Sketcher.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 406, 18 February 1904, Page 7

Sketcher.

BOADS TO TITLES. iIj|SKOW if you want a baronetcy, or wlwlp even a knighthood, you will have on e of the best chances by becoming a grocer; but if you fancy yourself as an ornament of the House of Lords,* join : the woollen trader without waste of time, starting a 'comber,' if you like. That business, is one of' the' best roads to a. title, and there are now two peerages, four baronetcies and six knighthoods, all belonging to the wool trade; and the best iacome, so far, is .£IBO,OOO a year. The average time for reaching a title of any kind in the wool trade is 42 years, or for a peerage 60 years, and your chance of the latter is just one in 63.000. For the chance of a baronetcy, however, the odds are much less, about 30.000 to 1, and for a knighthood, 20,000 to 1. These are uncommonly short odds as trades go, and include everybody-; engaged in the wool trade, work people as well as masters. As a grocer or provision dealer, youhave less chance for a seat in the Upper House, as far as present figures go, but you have a chance in 90,000 to secure a baronetcy, as there are two of them at present, but as little as 20,000 to 1 against your getting a knighthood, of which there are nine, whose bearers are or were grocers. Another first class road to titles is the cotton trade, even better than the woollen, for it has produoed three new peers now

living, but the number of applicants for the prize* is so much larger th»t the odds are longer, and jrbu Have only 1 chance in 182,000 to become the fourth cotton paer, , All three peerages are baronies, by'-- the way, and these is no viscounty gained by : trade alone. Tfcen, there are fiya cotton baronetcies, ail 4of - them wealthy, of course 5 and the cotton broker's chance df . getting one awarded him? is 1 if; 110,000. On top of these there are six knighthoods derived from cotton, the chance for .which is about 1 in 91,000 The best cotton income runs to oyerwhioh is good enough to enpport any peerage, even a dukedom/ Every worker in the cotton trade, young or old, poor or rich, is counted in these figures, and most of the big successes have been made by those who rose from the workrooms, so the chances are equal for all—a little in favor of the workers if anything. » The ironmongery and iron founding business is one of the beat ladders to a title, beiag especially "rich in knighthoods and baronetcies; but there are two peerages as well. The chance of getting a peerage in this tradej however, iB 101.000 to 1; but there are three baronetcies, and your chance of getting a fourth i 3 only 50.600 to 1. "• Knighthoods;" on the other hand, are simply lyiag around loose in this trade; there are two of them already, and the modest odds of 16.900 to 1 or thereabouts—counting in every man or boy engaged-in the iron trade in any way—any iron worker can hope for a knighthood. As for mayoral ties of towns and minor distinctions to the extent of half the. alphabet after your name, the iron trade is like a fruitful vine. There 1b ohetuniqueknighthood belonging" to this trade, and that is that of Sir William Bailey, who added to iron working the scheme of the Manchester Ship Canal, and-was knighted by Queen Victoria on board the first ship passing through it. All in all, however, the brewing trade produces the largest number of big titles, though not so many knighthoods and small fry. There are four brewery peerages, two of them arising from ales and two mainly from stout. This gives odds of only about 6600 to 1 against the acquiring of a peerage by anybody who helps to produce beer or''other malt liquors,' and there are six baronetcies as well, which give one chance in 440 to the beer producer of being included in Burke. Knighthoods are Bcarcer, there being only four of them, which gives the same odds as in the case of the peerages. It is worth noting how commercial the peerage is getting, or how noble commerce is growing, as you please, considering the storm of protest there was sixteen years' ago, when the Burton peerage was created.< The subsequent creations did not arouse anycommestat alii ■ '"ti"-.