1947-07-26 — Page 6

LUCKY LISBON city without controls

By SUSAN

LOWNDES

LISBON. local brandy 性 Os. Od, a bottle,

pre

HF you want a rest

from local gin 0s, 6d. a bottle, excellent austerity, and shortages, imitations of French liqueurs and controls, and queueing 10s. and good tavern wine is 1. a up, and Burly shop assistants, tre? The lo, a litre for tavern and waiters who refuse to wait vine, by the way, čapses. many

then come to Lisbon.

complaints, for the prica" used to bu

·

For Lisbon is now becoming. The bookshops have u certain The City Without Controls, number of English books. Penguins The war-time restrictions aro being thrown overboard whole at 1s. 3d., novels at 10s. 6d. and sale. And as the controls diseni be found in Lisbon which went othera in proportion.. Often a. books appear, so prices; come down.

Tout of print the day it was published

English elgarettes are 18. d. for

20.and the English morning news- papers, which are flown over bulk on the day of publication, vary

At the present time the only in London. goods rationed are bread, sugar, rice, olive oil and, frying oils, Petrol rationing has recently been abolished with the result that the price has been almost halved. On July 1 the taxis of Lisbon brought their fares down by a third.

Goods pouring in ·· There is now nothing that you cannot huy in Lisbon. Goods are pouring in, especially from America, Switzerland and Sweden, and Portugal herself is manufacturing more and more.

in

in price from 6d. for the Daily Ex- press to 10d. for The Times.

one

During the war, Portugal became

of the dearest

of countries Europe in which to live; having been one of the cheapest before.

Even now all necessities ore. at least double what they are In England, while all luxuries are a quarter. the price.

J

Beef 2s. 9d. a lb. British goods are beginning täi Milk is 7. n pint, butter has appear again but all the shop- come down to 3. n . The men! keepers complain that they cannot position has been greatly cased by woollen wholesale imports of Argentine beet materia Bell out very quickly, at 2s. 9d. a lb. though most people buy the Portu- Coimbra, which guese cloth from

Kel

enough Scottish

Turkeys can be bought oil the round from 15%. Od. each and asparagus chickens from 3s. dd. "Oranges are now 5s. Gd. a dozen and English furnishing materials of 1gs, plums and apricots Ed. a dozen.

is a very good Imitation of the year

British article.

But thene prices for home-grown

printed linen at 13s. a metro, which fruit are regarded as absurdly high: is a little more than a yard, are 10 they have led to Government notion be found all over the town.

In the last few days in the form of

with numbers at fruit talis trolled prices..

Silk is cheaper.

Blocks of new flats

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, SATURDAY, JULY 26, 1947.

S

"Ho! Off again? Who are we today-Dinny Pails? Mr. Kramor?"

sion is gone.

Tibet, the 12,000-foot high

THE GUILDS OF THE

CITY OF LONDON NO 2

The Pepperers And The Grocers

B

By BARRY PEAK

EFORE explaining the Gro- kept for foreign merchants or non- cers' Company, it is neces- members who might bring spices sary to refer to an early and various goods into the City. City Guild-the Popperers. The that much goods be sold within 40 The Company also enforced the rule

history of the Grocers' Company and the Pepperers is one in which the two Güllds aro tied by

of arrival and that they did not or sell among themselves.

1447, the Company were sp-

the tale of one is to tell the the whole kingdom outside the City,

known as the

the oficial "garblers" for story of the other. In introduce, and this meant that arrangements ing the Grocers' Company, it is were made by the Company to check uccessary to turn back the pages all epices and drugs sold and to of history to 1180 A.D.

ensure there was no fraud by an order We first hear of the Pepperers cleaning of such goods.

which enforced compulsory

a common story, and to

unfold by

the King to be what was

in this year, when the Gilda By this time, the members felt Pipariorum is mentioned in the that their rise to fame just fed the Pipe Rolls as being fined 16 acquisition or a permanent home marks for failing to pay the and so they purchased the family King's licence. In those days, mansion of Lord Fitz-Walter, here- the Pepperers were connected in it interesting to

ditary standard-bearer of the City. note that the an official capacity with the property ran through the middle of weighing of machandise in the the site now occupied by the Bank City. Together with the Ropers of England. Other famous, Ha and Apothecaries they nominat belonging to the Company have been ed the officer to be in charge of eveted In the City of London, the

last being completed in 1893, the King's beam, which weighed by the aver-de-poys; weight or peso grosso..

