is assertion that the consumer would not benefit if the
Government charged "Blue-book rates" for ordinary cargo does not
convince everybody. But then everybody does not understand Blue-books.

[Illustration: "Sir Leo keeps his end up." MR. HOUSTON. SIR LEO
CHIOZZA MONEY.]

_Wednesday, November 28th_.--The Peers were surprised to hear from
Lord COURTNEY that he was not of the creed of the conscientious
objector. They had been under the impression that his public career
had been one long orgie of conscientious objection to everything that
did not emanate from his own capacious brain. Even his hat and his
waistcoat proclaim his defiance of conventional opinion.

For weeks past the House of Commons has been invited to believe that
German "pill-boxes" were composed of British cement; and the case
seemed clear when a British officer wrote from Flanders the other
day that he had discovered in the German lines a label plainly
marked "Artificial Portland." Members were relieved to learn that
the label came from a Belgian factory taken over by the Germans. "If
those pill-boxes had really been made of our cement," said a Medway
representative, "we should be hammering at them still."

_Thursday, November 29th_.--Question-time would be much more amusing
if Ministers and Members were more accomplished in the art of
repartee. A few are quick enough. When Mr. LEES SMITH complained that
one of his statements had been described by the FOREIGN SECRETARY as a
mare's nest Lord ROBERT CECIL swiftly replied that he did not remember
the incident, but had no doubt that if his right hon. friend used the
term it was justified.

Under the Redistribution scheme as arranged by the Boundary
Commissioners the name West Birmingham would have disappeared from the
roll of constituencies. In graceful tribute to the memory of JOSEPH
CHAMBERLAIN the House unanimously agreed to its reinstatement. It also
changed the name of the Woodstock division to the Banbury division;
but the idea that this was done as a compliment to the junior Member
for the City of London is, I am told, erroneous.

* * * * *

"IN SUCH A QUESTIONABLE SHAPE."

"This, of course, brings up the almighty question--Who wrote
Shapespeare?"--_Mr. George Moore in "The Observer_."

A short answer to this almighty question is--Either Mr. GEORGE MOORE
or the writer who determined "to call a spade a spape."

* * * * *