cutty Sark."
Launch—On Monday afternoon (Nov. 28, 1869) there was launched from the building yard of Messrs Scott some composite depth, of and about '950] tons burthen.
As she left the] ways she was named the Cutty Sark by Mrs, Moodie, the wife of Captain Moodie, The Cutty Sark is intended for the China tea trade, and is expected by her owners to be one of the fastest] ships engaged in the traffic.—Dumbarton Herald, 25/11/69, Surely an accurate enough fore-east. But it is not our present purpose to tell of ther great' runs, of her 2,163 miles in six days ranning the easting down—an average of over 15 knots an hour. Mr. Basil Lubbock gives the sail history, and romance of this fine vessel so well in his "The Log of the Cutty, Sark" that it would be presumption to add a word on her sailing days. No able pen, however, has ever mapped out the whole romance of the Cutty Sark's building days, A joiner, who passed away only a few weeks ago (possibly the. last of those who worked on her), was of the opinion that the keel was Laid about two months before he started with Scott & Linton, the builders, in January, 1869, and he} worked on her until' she left the Clyde. She was the last of an order for six sailing vessels to be built at the Woodyard, Constructed under the personal supervision of Captain Moodie, the Cutty Sark had very sharp lines. Her designer was Mr. H. Linton, partner of the firm. It is said that Captain Moodie did not spare the contractors, and that every piece of timber most minutely examined, the tiniest flaw being enough to ensure condemnation. When the present excellent! condition of the ship's hull is considered one can readily believe the statement, There were many ups and downs during the building, but the climax was reached when on September 9 there was a me ing of the principal creditors Scott & Linton, It is even sai that a few days beters this meeting one of the partners appeared on the Cutty Sark and an. nounced to the workers that as the firm was in financial difficulties work would have to be suspended. These difficulties were overcome, however, and several Dumbarton gentlemen were appointed as trus-teas to attend to the completion of the contracts on hand.
Eventually, on Monday, November 23, 1869, the "Cutty Sark" entered the Leven, dredged and deepened by one of the Cly" "this large composite vessel," the first of her class to be built on the Leven, It ig said that it was after she entered the water that the Dennys took over the work of completion. The famous clipper left Dumbarton on December 21 of the same year! for Greenock, where the final touches were put on her prior to her si ing round to London to load for hina. But if anybody could get at the whole story of the building of the most romantic old clipper that has sailed the seas, and where hull still floats sound as the day she was launched, " monument to the skill of her' builders, they would earn the admiration of many who regret that that part of her story has not been told in full,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.