As soon as the Grocers Company ....... was founded, it assumed a prominent place among the Cife Guila and

Less than 20 members of the Com-

Importance Of Spices during the 15th century alone na THE Popperers were important pany held the office of Lord Mayor because the unsavoury food of London. The Company also claims of medieval, times needed tasty to have assisted in the forwarding of SYDNEY SMITH sends first report

condiments to make it palatable, he work of the Reformation; for it Whg Richard Grafton, a member of But despite their importance, the the Culid, who printed both Pepperers' Guild disappeared in Mathew's Bible and the Great Bible, detail of the SHOOTING AT SHANGRI-LA

the early part of the reign of the first English translation placed Edward I. It is said that in the churches by the King's order.

Colonising Ulster NEW DELHI.

One day the Regent, on a holy; But he forgot, and left it in his prominent members were ruined

URING the reign of James 1, the 10 it has come to ticking pilgrimage to a inke ten miles ed a curious servant to open it. He to enable the king to finance the 1000, the task of colonising lands in

own home, where its ticking provok- by the imposition of forced loans DUB

City of London brownpaper parcels full of from Lhasa, saw the vision of found a well-made time bomb-to war with France.

Ulster, The Grocers' Company, paid high explosives in Shangri- a temple in the waters: This him just a devilish and suspicious

It was at this stage thar inter- out £5,000 (a vast sum in those con-la. The last outpost of our illu- temple. was traced just over in which eventually exploded national banking played a hand, times) and received in return, lands

when no one was near. Its origin

but he eastern border of Tibet, was traced to the ex-tegent Jachen, and Italian bankers financing the on the south of Lough Foyle. Much

who was thrown into prison.

was done to improve the estate, Two King failed to meet their obliga- at the end of the last century they Chinese-claimed territory days later I

his followers rebelled, tions. The result of this was deelded to sell out, finding the post- In 1939, a pleasant Lisbon family top floor of the world, has letere, sure enough, in a small murdered their abbots and defed the that further demands were mado tion of being nåsentee landlords 100

Lhasa Government.

However, much good mhouse, above the ground to £2 and £3. Swiss Bill Bat cost between £60 and £120 u

colonization work had been mixture, is about £1 a metre, and year. Fortugni has always had rent us all down and broken a harmoor quarters of the yaks, and con,; as ans sometimes been knewn been bled for supplies.

While the ex-Regent died in pri- the endless beautifully patterned restriction

instead of. lenses, 60 less and comforting dream, by

to happen to Incon recorded in the archives of the of the Grocers' Company. Portuguese printed, artificial silks whatever the rent, the tenant can

venient prisoners in the Grocers' Company that on May During its history, the Grocora are about 108.

never be turned out as long as the this month aging as bloody

West, the Government

has suffered from nent 9. 1345, a fraternity was born Company rent is paid within the statutory little party of political assas

called out some of which, with the passing of time, misfortune. Both Queen Mary, and Oddly enough, there are very

5,000 militia. dress few ready-made

shops

sination and revolt hould the

Queen Elizabeth borrowed large zums. army. obsolescent

grew to be the Gracers' Com- of money from the City Companies, รถมบร Lisbon, and none of them have Now rents have become

mountain guns and light field pany that exists today. sold to Tibet after the 1014-18 war by India, and the Tibet on wheels except one bicycle in Lhasa, were dragged out across the 12,000ft-high Lhusu plateau.

In less than a week the lovely old gold-topped, moss-grown walls of the rebel Reting monasteries duced. For two weeks more the monks, reinforced by

with a few modem rifles and some

Real silks, imported from France come and Switzerland, have lately down in price from £4 und £5 the

Je.

