HONOURS IN BRITAIN

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 205, 30 September 1929, Page 8

HONOURS IN BRITAIN

(Independent Cable Service).

('MISDIRECTED PATRONAGE." The Coalition Nominees.

. . LONDON, Sept. 11. It is difficult to trace any instance of Royal patronage so misdirected as the clumsy hatch of honours forced on tbe Soverign near the close of the regime of the Lord George Coalition Government." This is the conclusion expressed by Sir George Artliur, private seoretary to the late Earl Kitchiner, in his book, "The Life of the King." He describes Mr Lloyd George's recommediations for honours as an unhappy occasion, suggesting that the Crown's reliance on the adviee of even the most responsible Minister should have limitations. "A murmur could not he repressed." Sir George writes, "when a personally estimable furnitu're' dealer, the conduct of whose business had not been too sucecssful for the original shareholders, was to enjoy the same rank as general officers who led large arnries to victory." "Of the second nominee," the writer .says: — "It was statecl that he gave 'evidence before the Income Tax Commissioner that in the middle of the ; war he transferred liimself and his business, eapitalised at £20,000,000, to a domicile abroad in oruer to escape taxation. A tliird nominee adiuitted dealings with the enemy in wartime, through witlffn official knowledge." j^. In the case of a fourth nominee the ^BgM^Ear] of Birkinhead solved ihe difiieulty ^^^^^B^producing a letter in wliich the man a peerage. It is understood was not with out as the being deaf was unable to tlie ^^^^^^^^^^^Bfcerned the Jionour the