'A pastoral letter, signed by the Rev, John White DD, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, drawing atten tion to the spread of betting and gambling was read in the churches Inst Sunday. The letter says that. the Church "at the risk of being called ultrapuritanical" must assert and its authority gainst a very serious and growing evil, and that there is no room for compromise." It adds—"Mors serious than any colossal waste of money is its baneful influence on the hearts and lives of those who engage in it. It is admittedly a fruitful cause of poverty and crime. It destroys habits of industry and thrift. It rouses passions which shut out the higher interests of jiome, country, and religion. Patrio. tism and human well being demand its suppression.
'The Budding Bankers' Hoax Tt is a custom among our younger bankers to pursue their education by compiling balance sheets. These are occasionally printed in an off. cial looking way, circulated among the coterie, and' debated in public. One of these sheets has come into my hands. It relates to the affairs of Pimpernel & Pimpernel, Ld. brewers, Stirling. The directors are the Hon. Bernard Barmy-Burton, Samuel Stout, and Percival Perkins. The scerctary is Richard Laggett, and the solicitors, Messrs Cooper & Porter. The bankers are the British Beverage Bank, Ld., and the auditors, Spywell 6 Pasrnought, CA. "Trade hax beer rood during the past year, but owing to the rise that has taken place in the price of materials the profits for the ensuing year will probably not be 0 food.
faintest thing about the compi-Intion is that it came by mischance into the hands of one or two financial editors of our leading Scots and English dailies who were completely hoaxed and inserted the facts of the "directors' report" in their usual columns.
Scotland's Team Against France Wintry conditions put a stop to the Rugby game in Scotland, even the International Test Match had to be abandoned. Scotland i fore left in the unprecedented position of putting in the field an International team which has never had an opportunity of playing eollee tively, and not one of whose riembers has participated in a tnat frame this season. As might be Expected, the selectors, in picking our team {o meet France on Jan~ uary 2, have been almost wholly Zulded by last year's International Ferformances. The following is the team—D. Drysdale, Teriot's and Oxford University; T S. Smith, Edinbargh University, J. C. Dykes, Glasgow Academicals; R. M. Kino near, Heriot's; A. C. Wallace, Ox-HW. Waddell and J. B. Nelson, Glasgow Academicals; and J.C. igh School; Hawick: A. C. Gillies Watsonians; D.P. Macmyn, London Scottich; J. R. Paterson, Birkenhead Park: J. W, Scott, Stewart's Col lege; Win. V. Berkley, Oxford Un versity.
'Oxford University had the best of the weather going—and thet is not saying much—for their mid week' matches. In their game at! Edinburgh they did better than at Glasgow, where they lost fo the Academicals.. they obtained a win of Edinburgh University-—22 to 11. Tu the first half the Bdinbureh men struck a good game, the points at the crossover being equal; in the second half, after losing their captain through' injury, they. fell behind badly. 'The Oxonisns' third and last game was played in they lost to Edin bargh als—0 to 3. waa poor contest, and -2 sur-rise result,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.