11

one of

moderately priced clothes.. Con the heaviest items for those Betting most expert South Americans.

sequently every

woman

employs up house in Lisbon

at rents from about. £240 a year to

REVOLT on the

or the nearby

The news leaking cut am on a "little dressmaker," who often, seaside resort of Estoril.. works in the houses of her clients Immense blocks of new flats are Lhasa-we used to call it the for 2s. 6d. a day with food.

going up all over Lisbon, to be let Forbidden City ---through Irish ilnens and handicerchicts are double that. Oddly enough furnish- Tibet's single telegraph line to. on sale, the latter costing 15. d. ed places are cheaper in proportion, India has told a story of an, ex- each. There has lately been a large rising from. £5 a week in Lisbon to consignment of English games and £20 a week for

which sell from Estoril for the summer, though these to his successor: of his sup a large house in regent sending a parcel bomb educational loys about 5a. Ed. each.

porters, monks in their monas- teries, slaughtering their abbots

A really fine English pram costs 224. A trickle of small English earn are to be seen, but most of the

rarely have linen or cutlery,

A cook for £1 a week Servants' wages ore still very and publing up armed resistance large cars pouring into the country low, though they have doubled in to the field-gun bombardments are the now super American ones, the war years. A good cook which barely fit into Lisbon's nnr get 10s, to £1 a week and the other of Government troops. row streets.

servants less in proportion,

at £6, the ib.

•

monetary

will

most EU

and

for those

ROOF of the WORLD

Jew

its

. only things in

WETO 10-

groups

from

qultry, was found a promising safely on his white silk-scarf-hung two-year-old boy, son of the site, ruling his Cubinet of inonica peasant farmer Chog Chu and feudal lords, who still have the right to whip and Imprison their Tsering.

tenants and cut off the hands of

done

on the traders who had already dimcult.

It is and the estate prospered under the

ca

n

But it was the Starts who brought In the records of foundation of

matters to

head. By excessive perers, 22 names are mentioned and Company into such straits that they the Fraternity of Companions Pep- borrowing, they forced the Grocers'

attached to the document of found- had to sell much of their plate to ation. These members held a dinner meet a demand of £9,000. And these and drew up the ordinances. Mem- loans were seldom repaid. A second barship, was limited to "Pepperers case of hardship was when consider- of the able property of the Company and of Soper's Lane, canvassera Ropery and Spleen of the ward of their Hall was destroyed in the Cheap, or other people of their Great Fire of 1000. Following this other lamaseries, held off the army Mystery wherever they reside. It the Company experienced hard times

was ordained that all would contri- for about 100 years. with a few modern rlies

The turning point in the prosperity bute to the common fund, submit and some muzzle-loaders

disputes to the arbitration of Wor- of in open mountain war-

dens, to maintain a priest and attend of the Grocers came about in 1891.

This was

was with an act was passed fare "at 14,000 fest, one another's funerals. It was also establishing the Bank of England, Then they were broken.

agreed that these falling on hard and Sir John Houblon, a member For the moment the Regent is all times would be assisted from the of the Guild, became the first Gover

common fund...

nor. It was in the October of that English radios, paints and tollet people have at least two mnide. Six of Tibet's-14 Dalai Lamas goods Eull very quickly. So

St. Anthony was adopted as tho year that the business, which had does But most mistresses concern them have died suddenly because

Mercers' Hall was Patron Saint and on Saints' Day all started in the. Unned food which is imported by stives with the welfare of their

The the luxury grocers who sell caviar servants and their families, who can their food tasters were, at least,

would attend mass at St. Anthony's transferred to Grocers' Hall. often be a heavy extra expense.

Monastery in. Threadneedle Street, Bank continued to be the Company's incompetent. A discreet elimi-

The child showed all the thieves.

now the home of the Bank of tenants up to 1734 and by that time Gin 6s. 6d. a bottle

There are definite signs that the nation of undesirable elements.

