LONDON CHAT.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11505, 11 February 1903, Page 8

LONDON CHAT.

(fhom ocb own* correspondent.) LONDON, January 2. Queen Alexandra always seems to divine by instinct what will be a kind and acceptable act. Thie Christmas ehe gave a dinner to widows and children, of eoldiera who fell during the South African war. It passed off with entire success, 1465 guests bein? present, viz., 629 widows and 556 children, all of whom seemed to enjoy themselves moet thoroughly. The dinner was served promptly, and the needs of every guest were looked after. In each dining-room there were twenty carvers, and the -waiting was performed by some 250 professional waitresses, who had volunteered their services. The menu comprised : —Hot roajst turkey and sausage, hot roast sirloin of beef, boiled potatoes, Brussels sprouts, Christmas pudding, mince pies, grapes, oranges, apples, bananas, nuts, sweets, Christmas crackers, tea, coffee, and cocoa, mineral waters. The cooking and serving of the dinner were equally good. Theie were provided 150 English turkeys, 6001bs of British sirloin, half a ton "of potatoes, 35 bushels of sprouts, 500 Christmas puddings weighing 611 m each. 1750 mince pies, and 250tbs ol sausages. * As soon as the hungry «dge of appetite had been in some degree cloyed, the children began to pull their crackers. There were plenty of willing helpers to relieve overburdened mothers of the core of their very young children, and even the infants in arms had plenty of attention. When the tables had been cleared of the remains of the more substantial fare, a new excitement was furnished by the distribution of boxes of chocolate and toys. The chocolate was contained in metallic boxes, on the lid of which was a likeness of the Queen in colours on a white ground edged with blue. The toys included dolls, fully dressed; mechanical toys, puzzles, helmete, swords and guns, and toy animals. There was a toy for each child, and even those who were prevented from being present had not been forgotten. A small hamper containing the chocolate, the biscuits, the Christmas card and the toys, was sent to each of the families that were prevented from accepting the Queen's invitation. Certainly the Queen'e kind thoughtfulness was most thorough in its comprehensiven«6B, and it was fully appreciated. What is known as the "Globe Scandal" has just contributed two new incidents. One is the final decision of the Crown Prosecutor tiiat there are not sufficient grounds for the initiation by him of a public prosecution of these whose conduct brought about the disaster. The second is the report of the Inspector-General of j Company Liquidation, who, after estimating the* deficiency in the Globe Companies at £7,840,976, remarks :—" When, after about two years' speculative operations, these deferred shares for £10,000 were converted into certificates representing £610,000 (or sixty-one times their nominal amount) in the shares of the new Company, ranking in all respects on the same footing as those held by the ordinary shareholders, while the latter received certificates for nearly three time.* the nominal amount of their sharts, the arrangement is of so remarkable a character as to remove it entirely outside the sphere of ordinary business. . . . The shareholders either knew the general nature of the business or they were content to receive the benefit of very abnormal profits without enquiry, and in implicit reliance upon the directors. The directors, according to their own admissions, left the entire control of these financial operations in the hands of the managing director, ami while accepting large fees as directors, either neglected to inform themselves as to what he was doing, or concurred in his operations." As to Mr Whitaker Wright, it is stated that he wae "the managing director of the committee referred to, and this* concentration of management, and the lack of any real control in the conduct of the operations, afforded great facilities lor speculative operawfls of a dangeroucharacter, while the purchase of large quantities of shares could not fail to affect their maiket price. Some of Mr Whitaker Wright's remarkable business methods are related. Referring to £321,296 worth of shares held by him, the InspectorGeneral says that" these " were placed in the name of clerks ana other persons, and subsequently realised." He also states that a vast number of these shares were sold, chiefly in small lote, to purchasers residing in all parts of the United Kingdom, at prices averaging about £2 5s per share. Yesterday afternoon I went to hear the second performance in London of Richard Strauss's colossal new "tone-poem," entitled "Em Heldenleben," or "A Heros Life," to which I referred at come length in a recent letter. In this case Henry Wood, the regular conductor of the Queens Hall orchestra, wielded the baton. The stupendous character of Strauss's •extraordinary work was again most abundantly manifested. If there be anything more amazing in music than the " Antagonist " and "Battlefield," or more tremendous than the latter. I should like to know ot it. Actually Tschaikowsky's stormy and stressful overture, " 1812," which followed, sounded relatively tame in comparison! And the exquisite sweetness and beauty of tlve "Love Scenes" and "Works of Peace " and " Death " are as remarkable as the overwhelming tempestuousneas of the noisier portions. Some of the Antagonists" section strikes one at first, as absolutely insane. Yet at each hearing it grows upon one, and some sort of form appears gradually to evolve itself out ol the amazing chaos.