SCOTLAND TO-DAY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 26, 25 October 1907, Page 9

SCOTLAND TO-DAY.

; gj rj —I have frequently been much amused when reading; since I arrived in tho Dominion, paragraphs, etc., in-the, local press rcr ferring to places, incidents, customs, etc., reflecting .011 tho, people of Scotland. As the majority, of those, who ,have written the paragraphs, etc., have been of "no account'," I havo refrained from denouncing the inaccuracies which have' been .thechief,characteristics, of their in'formatipn. , It is, however, altogether a ''different matter, when, as in the article headed as.above in your issue of to-day, the'names of supposed-to-be writers of standing, make patent, and foolish misrepresentation's; and .well-known publishers give their imprimatur to them..' _ . .: ! 1 quote from .the article: "The three central square miles .(of Glasgow) are, in fact, a solid •conglomeration of stone and lime, unadorned, with .tree or, shrub or flowerrbed. 7 ..^Thousands; of Glasgow's workmen arid workmenjs ,wives and children never bohold, from week's end to week's ond, a blade of grass,; br',a .tree,, or a shrub,' or a flower, or,' indeed, anything except thehard walls of tho moriotorious ,street." , >v -, What : a .city,,.of .misery this, picture indi-. •cates 1 Let mo say, as one who for a-quarter '.of a century, up to this year resided in tho dismal city, and who..knows every-nook and 'cranny. of- it, that the ; statement' quoted is as remoto.from fact as-it:can be. ■ ..Within tho

)three;' miles stated, in addition ..toGeorge's; 'Square; there aro, amoiigst 'others', Cathedral ' Square, ;Bain's; Square,, Gaol Square, Blytliswood Square, Grove Street Square, •'Phoenix; Public .Park, Ruchill Public Park, Queen!s.Park, Kelvingrove Public Park, the. 'Botanical - Giardens and ,!the' enormous, and world-known Glasgow, Green, .and hundreds, ■ofopen spaces,; in ..which, as one passes on, tho, 'finest tramway.,:system in tlip .world, owned 'and' 'managed, ;by : ,- the' -admittedly' best/ and inost progressive .Corpor:ition' on the, .globe,he may observe-thousands ;of ,-the city's youth 'and children. enjoying.' thbmselves,- in well-ap-pointed gymnasia provided.and.paternally supervised'^,'qualified. keepers! at, the. public expense,. .' . "".;■ .'. '. ■ -Again,' within foarjjmiles of Glasgow Cross, .tesides other )public parks.,of, large extent,, are- Elder Park, Bellaaouston. Park, West End Park'j' Camphill, Park, Tolleross-Park, Maxwell,. Park,. Victoria, Park,. .Vinegar Hill. .Grounds,': the" famed Cathkin Braes, and the '.wondrously beautiful.' Rouken Gleri (compris-. ,ing:th6usands of acres of hill and vale,; cas-cade-arid stream).,• , ■ ;.

I have, perhaps, been in- a, greater, number' of the cities and tovms of the world than has. any person in tho Dominion, and I speak with first-hand arid carefully .acquired'.'.information when I assert that Glasgow has larger, riiiriiber of .and more effectivd.y placed public .parks', 'public - squares ; arid .public .open places .than has any-.city or town on ' oarth ;-r-ayp, 'arid tha.t, .;too; per head of'the. population'. ; '.; ;, :;Any ; ' Glasgow', man .011 1 the ';stii(f ' of - your •paper—and i- presume; from, their übiquito'us;ness, aritl-their'abilityyin press;cdnncctionsi-'you have at;least. one—will attest tho; cbrrectnes'3 of,;the statements'-which, : l 'giv6:' names,'-etc.,' ,of ; iparks, squares, and open spaces. , I' have 71 reflected -deeplyj; endeavouring to resolve .why such a''riiisreprosentatiori' of facts 'as I have dealt with is 'todingJElKgonr- here at present,' and I have, ifmay be" erroneously, concluded that. ,feayso fofs-thefycctnfc publication of the' well Snd truly expressed' opinions of'the Rev. Mr. North,- regarding ;this'rainy; windy, and dusty city of 'boarding-h'cuses-^Wellingtoni-- : : ■• - GLASGOW. : ' , [The article which has so. stirred th'o„patej;otic''Wra;th of; our - correspondent ,was com--posed of extracts from a review of- a' book .'en-, titled "Scotland of To-day," .by, P. P.sHen-, dorson, and Frances Watt, and; published, by, ■Messrs.,Melville;and'Mullen.]',,.