ON TITLES.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2206, 22 March 1881, Page 3

ON TITLES.

To the Editor of the Globe. Sib, —In my country (Germany) there is a regular gradation of titles, from the “ Grosser Furat” downwards. When I went to the United States it was with the expectation of finding, in a Republic, all the people merely plain citizens, but was surprised to find, upon calculation, that there wore about three millions of men who were dubbed with some sort of title other than their common names, such as generals, colonels, majors, captains, judges, doctors, ’iquires, and a variety of others. In these colonies there does not seem to be such a disposition to give or assume titles, though sometimes strangers are somewhat misled. In a town up North, a prominent citiz n figured on all occasions as “.Captain.” Many people supposed he had been in the Royal Navy, but it seems he had merelyi boon the “captain” of a firewood boat, who had worked his way to the front. There ia one .title, however, rather common in Christchurch, and which seems to be rather uqedefined and somewhat of a puzzle to many folks, namely, the title of “ Professor.” We have the University Professors, Saponaceous Professors (latherors), Professors of Herbs, and others. Now, sir, I want you to be so kind, through your widely-circulated journal, as to allow me to make a proposition to those gentlemen who are called professors, whether soi disant or otherwise, which is, that they should bo distinguished by certain . initials: for instance, U, for University ; E, for Expert; M, for Miscellaneous. Thus, U. Professor would mean University Professor; E. Professor would mean an expert, as an expert shaver, expert cutter (tailleur), expert razor-grinder, or any other expert manipulator ; M should include miscellaneous professors, such as conjurors, quacks, and mountebanks generally. If those gentlemen will agree to distinguish themselves as suggested they will much oblige my countrymen, and, perhaps, foreigners generally, and even many of the British public. Yours, &3., A. SCHNEIDER,