England.

the Company was in a good financial: cost of living is coming down

And in the great temple of Paiola,

state. • that Portugal may again become not-

never bettered by the Borgias, signs of bearing the soul of the

looking over the flat roofs of Lhasa

Fitted Out Fleet

With the growth of personal Bottles of Scotch whisky are every only a free paradise for the casual has always been an accepted last Dalai Lama. When a tray- and its population of 20,000 laymen where at prices ranging from 30%. visitor, but when

ECORDS of th's Guild continue wealth, the Company, in keeping too £2 105. the bottle. English gin trols are gone, a home

Con political gesture in Tibet.ful of mixed objects was put and 20,000 monks, the 11-year-old REC

to 1958 and then there is a break, with other Geilds, did much in is £1 6s. But, why buy imported who still prize tho ancient civilities

before him he surely grabbed at Laal Lama, an alert, ruddy-check-

ed former's son in a marcon silk But en renewing the story in 1373, assisting hospitals and other worthy Today; much drink in + country where good of life.

Now, sadly enough, it seems the scarves, çanes and beads gown, sits for 17 hours a day study. it is found that the fraternity has char table works. that the cruder methods of the which had belonged to the dead ng praying and blessing the queues the new name of the Grocers' Com- work is done in the maintenance New World have crept in, and Dalai Lama. He avoided every mom the far corners of Tibet. member of the Company, who helped Institutes, including a famous public of rugged mountain pilgrims who pany. It was Jahn Philpot, a noted of fine schools and other educational the echo has reached us. They

thing which was not the genuine

England by fitting out a feet which school at Oundle. It would seem that there in peace swept the English. Channel and North Unlike many City Companies, have laken to shelling each

article.

again in the land, 15 times the size

the Grocers d'd not lose their Hall other in our Shangri-la.

of Britain, where another nation' of

At this time the control of public during aerial bombardment in World Gift from Britain wa crinkers sips an pveråge of 50

and today. they are able to London War II cups per head a day.

passed into the hands of the Com- assist the less fortunate companies TWO

years of negotiations with the

The tin prayer wheels spin on pany, and they were granted the by lending it to them for special THE story of it all began with

local Chinese governor followed, their sticks, the prayer flags dy, in right to nominate the Keeper or the occasions. Their historie, treasures, the death in 1933 of the and after the payment in 1939 of a spite of partition to the south and King's beam. This right was retain all safely stored away during the war, have been returned to their ed until the 18th century. 13th and greatest Dalai Lama, large "ee" the four-year-old Dalai thunder to the north.

The Grocers' Company had, by the premises. Lama was allowed to be taken back

NEXT WEEK: end of the 14th century, grown con- spiritual and political head of to Lhasa, to be greeted with glits cause during the equivalent of a siderably in strength, and water wor The Ancient Drapers Tibet's three million feudal and reverence. A nation-wide campaign to It has no connection with any lords, small farmers and pea-

The British Government gave him speed research into what makes prohibition, reform, repeal, or liquor | sants.” At once, according to the handsomest presents of all. They

organisation or movement, America's chronic alcoholics

custom, began the search for included one gold brick, ten bags of drink, and how to cure an esti- drinks, "more than 3,000,000 drinks to

Ot -60.000.000 Americans who the new-born child which should silver, three rides, three rolls of Mineral prospecting is out of order mated 750,000 of these problem excess." the Council said in a state- contain the soul

of the dead cloth, one gold watch, three kitchen because I disturbs: the gods and desecrates their treasures; moler- are banned drinkers, has been announced ment, "and there are about 760,000 Lama and of all the Lamas be stoves, a hammock, a saddle and, the cars and motor-cycles

one he loved best, a beautiful must because they invoke devils and by the Research Council on who are definitely problem drink- fore him.

cal box.

frighten yaks One out

af Problems of Alcohol:

every three them Many of

malo children born becomes a priest physically.

