POINTS FROM LETTERS

" QUID SIT PROLETARII."

In your review of Do What You Will in your issue of Nov. 9th, I read, " The proletariat, Mr. Huxley begins, was a word coined by Marx in the 'forties or 'fifties of the last century to denote the working-class as it then was." The word may have been adopted by Marx, but surely not coined by him, for Aulus Gellius (Nodes Atticae, Lib. XVI) treats on Quid sit proletarii," and tells us that the term was applied to those too poor to pay taxes, but able to contribute " proles " to the State.—R. G. S. K.

" THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VILLAGE IN ENGLAND."

I think that you and Mr. Joad would be horrified at the way in which Arlington Row has been spoilt. It's exactly like the -English village street in the Ideal Home Exhibition, now that the Society of Arts have been busy with it. They have mended the roofs nicely, and then, stupidly, walled in the exquisite stream, laid turf, planted a tree and taken away the character and the beauty of what was once the most beautiful corner of the " most beautiful village in England." As you say, why not a happy medium ?—M. WASHBOURN, Bibury, near Cirencester, Glos.

LAND TAXATION.

It would appear that Mr. Snowden contemplates raising a considerable sum of money for the " social services ' by imposing a tax on all land at the rate of 3d. in the £ of its present value. Assuming the capital value of agricultural land to be £20 an acre, the tax would therefore be 5s. per acre. As a result of the de-rating legislation introduced by the late Conservative Government, a 400-acre holding benefits to the extent of a remission of approximately £70. But under Mr. Snowden's projected scheme the unfortunate owner- occupier of such a holding would have to pay a tax of £100. Owing to the prevalent break-up of the large estates, the owner-occupiers of moderate-sized farms have considerably increased. These men, who are in receipt of no Government subsidy, have to contend against depressed conditions in the stock markets in addition to the dumping of Continental bounty-fed cereals. As an initial step towards land nationalization, it is surely much to be hoped that the present Government will not seek to squeeze all such owner-occupiers out of existence.—T. TRORNTON-BERRY, Swinithwaite Hall, Leyburn, Yorks.

DEATH AS A FRIEND.

The writer of " The Right to Kill " in your issue of November 9th, makes the not surprising mistake of attributing that noblest of engravings, Der Tod als _Freund to Darer. But Diirer never achieved the sublime tenderness which the genius of the nineteenth century artist, Rethel, has imprinted on the downcast, fleshless countenance of his Death, tolling the Seneschal's passing, in the belfry.—C. M. HUDSON, Nutcombe Height, Hindhead.

MOTORISTS AND HOSPITALS.

The hospitals throughout the country, existing on voluntary contributions, are being bard hit owing to the expenditure involved through motoring accidents. Might I suggest that the wealthy organisations should assist from their funds ? The Automobile Association out of their huge reserve could easily subscribe £100,000. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, with all the profits of the Olympia Show in their coffers, another £50,000, and the Royal Automobile Club and kindred clubs another £20,000, and, with these sums as a basis, a fund of, say, £250,000, could be raised without difficulty, to be administered by a committee under, I suggest, the chairmanship of Sir Arthur Stanley. Something must be done and some lead taken, as unquestionably the hospitals— particularly in the areas outside London—cannot continue to bear the very heavy increased burden without special assistance. The situation will be relieved when third-party insurance is made compulsory, but even then the needs of the hospitals will not be covered.---CHARLES JARROLL, Lt.-Col., 194 Great Portland Street, London, W. 1.

BISHOP SANDERSON'S BIRTHPLACE.

In his " Life " of Dr. Sanderson, Walton at the outset said he dared not think that he had committed neo mistakes, but was sure there were none that were material. There is, however, one which must be deemed material, and which has misled several other writers. He gives the place of Bishop Sanderson's birth as " Rotheram in the County of York ; a town of good note," whereas the fact is that the bishop was born at Sheffield, as evidenced by the entry of his baptism in the Baptismal Register of Sheffield Parish Church, now the Cathedral. Here is a copy of the entry : " 1587. Sep. 20

Rob'tus Saund'son fil. Saund'son." He was born at a house near the Irish Cross, then called " the lane head stone." Robert Sanderson the father appears to have been in the employment of the Earl of Shrewsbury, probably as agent. Not long after the birth of his son Robert he removed to Gilthwaite Hall two or three miles from Rotherham, where there was a grammar school to which the son was sent. In Walton's " Lives," recently published by the Oxford Uni- versity Press in the World's Classics, with an introduction by Mr. George Saintsbury, the same mistake is allowed to pass uncorrected.—W. ODOM, Hon. Canon of Sheffield, Lindum Lodge, Psalter Lane, Sheffield.

CRUELTY IN SPORT.

As one who believes that hunting will cease through quits other means than the direct attack, and who therefore is not concerned with such direct action, but who, nevertheless, is keenly interested in the rights and wrongs of the matter, I should be glad if either Major Van der Byl or you would give specific details of the immense amount of good which accrues from hunting, and further, would explain in what way its stoppage would be a " national calamity."—PAui, WARD, Woodcote, Lelant, Cornwall.

"TEN YEARS LIFE OF THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS."

MAY I be allowed to correct two errors which crept into my review last week of the above publication of the League of Nations Union ? By an unfortunate slip I was made to say that the book would appear on November 15th : it will not, in fact, be published before the end of the month. Secondly, I quoted a phrase for criticism (in the rough proof which I was able to see by the kindness of the officials of the Union) ani I am told that that passage has now been altered.—F. Y.-B.

.[We are glad to publish our correspondent's correction. May we join with him in hoping that large numbers of our readers will purchase the book? No such readable compen- dium has yet been published • at the price, which is 5s.— En. Spectator.]