With his arrival in Lhasa the Na- and is consigned for lits to a pictur- Uncontrolled drinking has

Not Criminals

babes whom their mothers and tional Assembly, a self-elected body esque monastery, heated with dried been called the country's fourth biggest pubile health problem, "There is growing recognition fathers naturally considered the of priests and feudal lords, decided yak dung, where randid butter, bad

teble delicacies, {** the Council. reported, adding throughout the country, based on cleverest and most beautiful in that a new Regent should be elected. Ces and dried mutton are the top

The Panchéri medient evidence as well as pathe the world.

Lama of Reting, that "in terms of numbers of desire for u

Jachen, the Ander of the Ruler's soul, The State Oracle can still change people affected and its impact that these problem drinkers should u strong, healthy society,

was sent back to his monastery to a cabinct decision and, everyone' upon the health and social strue be treated, as sufferers

The Senior Oracle in the gold meditate on Nirvana and the fall of belleves that away beyond the 20,000ft mountain tops the earth is ture of the nation, it is a more disease ratlier than as wilful topped 15-storey temple of the great. He did not like it...

flat and ends in a mighty preciples. criminals that they should be cared Potala at Lhasa went into re- nad serin jails and that their rehabilitation

America's Problem

Drinkers

BY ALTON L. BLAKESLEE

(Associated Press Relence Reporter)

ers.'

are sick

from a

in 1933 ::.

Claims poured in on behalf of

sõrious problem than tubercu for in hospitals rather than punished gular trances. The omens and Delhi political quarters, bo remem

losis."

The Counelt seeks

a fund of depends hot upon exhortation to signs of all the now-born were $200,000 a year at the outset, and reform, but upon cound medical justly examined for the next

knowledge"

plans, a series of research treatment centres in leading medical

schools and their billated hospitals Cornell Contro

+

medicine und psychology in de

Some progress has been made in

veloping treatment methods, It added, but prevention still is un- solved..

new

Football is banned there now be

Lhasa United match a few years ago hailstorm destroyed the a serious harvests. So football is considered dangerous for crops.

Speculation

In addition, so it is being said in

bered that, although Chinese troops. were driven from Lhasa after the

TOW much this 20th century robel- Chinese rebellion of 1981. China sill Hon on the insuleval roof of the claims Tibet is a province,

Their world.. four years.

was really due to the Constitution, treats it s

pro-

But the Dalai Lama's soul Republie.

autonomous province of the Chinese Chinese, politics of an ambitious Jachen in sald to have group of anonks, that one telegraph was traced and recognised by flirted hopefully with the Chinese line from Lhara does not tell. India authorities over the border. But speculates and hints, and the nearly the authorities only in 1937).

whatever the cause of his scheming, paritioned Political

Department of Besides research, the Couneli suld. Then, the Regent Jachen, In- dignity, he was solidly backed by hin

and it may only fave been injured the Government of India would be other immediate objectives were:

Interested to krow whether Tibet's conscloussiess awakening Developing a model slate Inw carnate Lama of Reting Monis priestly followers In three large political

a southerly dawn. "dealing with chronic drinking:

mausteries, tory, announced that the body

It may be, it is sad to “that” - the law of: bomba 'und know th Revising laws to place problem of the last Lama had turned by

Entor the bomb

Kurs hag at last broken the peaceful Naw. drinkers under in

Juanitair in its tomb and twice York City, is an associated society. health rather than legal authorities; faced towards the cost. A FARLIER, this year a friend of the people we have all sometimes envied. "meditations of the three, “million of the American Association for the and aiding health and welfare Advancement of Science, and in agencies to the types of facilities green fungus appeared on the given a paper panel which he was one in Tibet has ever heard of present 79ynr-old Regent was And there's another thing, wo-no poinposed..pelmarfly. of....... scientists, nooded FAILUR

enetislile of the bomb walls, food to deliver to the Regent

Shangri-10.

One of the first such centres was established recently at the Cornell University Medical College, New York State Hospital, under n · Ave- your grant of $180,000. 1000

Ago

The Council, organ sod 10 years

with - hendquarters

10- or

Sea clear of pirates.

weighing in the City of

DAVID LANGDON CARTOON

"All fares roody up there. I shall be rou